Online Donation Button

2020 has been one of the most difficult years in recent history, plunging millions into poverty and killing approximately 300,000 Americans and 1.61 million people worldwide. Although giving was off in the first quarter of 2020, donations rebounded in the second quarter, leading to an actual increase of 7.5%. Since many churches have suspended in-person services, you must depend on other fundraising methods to get your portion of these donations. Online worship needs to lead to online donations. You can boost these funds by adding a donation button to your website and online media platforms.

What is an Online Donation Button?

An online donation button is a simple addition to your website and online media pages. It’s an eye-catching icon, conveniently placed, that links to your donation page. Your visitors don’t need to search your site when they feel inclined to donate. If your cause inspires them, they just click the button and give to your organization in a matter of minutes.

What Makes a Good Donation Button?

An effective donation button should be colorful without being garish and have an attention-grabbing label such as “2020 Relief,” “Donate Now,” “Help Others,” etc. You want to create a sense of urgency in your site visitors and let them act on that feeling with minimal navigation.

Your donate button also needs effective placement. Research shows that the eye naturally goes near the top of your page. In general, the upper left-hand side is reserved for your logo, while the upper right-hand side is perfect for a donation button or other call to action. You may also opt for the bottom right-hand corner for your donation button as well. Placing your button in one of those two areas will give you the best results.

Your donate button should be on every page of your website, or you can use floating navigation to create one in your page menu. Having it on your homepage is not enough.

The donation page should also contain compelling copy so that your button-clickers will follow-through on their charitable impulse. Spell out what their donation will do for your cause and your outreach efforts. For instance, “Donate now and help feed a hungry child.”

Organizations that use the donation button well are:

• The United Way – their homepage uses an orange button in the upper right-hand corner of their homepage that leads to a well-written donation appeal titled “Change Starts Today.” The user can easily donate using their form.
• Feeding America also uses a vibrant button, this time a red “donate now” icon in the favored upper right-hand corner of their homepage. When the visitor clicks on it, they are taken to the donation page and convenient donation form.
• The Salvation Army USA site has a “Donate Locally” red button in the upper right-hand corner that immediately leads you to a form that asks for your zip code and the amount you’d like to donate.

You can model your donation button after one of these organizations or design one of your own. As long as it’s eye-catching and easy to use, your organization will benefit.

What are the Benefits of the Online Donate Button?

The online donate button has several advantages as a fundraising tool. They include:

• Convenience – Many of your site visitors are simply web surfing during a work break or a spare moment in their day. A donate button means they can quickly send you funds and not have to return later – something they may forget to do.
• Visual Appeal – Colorful graphics draw donor attention, leading to more donations. Also, visual appeal gives your website and donor button credibility. A poorly designed fundraising effort makes your organization seem unprofessional and even untrustworthy.
• Multiple Opportunities – A donation button on each page repeats your appeal for funds in a non-aggressive way. It’s visible but does not require repetitive copy that can turn off your audience.
• Simplicity – Adding a donation button is a simple process that your software experts, like the DonorWERX team, can talk you through. If you use a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress or Blogger, use their plug-in application to create your button.

The donation button tool is one of the easiest and most effective additions you can make to your fundraising efforts. A simple icon can lead to thousands of donations.

How to Use Offsite Media Donation Buttons

Before choosing an offsite donation button, consider the pros and cons. You lose some control over the donation process when you add a button to your Facebook or Instagram page. Also, not all online sites may be in keeping with your non-profit’s image. You’ll want to carefully check their rules and also find out how long it takes to receive these donations. You may find, however, that using at least some offsite pages for donations makes sense. After all, you’ll reach a much larger group of potential donors and possibly increase your organization’s membership as well. A few of your online media options are as follows:

• Facebook – In addition to adding a donate button to your FB page, you can also add it to live videos and individual posts. This function works especially well for specific fundraising campaigns. As a bonus, FB will followup with people who started to donate but did not finish the process. They will insert a reminder on the potential donor’s newsfeed, something that is certain to get their attention. The service is free, but you can’t collect the funds until they reach $100. Then it will take about two weeks to complete the transfer. You can sign up for the Facebook fundraising tools here.
• Google -This donation button lets you raise money from routine searches. When a user searches a topic that brings up your organization, a donate button can show up next to your name. Any Google user can see this link, and they do not have to have a Google account to use it. To add this feature, you must join Google for Nonprofits with a US 501(c)(3) status. You cannot collect donations until they reach $11, and it will take two months for them to arrive in your account. Using this method should reach a much larger audience than your website does.
• YouTube – This option differs slightly from the other two. YouTube gives you a donor card option for use with individual videos. If you currently have or create a YouTube channel and have a Google for Nonprofits account, you can join the YouTube for Nonprofits Program and add donation cards to any video you choose. You won’t pay any processing fees and need to collect only $10 to get a payout. You will wait a month for the funds to arrive in your account.

You should be choosy about which offsite donation buttons you use so first get advice from your DonorWERX consulting team. They can help you decide if an offsite donate option is right for your nonprofit’s financial health and image. If you want to proceed, they can instruct you on setting up these buttons and/or donation cards.

The DonorWERX Advantage

DonorWERX offers solutions to all of your fundraising issues. They provide online coaching, consulting services and the latest software. If you are considering adding a donation button but are unsure about the design or donation form, let DonorWERX help. They will consider your organization’s image, audience and donation needs. Together, you can integrate a donor button into your current website. And, they can advise you about using offsite donor buttons as well. For more information, visit the website, today and realize your fundraising potential.

Final Thoughts

The world is in crisis right now. Fortunately, people are willing to donate despite or because of the pandemic’s devastating effects. So many people need so much, and competition for these dollars is intense. You must use all the tools at your disposal to woo donors to your cause. Donation buttons are a great way to increase your fundraising dollars and engage new donors. Consider using one on your website, social media and search engine account.