Donor Experiences to Increase Retention

Make it Fast and Easy to Support

Make it easy for your donors to give and engage with your mission. It sounds obvious, but long page load times, multiple forms to click through before finishing a donation, numerous redirects, and other clunky processes increase the likelihood that donors will abandon their donation. Donors who are committed will walk away if giving is even moderately inconvenient. So what can you do?

Self-check-in and check-out

Using self-check-in and checkout gives your guests the maximum amount of time possible to engage with your mission, chat with your development team, and enjoy your event. If you recruit the right volunteers and share clear how-to communication, your supporters can have more time to give and have fun.

Digital wallet payment options

Digital wallets, also known as e-wallets, allow donors to give to your nonprofit via a linked credit card on a mobile device. Payment information is typically accessed via fingerprint or facial recognition. Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal are three highly used digital wallet options.

With over 275 million digital wallet users expected by the end of 2025 in the United States, now is the time to make sure your nonprofit can accept these payment types.

Digital wallets offer a high level of security, are incredibly convenient, and are donor-centered.

Intuitive forms

Embeddable online forms make it so your supporters can give, buy tickets, or sign-up for an event from any device directly from your website. They streamline the process and save time for both your staff and donors.

Customize your nonprofit’s online forms to capture any information you need; everything from phone number and address to interest level and any special skills. And, remove analysis paralysis by giving your prospective donors two to three suggested giving amount options that are aligned with their estimated giving capacity. It is easier for people to make a choice instead of giving a free response.

Learn more about GiveSmart’s online forms

Recurring giving or membership options

Not only do recurring donors tend to stick around longer than one-time donors, but they also tend to give more per year than a one-time donor. You may not think about stewarding a $20 per month donor, but compounded, that supporter may be in the top 20% of your donor pool.

Some organizations have found great success creating a membership program, where your recurring donors get special benefits, like discounted ticket pricing, special invites, and more.

Offering and advertising an easy, automated recurring giving option means you’ll get larger donations for longer.

Recurring giving or membership options

Not only do recurring donors tend to stick around longer than one-time donors, but they also tend to give more per year than a one-time donor. You may not think about stewarding a $20 per month donor, but compounded, that supporter may be in the top 20% of your donor pool.

Some organizations have found great success creating a membership program, where your recurring donors get special benefits, like discounted ticket pricing, special invites, and more.

Offering and advertising an easy, automated recurring giving option means you’ll get larger donations for longer.

Recurring Giving Appeal Templates

Use this messaging guide to copy, paste, and edit easy, pre-made recurring giving appeal templates for emails, social media posts, and text messages.

Accessible, fun peer-to-peer opportunities

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a type of social fundraising where you empower your organization’s supporters to fundraise on behalf of your mission.

Peer-to-peer makes a great addition to any event—golf, gala, or other—and is also a great stand-alone fundraising opportunity as a walk, run, or other endurance activity.

What could a peer-to-peer addition to your event look like?

Peer fundraisers create and submit signature drink recipes for your audience to vote on and the winning drink is served at the event.
Golf foursomes compete in a virtual team competition during the event while also competing on the course.
Kids submit artwork like drawings of pets, pictures of sidewalk chalk, constructed gingerbread houses, or decorated cookies, and your in-person and virtual audiences can donate towards their favorite.

Accessible, fun peer-to-peer opportunities

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a type of social fundraising where you empower your organization’s supporters to fundraise on behalf of your mission.

Peer-to-peer makes a great addition to any event—golf, gala, or other—and is also a great stand-alone fundraising opportunity as a walk, run, or other endurance activity.

What could a peer-to-peer addition to your event look like?

Peer fundraisers create and submit signature drink recipes for your audience to vote on and the winning drink is served at the event.
Golf foursomes compete in a virtual team competition during the event while also competing on the course.
Kids submit artwork like drawings of pets, pictures of sidewalk chalk, constructed gingerbread houses, or decorated cookies, and your in-person and virtual audiences can donate towards their favorite.

Request a demo of GiveSmart’s peer-to-peer fundraising today

Offer Consistency

Sharing weekly, monthly, and/or quarterly donation asks intermixed with storytelling messages, impact reports, celebrations, important organization updates, event promotions, and other messages will create an informed support network.

Crafting storytelling is often overlooked but is so critical to your fundraising success. Adding videos, enabling your volunteers to share their stories, and adding facts and figures, all leave your supporters inspired and engaged.

A consistent presence will help ensure they will not be surprised when they receive an appeal message from you—they’ll be expecting it.

Prioritize Security

Information security is a top concern for donors. Offering transparency into your platform and its security features can further influence an on-the-fence donor to contribute if they feel their information is secure and your fundraising site is legitimate.

GiveSmart is PCI and SOC 2 compliant. Our rigid security and privacy standards keep the 80,000+ transactions we process a month safe to best benefit your mission.