Put yourself in a donor’s shoes for a minute.
You’ve visited a charity’s website and looked around a bit. You understand the cause, feel a connection with the charity, and you’re now at the point where you’re ready to make a donation.
You click the ‘Donate now’ button and you’re re-directed to a third-party fundraising website. At this point you might be asked to register with the third-party site, agree to their terms and conditions and their own marketing consent statement.
Now because they’ve made the decision to donate, most donors will carry on to complete their donation. That’s job done for fundraisers, isn’t it?
Well, according to research for Charity Checkout by Maru/Usurv, given the choice 89% of UK donors would prefer to donate via a charity’s own website rather than via a third-party platform. And almost half of donors said they are ‘put off’ making a donation if they have to join a third-party fundraising platform to do so.
Take a second to think about that. How could these attitudes be impacting the donations your charity receives online?
People who responded to the survey also said they would be willing to give more when dealing directly with charities. Nearly half said they would donate more generously via a charity’s own website.
But why is this? The answer lies in the fact that most donors want to have direct relationships with the charities they donate to. Not the platforms they donate through.
Building and maintaining relationships with your donors is the key to fundraising. And the value of your charity’s brand is vital in helping to sustain trust with your supporters.
Making your online donation journey a part of your own website is one way you can do this. It’s easier to do than you might think and there are lots of excellent examples you can learn from...