24/7/365

My mind is especially set in the realm of online giving these days because we're so focused on it in AMGT 601.  I found this on the Chronicle of Philanthropy, and it provides a quick review of the role of online giving and (more related to us) the importance of having a good, secure website.  http://philanthropy.com/article/Easy-Steps-to-Attract-Online/131160/

Marc Halpert, managing director of E-giving, makes a number of solid points about what should be on an online donation page.  Firstly, the page has to look just like the website with a seamless transition into and out of it.  Otherwise, despite how PCI compliant an organization may be, potential donors will be nervous about submitting their credit card information.  Halpert suggests that an organization using a third party to collect donations should consider hiring a web developer to have their own donation page as soon as possible.  He explains that the merchant account, the secure gateway, and the shopping cart should all be branding by the organization in order to put donors at ease.  Similarly, the donor needs to receive immediate acknowledgement of the receipt of their gift, both on the website and in an email.

Donation pages should also include options for "in tribute" giving, especially around the "memorial" giving season that we have coming up (Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, etc.).  Having options for recurring giving is also positive, as many of the younger generations prefer to give in multiple, small installments.

Both Halpert and Katy Flint Coppinger (senior director of development at Food Bank for Westchester) agree that online giving is hugely beneficial to non-profits.  It allows the non-profit to capture contact information and send it immediately into a database, there's the ability for an immediate response to error (or an immediate thank you!), and it makes the organization accessible 24/7/365.  With that said, however, organizations must use the tools wisely and promote online giving as much as possible by making website URLs obvious on materials and in email blasts.