As online giving surges for nonprofits worldwide, those of us in donor relations must work hard to preserve a valuable donor experience for those online donors, not just those that send in a check. So here is a brief list of some things to consider:
You should be able to find your online giving site in ONE click from your organization’s homepage. The faster the better.
Ideally a donor should be able to make a gift from their phone in 30 seconds or less. If it takes one click on Amazon to buy anything why are we making it so difficult to give?
Are you asking questions that don’t need to be answered and could cause a donor to abandon your site? Why are you asking how they found you? Why are you asking about planned gifts? Why are you having them jump through extra hoops to make their gift?
Does the form say “thank you”? OR does it jump right into the down and dirty? Are you using jargon and phrases they may not understand? Words like “joint gift” and “designation” are alienating and confusing.
What happens when someone leaves your site without giving? What is your follow up? See the photos below - These online retailers understand the value of follow up, and it can be automated! Where is yours? Are we just going to let the donors walk away?
Do you have a monthly giving option? It should be your default there - Look at the average gift amount for monthly donors!
Online giving isn’t just for the young - Older donors are joining in and giving large amounts online.
What about your confirmation page and your receipt email? Are they wonderful? Are they full of smiling faces and interesting stories or do they just use the system default? You have to make this an experience - remember this is the donor’s first impression of you!
Need some help with all of these things? Get your IT, Advancement services and annual giving folks together and watch this webinar. I'll show you real life examples of the good the great and the ugly! These tips and tricks are sure to help you generate more income faster from donors!
Cheers,
Lynne
