The other side of the coin for online donations
Last month's SCIP newsletter featured a round up of various online donation platforms and the charges they make, as part of the prep I'm doing for a briefing about social media and fundraising. Since then I've had conversations and updates via email and Twitter, mainly about the fact that cost alone isn't the best way of choosing between possible providers. There may be specific features that fit your needs, or it may be about ease of use for you and you donors. So here are two new lists that help you review what is best for you.
Look at it from your donor's point of view
Well-known website www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk completed a review in April, most of which still seems relevant. This took a donor's-eye view of the process tips and the best way to give your money online so that the charity gets the most from your donation. This struck me as a much better way to look at this problem and threw up five top tips which help think about your needs from the other side of the coin.
- Try to choose the payment sites which give the most from your donation.
- Check whether your charity is on several sites, and find the best deal for them.
- If you think your charity would get a better deal on another site - tell them!
- Encourage taxpayers to give Gift Aid - it means the charity can claim back an extra 20% on donations from the government.
- If your page offers videos, photos and links - use them: they'll entertain donors and maybe sway them into donating more.
You can read the full article at http://bit.ly/otOwaI
More detail about features
A link sent to me via Twitter offers a more detailed review of four of the top choices against a range of features. It argues that cost alone is not the best way to rank them and looks instead at features such as:
- alerts when donations are made;
- runs as a not for profit;
- collecting fees from events;
Although it only reviews four services it's a really useful article and offers a much broader set of criteria for you to use when reviewing your options.
It's not just about the money...
For some the choice will still come down to the cost, and many of these stories and sites offer an illustartion of how much money you recieve from a £10 donation.
Many of these answers come down to a difference of pennies, however, in which case you may need to think about technical issues and ease-of-use for you and your donors.
The final point, of course, is that whatever you choose, do it now. Online donations continue to grow and you may be missing out on a new form of income.
More about social media and fundraising
Mark Walker will be running a briefing in December about Fundraising and Social Media. Book online now through Working Together Project.
