This Giving Season, Build Lasting Donor Relationships with the Right Fundraising Platforms
Impact 100 Seattle
A collective giving organization for women who want to become more educated philanthropists through trust-based giving.
With Giving Season just around the corner, it’s time to get your nonprofit ready to engage donors and maximize your impact. From marketing your cause to collecting donations, every piece needs to be in place, and a reliable donor-facing software platform is at the heart of it all.
While many nonprofits rely on payment processors alone like PayPal or Stripe, donor-facing platforms offer so much more (and some are even free!*). With 63% of donors preferring to give online using a debit or credit card, you can optimize this transaction via donor-facing platforms by providing a richer, more interactive experience. They go beyond simply processing payments by adding a face and story to your cause, helping donors engage with your mission on an even deeper level.
*Free often translates to no subscription fees, but costs are covered by optional tips or accepting a small percentage of each donation given. See platform pricing pages for more details!
A donor-facing platform like DonorBox, for example, reports that:
Additionally, these platforms capture valuable data—such as which social channels are driving new supporters and what type of messaging resonates with different audiences. This not only streamlines data processing but also allows you to focus less on backend management and more on advancing your mission. Plus, with this data, you can personalize future campaigns and events, keeping donors engaged for the long haul.
With this in mind, here are the top features to look for when choosing the best donor-facing platform for your nonprofit this Giving Season:
1. Robust Donor Management Tools
Donor relationships are the lifeblood of your organization. Without them, your mission could falter. As we approach Giving Tuesday and the Year-End giving season, it’s more important than ever to leverage donor-facing platforms that offer robust fundraising features like online giving portals, donation tracking, campaign management, fundraising pages and social features that can motivate donors to give again. This is the time when nearly 20% of annual donations are made, and having a powerful donor management system in place can make all the difference (iDonate).
Ensure your organization’s sustainability and growth during this crucial period, by looking for a platform that allows you to:
2. Multiple Payment Options & Processors
When it comes to donating, flexibility is key. A whopping 97% of donors want the ability to choose how and where they give (360MatchPro). This means your software should accept payments not only via credit and debit cards but also through options like Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, and even cryptocurrencies.
Moreover, offering corporate matching opportunities can be a game-changer. In fact, 84% of donors say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered, and 1 in 3 say they’d even give a larger gift if they knew their donation would be doubled (Double the Donation). That’s a huge opportunity! Ensuring your platform supports these matching gifts means your organization won’t miss out on any additional funds.
However, be mindful of the costs associated with payment processors—many platforms offer different plans with varying fees, so do your research to find one that fits your nonprofit’s budget.
3. Social Sharing & Donor Walls
Today’s donors are social. They love to share causes they care about with their networks, and your platform should make it easy for them to do so. Whether it’s a shareable social link or a full webpage embed, your donation page should be one click away from being spread across their Facebook and Instagram feeds.
Even more powerful? Donor walls. These real-time displays of who’s donating not only give shoutouts to supporters but also inspire others to join the cause. This is a great way to leverage social proof (people are more likely to act when they see others doing the same), and create momentum for your campaign.
Did you know? 87% of donors who give based on a social referral will make their second donation through the same social source?
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4. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
One of the fastest-growing trends in nonprofit fundraising is peer-to-peer campaigns. These efforts empower your biggest champions—dedicated volunteers, long-time donors, or partners—to raise money on your behalf.
Peer-to-peer fundraising is incredibly powerful because it leverages people-resources, bringing an added layer of authenticity to your cause, while keeping costs low. With the right platform, you can streamline this experience, making it easy for people to set up their own fundraising pages and engage their networks. This not only encourages fundraisers to come back and support your nonprofit again, but it also inspires them to rally their peers to join in.
Additionally, some platforms offer features that gamify peer-to-peer fundraising, such as team pages and leaderboards. This makes the campaign not just impactful, but fun—adding a competitive edge that can drive even more engagement and donations.
When choosing a platform, make sure it allows:
Peer-to-peer fundraising can be a game-changer, especially as 87% of donations in such campaigns come through peer pages versus just 13% through general campaigns (CauseVox).
5. Robust Third-Party Integrations
A donor-facing platform that integrates well with your other tools isn’t just about streamlining operations (which, let’s face it, is crucial in a sector often defined by overwhelm and burnout)—it’s about leveraging data to make smarter decisions.
When your platform can communicate with others—whether it's your website, email marketing, social media, or CRM—it allows you to see how data from one area informs another. For example, if your donor-facing platform is getting a lot of traffic from a particular social media channel, that’s a signal to double down on content in that space.
But it doesn’t stop there. The content driving engagement on social platforms can and should be integrated into marketing efforts for your Giving Season events. Furthermore, the most popular content can be repurposed for writing fundraising proposals to corporate donors or sponsors, creating a cohesive strategy across all areas of your fundraising efforts.
This kind of cross-platform data insight ensures you’re not only reaching donors where they are but also delivering the right messaging to maximize engagement and results.
6. Event Management & Ticketing?
Events—whether virtual, in-person, or hybrid—are essential to diversifying your donor engagement and fundraising strategy during Giving Season. But donor-facing platforms are more than just payment processors; they help facilitate donations and foster long-term relationships, ultimately driving recurring donation revenue.
When choosing an event management platform, make sure it offers more than just the basics. It should have the ability to track important KPIs, such as:
These insights are crucial for gauging the success of your event and adjusting your strategies moving forward. Additionally, your platform should streamline content prep and promotional activities, making it easier to promote the event and capture donor leads. Don’t forget about attendee follow-up, which is vital for building those long-term relationships with event participants and turning them into recurring donors.
Look for key features like:
Bonus Tip: Hosting memorable events can be a great way to forge stronger relationships with your donors. When attendees have a positive experience, they’re more likely to stay engaged with your cause in the future.
Final Thoughts
Every nonprofit has unique needs, and finding the right platform for your organization’s Giving Season is a big decision. Whether you’re a small startup focusing on cost-effective solutions or a larger org in need of a sophisticated event management system, the key is to prioritize your goals.
Ultimately, the right platform is like a good relationship—you want it to grow with you. As your budget expands and your organization evolves, make sure you can scale up and take on new features to support your mission.
At Essentia Nonprofit Consulting , we believe in offering real, actionable advice. The following platform recommendations are based on our own extensive research as well as input from the broader nonprofit community. We've gathered insights and feedback from organizations just like yours, so you can be confident that these options are trusted by your peers, not influenced by referral incentives.
Need help navigating the best tools for your nonprofit? At Essentia Nonprofit Consulting , we have partnerships with leading platforms to help you find tech solutions that fit your budget and work for your team. Book a FREE consultation with us – we can’t wait to work with you.
And don’t forget to follow Essentia Nonprofit Consulting’s LinkedIn newsletter for more tips and insights for Giving Tuesday and Year-End Giving!
Written for Impact 100 Seattle by Essentia Nonprofit Consulting founded by members Sasha Lee and Stacey Lee .
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