Donating Money to the Abyss

People give money to charities because they usually believe in the cause (Nothing new there). However, they don’t want to see their hard-earned money to go into the abyss of a Non-profit. They want to see that their money actually bought a something in support of the cause; a vaccine for a child, a meal for a family; or clothing for a homeless man.

All too quick, charities accept the donation, send out the obligatory thank-you card (if that even happens) and move on. The donor is left with the nice warm feeling that they have just done something for the greater good...but what?

You need to let them know that their hard-earned dollar did something great for your organization. Make them feel that, without it, you didn't now what you were going to do. This is not being condescending. This is letting them know that they made a difference. And if they feel they have made a difference, they just may come back to do more.

The first thing organizations need to do is to specify what they need donations for. Not the overall mission of the organization, but hard, tangible items that make sense to potential donors.

Second, identify a number of items that range in cost, from $5, up to $500 and a few in between. Just like a wedding gift registry, make sure you cover everyone's budget.

Finally, place a wish list on your Website that let's them choose what they want. You could even set up an eCommerce application using Drupal to let them browse and shop just like any other online store. Allow them to choose what they would like to see their money  go towards.

For example, we recently did an evaluation for an organization the helps combat Malaria in Africa. We worked with them to identify what they needed donations for. We then created an online shop, where donors could purchase mosquito nets, anti-malarial medication, drugs for treatment and even pay for the cost of delivering a session of Malaria prevention. These are tangible products that the donor can understand, and get behind!

They don't have to be actual physical products, it could be an ESL class for new immigrants, a counseling session for a troubled teen, or a ride to the doctor for an elderly person. Use your imagination.

These aren't tough steps, but will make a difference to your potential donors. Recognize that they have needs too and they just may come back for more.

About the Author

Nigel Waters

Developer / Waffle Eating Champ

Nigel co-founded Pixel Sweatshop and has been involved in everything from business and project management to module development and system administration. Today, Nigel provides vital support to us and our partner organizations on development projects, technical documentation, and systems configuration.