4 FAQs about Online Donation Platforms

What are online donation platforms?

Online donation software allows nonprofits to accept and process donations through their online channels. Most importantly, this software equips your organization with the necessary tools to build efficient and professional online donation forms.

Though functionality varies by provider, the right online platform should provide your nonprofit with the following features to help drive your mission forward:

• Custom donation pages
• Automated donor data collection
• Payment processor integration

It’s crucial to have these resources in your nonprofit’s toolkit, as donors are more likely to interact with your cause online.

What are the different types of online donation platforms?

There are several ways to accept donations online. For instance, your nonprofit can leverage: 

• Online Donation Forms: The most fundamental element of online fundraising is the online donation page which houses your donation form. Simply put, a donation form is a designated area on your website where donors enter their giving information (like basic contact and payment data) so you can accept their donations.
• Mobile Giving: Mobile giving platforms make it possible for donors to donate using smartphones, tablets, or other mobile devices whenever and wherever they’d like. Leveraging mobile giving can be as simple as ensuring your donation page is mobile-optimized, meaning it functions just as well on a smartphone as it does on a laptop. You can also utilize dedicated mobile giving methods, like text-to-give services. 
• Email Donation Buttons: Email giving strategies typically incorporate buttons with pre-set giving amounts. These buttons direct the donor to a web page where they can complete the donation process or enable the donor to confirm the donation entirely through email.
• Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Peer-to-peer fundraising refers to supporters raising funds on your behalf with individual or team campaign pages. The best online donation platforms make it easy for individuals to create their own personalized fundraising pages and track their progress.
• Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding is a fundraising technique that involves obtaining smaller donations from a large public audience. This is typically done online through a dedicated crowdfunding site and leverages social media promotion to raise money for a cause.

The best online donation platforms, like Snowball, combine all of these features into one comprehensive suite, allowing your nonprofit multiple touchpoints for collecting donations online. 

What are the benefits of online donation platforms? 

Benefits of Online Donation Platforms for Nonprofits

Because online donation platforms are accessible to the general online public, they offer a host of benefits for nonprofits, including: 

• Automated Donor Data Collection: With online donation software, your donation pages seamlessly integrate with your other fundraising tools, allowing your data to be centralized and accessible across platforms. This helps your team avoid errors associated with manual data entry and ensure more accurate insights from your CRM.
• Increased Fundraising Revenue: Online donation platforms make it possible for donors to give with just a few clicks. With ease and simplicity offered by online giving platforms, your organization can start to raise more funds to reach its goals.
• Lower Donor Abandonment Rates: Having intuitive, user-friendly online donation software reduces the number of donors that abandon the donation process midway. 

With an online giving platform, your team can work to combat barriers to giving, such as a lengthy or complicated giving process. This makes giving easier for donors, which in turn helps to encourage repeat gifts and expand your donor base.

Benefits of Online Donation Platforms for Donors

Online donation software doesn’t just benefit nonprofit organizations; it also works for the end-user as well. Here are the top benefits of giving online:

• Multiple Ways to Give: Online giving allows your supporters to make contributions in a way that’s convenient for them on their preferred digital devices. Common platforms include text-to-give, a link on social media, email, or your website. 
• Streamlined Donation Process: Online donations make it easy for donors to contribute because it requires minimal steps. A donor simply clicks on a link to your donation page, fills out the form, and presses submit! 
• Secure Fundraising System: With online donation software, your donors can be confident that their sensitive financial and personal information is safe and secure when they go through the giving process.

In the end, online giving is easy, intuitive, and safe for both your donor and organization.

What should you look for in an online donation platform?

As you look for the best online donation platform for your nonprofit, keep an eye out for these essential features:

• Customizable donation pages
• Seamless integration with existing software
• High data security measures
• Personalized assistance
• Low payment processing fees

Your organization’s needs are paramount but consider your donor’s needs as well. For example, does your donor base use their cellphones often? If so, consider investing in a software platform with a text-to-give option.