Online shopping continues to grow, and is becoming a comfortable standardized process for many internet users. Accepting an online donation on your website looks no different as a transaction on the back end, but for the donor, shopping online and giving online are very different experiences. The motivations of donors are very different than shoppers and, a donor should never feel that they are “purchasing” something. This is an important distinction between for profit and nonprofit.
I recently reviewed a site that used an off-the-shelf shopping cart technology to process donations. It asked me to add my donation to “my cart” and to “checkout.” I pictured myself pushing a shopping cart full of disaster relief, a membership to the local humane society, cancer research – you get the picture.
A top priority for your site should be a clear, concise giving page that is geared toward a fundraising model rather than a shopping cart. Online shopping has created a streamlined online payment model that can be used to structure your donation processing. The information that you collect (name, address, credit card number) is the same, but the motivation is not.
Strive to make online giving a rewarding experience for your user. Pay attention to how you label your buttons and donation options. Use the same language you use offline. Words like “Donate,” “give,” “fulfill your pledge” or “become a member.” will create a better donor experience than “checkout.”
