Running a non-profit organization entails relying on donations to sustain operations and fulfill your mission. However, managing the solicitation, collection, and tracking of donations can pose challenges. Juggling multiple donation types, processing payments, and maintaining accurate records can feel overwhelming. Moreover, finding effective strategies to encourage donors to give can be a daunting task. If you’re facing these obstacles, it may be beneficial to consider leveraging an online giving platform like SimpleGive.
SimpleGive offers a user-friendly solution for accepting donations online, eliminating the need for cash or check payments. With a range of options for online giving, SimpleGive stands out as one of the leading platforms in this domain. As you explore avenues for setting up online donations and tracking, take the time to research and evaluate the available options. This will ensure that you select a tool that aligns with your specific needs, budget, and supports the critical giving required to sustain and advance your organization’s important work.
Online Donation Platforms: What You Should Know
Online donation platforms have revolutionized the giving and tracking process for non-profit organizations. They provide a seamless and efficient solution. With these platforms, the laborious task of manually maintaining and updating spreadsheets with donor information becomes a thing of the past. Additionally, they can help eliminate various costs associated with donations, such as staffing and capital expenses.
When considering a tool like SimpleGive, you have the flexibility to choose a user tier that suits your specific requirements. Each tier is priced differently and offers unique features and capacities to cater to diverse needs. To make an informed decision about selecting an online donations platform, it is important to clarify your objectives.
If you are seeking a solution that increases donation rates, streamlines donor tracking, enables efficient donation processing, and provides comprehensive reports and statistics on your fundraising efforts, you are on the right track. With numerous donation tools available in the market, clearly identifying your needs is critical.
Doing so will help you choose the optimal option that aligns with your organization’s goals.
SimpleGive as an Online Donation Platform
SimpleGive, based in Lenoir City, TN, is a platform dedicated to online tithing and donations. It aims to provide organizations with modern, stress-free methods for collecting and tracking donations.
SimpleGive offers different pricing options, including a free basic version with a 3.09% fee for credit card donations. You can also choose a $29 per month plan with a 2.5% fee per credit card donation. There’s even a customizable high-volume plan.
In addition to accepting online donations, SimpleGive offers features like recurring donations, visually appealing donation reports and graphs, and giving kiosk software for in-person contributions. With its user-friendly interface and customizable plans, SimpleGive empowers organizations to streamline their donation management processes.
SimpleGive Pros
- Choose the user tier that aligns with your organization’s needs, offering the desired features.
- Efficient donation tracking enables targeted recognition and appreciation of your top contributors.
- Customize the giving software to reflect your church or organization’s branding, fostering recognition and trust among donors.
SimpleGive Cons
- The reporting feature lacks transparency regarding fees. This makes it difficult for churches to track the amount paid for donations within specific timeframes.
- Donation processing can be slow. This results in delays of several days before funds are available in the organization or church’s account.
- The customer service team’s responsiveness is sometimes slow. This causes frustration, especially during critical giving periods when platform issues need immediate attention.
Alternative to SimpleGive: DonorWerx
DonorWerx, an online donations platform, focuses exclusively on serving churches and is headquartered in Augusta, GA. Their primary mission is to assist ministries in achieving development and growth.
What sets DonorWerx apart is that it not only provides software but also includes an educational component. Churches can utilize the platform to attract donations more effectively and enhance their fundraising abilities.
Similar to SimpleGive, DonorWerx offers user tiers that allow congregations to select the appropriate capacity and features for their organization. The platform presents three plans: Basic, Complete, and Accelerated. By communicating with DonorWerx, they can tailor each plan to suit your congregation’s specific needs.
It’s important to note that the Basic level of DonorWerx solely focuses on coaching and education. It doesn’t offer digital giving tools. Pricing for DonorWerx ranges from $147 per month to $397 per month.
Digital Giving Tools
Utilizing the DonorWerx Framework for church donations enhances your fundraising efforts with its digital giving tools. The platform provides text-to-give capabilities, kiosk software, and online giving through a web browser. Additionally, the Dx Framework includes donor management tools to track contributions and facilitate event registrations, fostering participation and loyalty.
DonorWerx’s educational online coaching is highly valued. Their church development professionals collaborate with your staff to identify fundraising gaps, explore donor attraction opportunities, and convert one-time donors into recurring supporters. The skilled coaches help you craft a compelling statement about your church’s mission. This will encourage people to donate with a clear understanding of your purpose.
By leveraging the DonorWerx Framework, you can maximize your fundraising potential and establish stronger connections with donors. Ultimately, this will increase donations to support your congregation.
DonorWerx Pros
- The educational component of DonorWerx sets it apart, providing unique coaching to help congregations maximize their platform usage.
- Text-to-give leverages the convenience and popularity of texting, encouraging easy giving for donors.
- DonorWerx offers comprehensive record-keeping capabilities, functioning as a church management software. It manages contact records, generates contribution statements, analyzes giving trends, and enables mass communication with donors.
- Create campaigns within DonorWerx to actively pursue fundraising goals until they are successfully achieved.
DonorWerx Cons
- DonorWerx has fewer giving reports compared to other online giving software. Its reporting capabilities lack clear and easily understandable graphs and charts.
- The education component of DonorWerx is mandatory. This means you pay for coaching regardless of your congregation’s interest in utilizing it.
- A learning curve is associated with effectively harnessing the platform’s full potential. This requires time for implementation and getting started on the right foot.
SimpleGive Customer Reviews and Features
Even Non-tech Savvy Churches Can Do Online Giving
SimpleGive offers a significant advantage by enabling small churches and tiny non-profits to easily accept online donations. It eliminates the need for extensive technical knowledge or complex systems to receive funds. Instead, organizations can simply utilize SimpleGive’s competitive pricing and seamlessly facilitate giving through their website.
Designated Donations
With SimpleGive, donors have the ability to designate the allocation of their donations. This streamlines the process for churches. In a review by student pastor Todd G., it is highlighted that this feature is particularly beneficial as churches often struggle to track the purpose of each individual donation. SimpleGive’s capabilities ensure that the donor’s funds are easily directed to the intended destination, eliminating the need to navigate through lengthy paper trails.
Customized Giving Pages
SimpleGive’s donor pages offer a remarkable level of customization. Church tech director Brian R highlighted this in his review. Churches can personalize and “brand” their giving pages, allowing donors to easily identify and associate their contributions with the intended purpose. This customization feature not only fosters recognition but also reduces confusion during the giving process, ultimately encouraging more donations.
DonorWerx Customer Reviews and Features
An Educational Component
DonorWerx provides comprehensive coaching and educational resources, offering users extensive guidance on effectively utilizing the platform. By integrating coaching with the platform subscription, churches can maximize the value of their investment. This will ensure that the money spent on the platform is utilized efficiently and effectively. The approach guarantees that ministries can fully capitalize on their investment without any wasted resources.
Free Discovery Call
Unsure if DonorWerx is suitable for your church? Schedule a free discovery call to discuss your congregation’s needs and explore how DonorWerx can help. During the call, you’ll address fundraising challenges and explore strategies to align with the digital era of giving. Moreover, you’ll receive three actionable steps to enhance giving immediately. This valuable call ensures that users can confidently determine if DonorWerx is the right resource for their church, providing value right from the start.
Text-to-Give
DonorWerx provides a valuable and convenient text-to-give feature. This caters to smartphone users who prefer the ease of donating through their mobile devices. It significantly enhances the likelihood of congregants contributing to the church. Additionally, the text-to-give capabilities specifically engage a younger demographic, including Millennials and Gen Z. This can potentially cultivate them as lifelong church donors from an early stage.
