Even the most tech-savvy organizations admit that initial projections are just educated guesswork, but you need to create estimates so you ll have something to measure against and a basis for projecting required investment. As you review charges associated with implementing an online donation page, be sure to weigh cost against value. Consider efficiencies that relate to gift processing and any other procedures you already have in place. Keep in mind that many vendors charge a per-transaction fee or a claim a percentage of each gift. As your volume of online donations rises, the fees you incur will do the same.
Time is of the essence.
As you evaluate costs, consider your current fund-raising campaigns, and plan to offer this service to your donors before the busy season arrives. Make sure you have a clear idea of the steps required to accept online gifts and how long it will take to implement a solution. Identify what your vendors will handle and create a checklist of the pieces your team is responsible for. The sooner you can offer this option to your donors, the better positioned your organization will be to reap the benefits of the Internet. The recent shakeout of service providers will surely continue, and organizations that have not yet made a move to formulate an e-philanthropy strategy can learn from those whose early offerings were unsuccessful.