If you're a member of my Facebook Group, you might have seen one of my recent posts where I enthusiastically shared content from Nathan Hill, VP of NextAfter Institute.

One of the most common questions he receives at his company is, "What's the best donation platform for raising money online?"

Instead of listing numerous platforms, Nathan turned the question on its head. He responded, "While there are plenty of great tools out there, not all of them will help you implement proven strategies to boost your revenue."

Since we’re all about raising more revenue here, Nathan shared five deal-breaker questions to ask yourself (and your team) when deciding on your next donation platform.

In today's edition of the Social Profit Stack, I'm diving into Nathan's questions and adding one more for you to consider when choosing your donation platform.

Let’s get into it.

Donation Platforms

A donation platform is software that helps your nonprofit collect and process donations securely. Donors can support your cause easily and securely using online tools.

As you prepare for year-end campaigns or ask your donors to give monthly, you’ll need an online donation platform to succeed.

A major asset for your organization delivers that success—you guessed it, your website. If used correctly, it can provide a simple way to stand out to your donors.

What to Ask When Choosing Your Next Donation Platform

Choosing a donation platform is a big decision for any nonprofit. It’s not just about finding the cheapest option or the one that looks the fanciest.

It’s about finding a tool that will help you grow your revenue. Before making your decision, ask yourself these six questions.

1. Can I edit the copy/text on the donation page?

Your donation page’s message should speak directly to your audience. If you can’t change the wording, you might miss out on connecting with donors.

You’ll want the freedom to update your messaging as your campaigns change or as you learn more about what works with your donors.

Imagine you’re running a year-end fundraising campaign. You realize that your current donation page mentions “give to support our summer programs,” which is now outdated. When it’s easy to edit, you can change the text to say, “Help us make a difference this holiday season,” without needing help from your webmaster.

Ask yourself:

Is the platform’s editor user-friendly?

Does it allow you to drag-and-drop features or simple text boxes?

Do you need to rely on a developer to make the small changes?

2. Are the design and layout options flexible?

You know you’re nonprofit is unique. Your donation page needs to reflect that.

A flexible design lets you create a page that matches your brand’s look and feel. A well-designed page can also improve the donor experience and boost donations.

Imagine your organization has recently rebranded with new colours and a fresh logo, and you want your donation page to match this new look. Flexible options allow you to update the colours, swap out the old logo for the new one, and adjust the layout to reflect your brand’s latest style, ensuring consistency across all your platforms.

Ask yourself:

Are design options available on the platform? Are they free?

Can I customize colours, fonts, and images?

Can I adjust the layout to fit our needs?

3. Can I create as many donation pages as I need?

Different campaigns might require different donation pages. For example, one page might be for monthly donors and another for a specific event. Creating multiple pages gives you the flexibility to tailor your ask and increase the chances of a donation.

Imagine you’re planning to run a fall appeal campaign focused on funding your organization’s after-school programs and launching a separate initiative to support a winter food drive. With a platform that lets you create unlimited donation pages, you can tailor one page to your offers.

Ask yourself:

Are there limits on creating donation pages?

Are there extra fees for creating additional pages?

Can we use different pages to target different donor segments? (this would be amazing!)

4. Is it a one-step or multi-step process?

The fewer clicks a donor has to make, the better. A one-step process will reduce friction and increase the likelihood of completing a donation. However, some donors might appreciate a multi-step process if it helps them feel more secure or informed.

Imagine you’re targeting a younger audience who prefers quick and easy online interactions—choosing a one-step donation process is easy. On the other hand, for a different campaign targeting older donors, you might opt for a multi-step process that provides more details and reassurances at each step, which they might find more trustworthy.

Ask yourself:

Is there a demo to try out the donation process?

Do my prospective donors prefer a quick one-step or a more detailed multi-step?

Is the platform’s process clear and straightforward?

5. Can I easily test?

Testing is crucial to improving your donation pages. You should be able to test different headlines, images, or the layout to see what works best. Platforms that make it hard to run tests might limit your ability to optimize and grow your donations.

You’re unsure if a green “Donate Now” button or a blue one will get more clicks. Your platform allows you to run an A/B test, where half of your visitors see the green button and the other half see the blue one. After a week, you discover that the green button leads to 20% more donations, making it your default colour.

Ask yourself:

Are testing tools built-in or an easy integration with testing software?

Can I begin with simple A/B tests to see what changes boost donations?

Is it simple to make testing a regular part of the campaign strategy?

6. Can I integrate the platform with other software?

Your donation platform should work well with other tools, such as your CRM, email marketing platform, or accounting software. Good integrations keep your data in sync, saving time and reducing errors.

Imagine your nonprofit uses Salesforce as your CRM. When a donor gives through your donation platform, you want that information to update in your CRM automatically. A good integration means that every donation and the donor’s details flow directly into your CRM without any manual entry, saving you time and reducing the risk of error.

Ask yourself:

Does the platform integrate with our current tools?

Does the platform have API access for custom integrations?

Are the integrations easy to set up and manage?

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When planning for your next donation platform, asking these six questions will be vital to choosing one to help your nonprofit grow.

By asking them, you’ll ensure that your donation platform works well today and supports your future fundraising success.

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Have a few questions? Get in touch. Hit reply or reach out here.
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Link 👀

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Look at this link to inspire your next donation call to action - 50 CTA examples for year-end appeals.

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