Non-Profits need funds to create impact and successfully run their operations. Organizations use different methods to fundraise but one thing that most social sector organizations still use is the offline method of collecting donations.

We wondered why the shift from offline to online fundraising did not take place amongst many of the NGOs we worked with, in India. Why did NGOs invest in a website but not a donation page? (which is a great way to engage visitors to contribute to their cause)

We came up with three probable answers

1. Lack of awareness about the benefits of this donation page
2. Lack of guidance to implement it
3. Hesitation to try it out (reasons could range from fear of technology to cost)

There are around 31 lakh NGOs in India. Naturally, the competition for funds is high and it is getting increasingly unviable to source money only via traditional offline means. Also, it’s cumbersome and inefficient.

That’s why many NGOs are going online to diversify the fundraising channels. This article discusses the benefits of creating an online donation page on your website and how it can be done. If you have a website, one way to fundraise is to enable your visitors to engage with you on your website in the form of financial contribution.

This can be done by creating an online donation page which is a designated page on your website to accept donations. The page usually consists of a donation form where donors input some basic information as well as their payment details.

This page will help supporters to

• Donate to your cause, wherever and whenever
• Pay for specific products made by your NGO (if you have)
• Contribute through their preferred payment mode  (Netbanking, UPI, Cheque, Draft, etc)
• Pay on a regular basis (monthly/quarterly) automatically by setting up recurring donations

What are the key benefits of moving to an online system?

• An online platform gives your donors the flexibility to choose their preferred way of contributing
• The platform enables your international donors to pay in just a few clicks
• Apart from receiving funds from multiple sources all year round, the cost of maintaining an online donation page is minimal
• You don’t need to keep a separate file of donor details. All your donor data will be centralized and accessible to you always.
• This database of donor details will enable you to regularly be in touch with your donors through scheduled emails.
• Post this, there will be no need to manually write receipts and send them via post to the donor. The donor will not only receive an instant receipt but can also receive other information in the email (80G certificate, some new update on your program, etc)
• It’s more efficient, secure, and less wasteful.

What do I need to do to build a donation page?

The first thing to do is to decide the payment gateway that will be used for the donation page. There are many payment gateways which can assist you with it and they are not very expensive. The setup and maintenance cost for most is nil and the transaction cost varies from 2% – 5% depending on your choice of payment gateway. Following that, you will have to submit a few documents. The documents required changes according to the payment gateway you use. Some of the documents that you will require are as follows: 

• Organization & authorized signatory’s pan card
• Bank account details (beneficiary name, IFSC Code and account number)
• Bank account statement with address
• Authorized signatory’s address proof
• Form 12A and 80G allotment letter
• FCRA certificate for international payments

To integrate the payment gateway with your website, you will need some technical help. Having the donate link at the top of your homepage, within your blog posts, inside and top navigation menus, on different pages will ensure that visitors have a chance at every point to engage and actively contribute to your mission. 

Your donation page should inspire and encourage people to give to your organization. It should make them feel good that they too are creating impact through your organization. We wish you all the best in your endeavors!