Increase Donations Online

Tip 1:

Add this verbiage to your automated acknowledgments to possibly increase donation amounts:

“If your employer has a Matching Gifts program, please show this acknowledgement to the program administrator and ask them to match your donation and send the necessary documentation to:

Nonprofit Name
Address
City, State/Provence Postal Code”

Tip 2:

Here is an article that was suggested:
A Five Step Program to Measure the Effectiveness of Your Web Pages

Tip 3:

According to a study from ForeSee Results, to gauge satisfaction of respondents who visited nonprofit websites:

A satisfied visitor to a nonprofit website is:

• 65% more likely to recommend the site to others;
• 57% more likely to have a favorable overall impression of the organization;
• 55% more likely to return to the site;
• 49% more likely to donate; and,
• 38% more likely to volunteer.

The top two reasons people gave for visiting nonprofit sites are news and events (40%) and to stay informed about the organization’s cause (40%).

Highly satisfied visitors to nonprofit websites are 49% are more likely to donate money to the nonprofit and 38% more likely to volunteer when compared to dissatisfied online visitors. Satisfied web visitors are also 66% more likely to use the website instead of a costlier channel as the primary resource. By channeling visitors to the website for information and donations, nonprofits can reduce costs, build loyalty, and drive donations.

The study shows that functionality is a top priority for nonprofit website improvement followed by image and content. Nearly one-third of donors chose not to give online because the website functionality was poor. Survey respondents also reported concerns about resource allocation, security and error messages.

While the recession has led to a decline in donations overall, the study shows that 83% of those who donated online in 2008 donated as much or more than 2007. In addition, people who choose to donate online tend to donate more than those who use other channels, indicating that nonprofits would be well-served to strongly encourage and facilitate online donations.

Tip 4:

Making sure your website makes it clear and easy to donate is so critical to your success. Have you tested that?

Here a clever strategy for testing your online donation process: Ask Your Mom or Dad to Make an Online Donation.