Digitalizing Charity – What to Know About Making Donations Online 

The pandemic triggered changes in sectors and businesses that were far beyond initial assessment. The fact that everyone had to follow strict lockdown measures for almost two years affected more than just schools, offices, and daily chores. According to the study published by the 2022 Global Philanthropy Environment Index, the pandemic brought considerable transformation in philanthropic activities too. 

For example, clothing donation companies in the US experienced a lesser number of charity items since many could not physically make it to the collection bins and locations. On the other hand, strategic governmental support in the UK helped such initiatives facilitate donations in the country by promoting digital charity instead. 

Globally, online and digital giving has become more popular in the last 2 years. Needless to say, cash is the mode of donation in this case therefore, 51% of the donors focused on making cash donations which was a subsequent increase from 38% as compared to the previous year. 

The researchers in the Charities Aid Foundation mentioned, “Nowadays, the digital giving ecosystem encompasses in-app giving: Internet-of-things applications that enable donations, donation buttons integrated into social media platforms, gaming platforms that allow users to collect donations on their respective platforms, large online retail platforms which enable customers to donate, and dedicated “rounding apps” which enable donations when making an online purchase.”

Clothing Charity bins in Australia have also adopted new ways of giving. The changes have been made to promote philanthropy and enhance the giving vulture by positively influencing the donor mindset in the country. From now onwards, the fundraising model will likely be hybrid with an equal number of people choosing to make physical donations or giving digitally. Innovative ways will definitely encourage the spirit of giving as a common habit in the country. 

5 Tips on How You Can Drive More Donations Online 

Keeping the new trends in view, if you plan to run a donation drive, there are some proven ways that can benefit your nonprofit organization to win more online donations. 

Make Use of Social Media

There are numerous social media platforms that have now integrated donation-specific features such as the Facebook Donate Button that help users make donations online. The biggest advantage that these platforms offer is that they are readily available to millions and millions of people.

Similarly, you can add a social sharing button on the website or email to allow access to a larger number of potential donors. Moreover, it will help to request supporters to share the cause with others and also assist in distributing the content across all platforms. 

Website Pop-ups Are a Powerful Tool

Website pop-ups are surprisingly effective in urging donors to share. If someone has visited your website with a dedicated purpose, it is likely possible that they will look forward to donating. Even if it is not the right time for them to share anything, a follow-up email or request to share their name and contact can help you reach out to a larger number of donors in the future.

Nonetheless, pop-ups need to be used strategically. After all, many people find them intrusive and must be placed according to visitor preferences so they are not repelled by the website’s layout as they are navigating. 

Always Optimize the Platform for Mobile Use

When was the last time the mobile device was out of your reach? Well, difficult to remember, right? 

Majority of the people now depend on mobiles for navigation, continuous communication, and research. Therefore, everyone seems to be hooked on these tiny gadgets all the time. That makes it highly likely that many will visit your website through their phones and therefore, you need to optimize the site accordingly.

In order to do that, keep the content to the point and try to use a single-column layout as much as possible to make it more reader-friendly. You should also use a bold-colored call-to-action button for maximum visibility. 

Follow Trends, Recent Events, and News

People often search for what’s trending and your donation platform will get more visitors if you focus on current events. Typically, a good portion of giving occurs between holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas or toward the end of the year. You can do online research on prominent donation time frames to learn more but staying relevant to such key occurrences is important. 

Make Sure You Are Offering Multiple Payment Options

Perhaps the biggest advantage of collecting donations online is that you can engage donors from all over the world without any regional restrictions. However, there are many downsides to digitizing charity as well. For example, donors in different parts of the world have different payment avenues and to ensure efficient collection from all, you must provide alternative payment options. 

This is actually not very complicated to deliver. E-commerce technology has already made it common for sites to host multiple payment modes that work in different regions. 

Organizations can continue to gather bulk donations from offline means but adding online donation channels can really give a boost to your efforts. Needless to say, it can help you drive more donations online and engage donors in the process. 

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