Great example of enabling and engaging donors online

There are so many charities that exist who do absolutely phenomenal work in making a difference in various ways locally, globally and internationally, which makes it highly difficult to select just one to who stands out in the ways it attracts and motivates donors to give online. There are undoubtedly several reasons why there would be variances across the spectrum in terms of which do a good job online and which could use improvement. Such reasons may include: budget, lack of capacity - design-wise to build out the website aesthetically, or simply low awareness that this particular area really matters today in a charity's ability to drum up funds online.

An article online discussed a 2011 study on online giving, which highlighted that every sector in the non-profit industry had seen double-digit growth in online donations since 2009. It also mentioned that by improving the methods and ways people can give online, can help charities raise more funds in the future. It is a great way to enable people to give.

Some of the tips the above article provided to help facilitate an effective, easy online giving portal for people include:

• Asking for minimal information 
• Explaining every field 
• Making donation buttons stand out 
• Having financial information readily available and accessible 
• Providing donors with a clear vision of what their donation is actually doing (showing them the impact of their dollars) 

Additionally, the nonprofit networking blog: Network for good, describes some of the other ways to make online donation websites more effective and interactive for users. Two really good examples the blog pointed out for attracting and assisting donors to give online are

1. Collect email addresses so that even if they aren't compelled to give on their first visit, the charity can start to build a relationship and plant the seed;
2. Create interactive messages that engage and capture donors through specific calls to action and unique offers. Along with interactive and engaging content, the website must aim to foster two-way communication and dialogue

After considering what is being said online about creating successful online donation websites, I've chosen to highlight Doctors Without Borders Canada. I think this is an amazing organization that a great job online at building relationships with donors and compelling site visitors to give. 

First and foremost, when you visit the site, you'll notice the bold branding and pops of red, which helps to draw visitors eyes to the red "donate" button on the right hand side. It is very easy to find and one of the first things visitors will see. When you hover over this button there are four drop down options available for donations: monthly, one-time, in honour and in memory. Visitors are provided with choices - the first interactive and enabling piece of the website. When clicked on, each has its own unique page with a thank you and compelling messages and bulleted options with an impact offering, explaining at the various dollar amounts, what the giver is actually able to do through their donation. This piece really shows the potential donor what their money is going towards in a tangible and impactful way. When you get to the final stage and have selected what amount you'd like to give, the required information to donate is quite minimal and there is only one page to navigate as opposed to some websites, where this piece can often be extremely lengthy and full of distracting and jargon, legal information, etc. 

In terms of reporting and showing their legitimacy and transparency as a charity, in the "about us" section there are available reports for visitors to download. This is one reason why Doctors Without Borders was included in Financial Post's Charity of the Year Report Card.  And finally, there is a great "support us" button that visitors can click that takes them to a full page of useful information on donating with stories, donation options and other ways to give. This is a great hub for any potential donor to have access to. 

Overall, when considering they layout, I think the charity does a great job at providing an easy and interactive tool for people to give. It is simplistic and does a great job at providing a call-to-action and illustrating the tangible impact of the donation.

By Meghan Schimpf