Make It Easier for Donors to Give…More
Traditionally, when we think about making it easy for donors to give, we focus on things that might influence conversion: one-click giving, flexible payment options, a clean, intuitive layout, compelling copy, and so on.
A far less common consideration is how to make it easier for donors to give more. For some, that may sound pushy. But giving donors the option to support another program or purchase something meaningful can offer them another way to connect with your mission.
The world of e-commerce has made this experience familiar, making it easy and convenient to add another item, or two, to our cart.
CharityEngine’s donation forms and giving pages now let organizations offer a similar experience. In addition to their original one-time or recurring donation, donors can choose to support a special project or program, purchase items from your online store, or both, all in a single checkout.
Offer Additional Gifts to Programs Donors Care About
Your donors support your mission, but they may feel especially connected to a particular part of your work. An additional gift option gives them a way to act on that connection while completing the donation they already came to make.
For example, a supporter making a general donation to a food bank could also contribute to its school backpack program. Someone supporting an animal shelter could add a gift to its emergency veterinary fund.
These options sit alongside the original donation, giving supporters the opportunity to direct an additional gift toward something personally meaningful.
For your organization, it’s also a chance to introduce donors to programs they may not know about. A giving page can help supporters discover another part of your mission they’d like to support.
Highlight Items from Your Online Store
For some supporters, that additional connection might come in the form of a T-shirt, water bottle, or tote bag featuring your organization’s logo. These items give people a way to show their support beyond the moment they make a donation.
But when your donation form and online store are separate experiences, purchasing an item requires another visit and another checkout. A donor may never discover the store or may intend to return and simply forget.
With CharityEngine, you can feature store items directly within the giving experience. Donors can add an item to their order and complete the purchase alongside their donation, without starting a separate checkout.
It’s a convenient way to introduce supporters to your merchandise while they’re already engaged with your organization.
Keep Orders and Inventory Connected
Offering merchandise on a donation form also needs to work for the staff managing those purchases.
CharityEngine’s Shopping Cart functionality includes order and inventory management. Whether a supporter purchases an item through your donation form or your online store, the purchase creates an order and updates inventory within the same system.
That gives your team a central place to manage orders, coordinate shipping, and track available quantities. As items sell, staff can see what remains in stock and when it may be time to replenish.
The convenience extends beyond checkout, helping your team manage the work that follows each purchase.
Track Each Gift and Purchase to the Right Fund
A single checkout can include several different contributions. Behind the scenes, your team still needs to know where each dollar belongs.
In CharityEngine, administrators can assign fund and general ledger (GL) codes to individual giving options and store items. When a donor completes checkout, those assignments carry through to the corresponding transaction details.
For example, a general donation, an additional gift to a special program, and a merchandise purchase can each retain their own fund and GL coding, even though the supporter completes them together.
Your team can then use CharityEngine’s fund reports to see how much was raised for each fund. Donors get one convenient checkout, and staff retain the detail they need for reporting and reconciliation.
Creating Giving Experiences Worthy of Your Mission
Your mission gives supporters many reasons to care. Your giving pages can help them find more ways to act on that connection.
With additional gifts and store purchases available in a single checkout, donors have more flexibility to support the work that matters to them. And with orders, inventory, and fund tracking connected behind the scenes, your team can manage that generosity more easily.
As you review your donation forms, consider which program or store item would make a meaningful addition. Start with something relevant to the audience and give supporters a clear, optional way to do a little more.
