The end of the financial year is a busy time for charities and non-profits, but often one thing is overlooked during this period, the encouragement of donors to give.

While many Not-For-Profits (NFPs) spend money and time in the creation of new campaigns, they fail to optimise their website to make giving easy. Visitors to your NFP site are important but conversion is what matters the most. You want to encourage your visitors to help or donate, and the easier this process is, the better for everyone.

Provide motivation

Viewers will automatically compare you to other familiar charities so you need to give a good reason why they should give their hard-earned dollars to you. Turn the conversation onto them. How will they, with your help, be able to make a real difference? Where will the money go? Who will it help? This is valuable information to those who are willing to lend.

Simplify the process

Donors can get frustrated if it is a complicated process to give. Ideally, it should be a quick two-click process to avoid losing interested parties. While donors are keen to hear your back story or background for motivation, always separate the story from the giving process for ease. If you are unsure about how dynamic your donation page is, ask people to test it out for you. Don’t leave anything to chance.

Emphasise Regular Giving Opportunities

While one-off donations are beneficial, regular or recurring donations are the lifeblood of a successful NFP. Work on building a relationship throughout the year and provide options to donate monthly. Show the comparison of regular giving over and above a one-off payment and always, make the process as simple as possible.

Focus on the Tax Deductible Aspect

Tax deductible donations are especially timely around the end of the financial year giving extra incentive and a reminder to those who wish to give. Make sure that your system can produce real-time receipts for ease to help with their tax process.

Once you have a simple automated system working for you, then you need to promote with confidence. Get on social media, send out those newsletters and emails and remind them that the end of the year is approaching. Emphasise the fact that donating at this time of year is more important than ever. Strike up a dialogue with previous donors and encourage new ones to give.