4 ways not-for-profits can increase donations
Are you a not-for-profit (NFP) or charitable organisation looking to increase donations?
Try focusing on your payments process for a better donor experience.
As a nation, we’re deeply rooted with a sense of mateship.
We value our communities and aren’t shy when it comes to charitable giving.
In 2019 alone, nearly two-thirds (68%) of people in Australia donated to a charitable cause.*
And despite NFPs facing economic challenges or donors experiencing campaign fatigue, charitable giving is on the rise.**
That’s because there are still simple (yet effective!) ways for NFPs to increase donations. In our expertise, it’s all about focusing on an area in the donation cycle that’s often overlooked: the payments process. Here are our top four ways to help.
#1 | Put effort into a mobile-friendly, online donation page
Online donations and digital giving are on the fast track to becoming the preferred method over cash donations – with online giving seeing consistent growth since 2012.***
Many donors choose to donate online via direct debit or credit card.
And because many of us now use smartphones to complete our admin tasks, it’s crucial that your donation page is optimised for mobile use.
Also, having:
- a clear donate button,
- quick page download speed, and
- a seamless payment processor
are key to increasing donations. These could mean the difference between a frustrated almost donor to one who will actually hit the submit button.
#2 | Position your donors as the heroes
Use images, real case studies, and storytelling to really position your brand and mission to your ultimate cause.
Your brand can be a powerful, emotive tool to increase donations. Let your donors be the heroes in your brand narrative.
Take your donors on a journey. Tell the story at the heart of your campaign. Fundraise in a way that your donors can visualise and understand how their donations are truly making a difference. Make them believe in your brand.
Using a branded payment page can also help you gain the trust of your donors.
Visual consistency helps bridge your main website with your actual fundraising donation page. It increases the sense of safety and data security for your donors too.
#3 | Offer many ways to give
This one may sound obvious. But in reality, some NFPs don’t have the ability to accept all methods of payment. They’re missing out on potential gift and donation sources.
You should also suggest giving amounts and clearly display the donation buttons. This will encourage and help your donors who are unsure about how much to give.
In a 2019 Australian study, 40% of donors gave to charities online with bank or credit cards (just behind 43% who gave via cash). The rest preferred to pay by direct debit, digital wallets, over the phone, through subscription payments, through contactless bank and credit cards, and even by payment terminals. The list goes on.
The main point?
Many of us live in a hyper-digitised world. With more and more unique and innovative ways to pay, NFPs and organisations need to keep up.
One way to ensure you can: use a payments engine that takes care of it all for you.
#4 | Use a hassle-free recurring payments tool
Recurring donations means your donors have the option to give on a recurring basis (daily, fortnightly, yearly – you name it).
Doing this means you can save on fees and admin time.
It also reduces the need for manual processing by your volunteers and employees.
Adding a recurring payments option to your fundraising campaign – and using a payment gateway that just works – makes it super easy for your donors and can encourage them to keep giving.
Flo2Cash’s proven recurring payments processing has already helped thousands of NFPs eliminate manual edits and decrease risks.
We even have a smart retry function during failed payments and can automatically send ‘thank you’ emails on your behalf.
A combined win for your organisation and your donors!
Looking to increase donations?
Our seriously smart system means that we take care of your payments and donations, compliance, and data security for you.
Our mission is to help businesses accept payments, grow revenues, and thrive in the global economy.
Let us know how we can help.
Talk to our team today.
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Sources
* CAF-Australia-Giving-Report-2019.pdf (good2give.ngo)
Definitions
A payment terminal is a device which interfaces with payment cards (such as your direct debit or credit card) to make electronic fund transfers. As an example, it’s the device you tap on with your payment card in order to make a purchase.