If you are in the Coachella Valley and have been on social media today, you have likely seen a few requests from various non-profit organizations for donations through CV Giving Day, which, essentially, is a directory of charities and non-profits, large and small in the Greater Palm Springs area, showcasing a few of their details along with an ask for a contribution.  And while, certainly, any way that can help an organization bring in revenues should be utilized, and I don’t mean to take anything away from the charitable spirit of the organizers of CV Giving Day, setting up your non-profit for donations on your own website has numerous advantageous for your organization and should be strongly considered.

Here are just a few reasons why Coachella Valley Non-Profits should setup their own donation platform:

Large Directory Means Lots of Competition

While taking part in a large directory for fundraising may seem easier to setup for your organization (which is addressed a bit lower down in this post), it also means that you will be right there, alongside dozens, hundreds, or who knows how many other non-profits and charities – all asking for donations – making it incredibly hard to stand out and may even lead to those who were at first interested in donating to you, choosing instead to donate dollars elsewhere.

It’s Not Your Space

Welcoming visitors to your own space (your website) allows you to showcase your organization exactly how you would like – from text to photos to videos – and in the way that makes the most sense to tell your story. Your organization is unique and it should feel that way, rather than a small part of a vast directory.  Also, the leads you generate stay in-house – so you can write a thank you message, add them to your newsletter, etc.

You Have More Options

Setting up a donation form on your website allows you to accept any type of donation you would like. Large, small, recurring subscriptions – whatever makes the most sense for your charity of non-profit. You can also learn more about your donors and give them additional options by adding additional fields to your form for things like “How Did You Hear About Us? or “Would You Like to Volunteer?”

Drive More Traffic to Your Own Space

Why spend a ton of time directing people to a website that is not yours?  The posts, links, and messaging you do today for your own website will impact how your site performs going forward. Even if someone clicks through a social media post and doesn’t donate today, maybe they have learned more about your organization and will better consider donating time or money going forward.

You can also give them options that don’t involve an immediate contribution, such as joining your newsletter or having a contact form to learn more.

Oh, and, perhaps best of all, you can ask for donations on more than just one day. In fact, once your donation platform is in place, you can accept donations 24/7, 365.

It’s Not as Complicated As You Might Think

I know. I know. Hearing this from someone who does Internet for a living might seem amusing, but hear me out.  If you currently have a website, adding a donation platform to it is not as hard as you might think and, if you do not have a website at all, getting one started (with the ability for people to donate) is also not nearly as hard as you might think.

And while folks like myself are always happy to help set these things up for you, there are also many turn-key options available for you as well – and I am also happy to offer some recommendations on those if you would like it. I would love to chat more with you about it. Feel free to hit me up here.