ONLINE DONATION SYSTEM

Tips for making an online campaign

In a 2006 study of online giving conducted by Network for Good in partnership with GuideStar, the leading database of nonprofit organizations, they found the #1 reason donors say they give online is convenience. Contributions are more likely given during normal business hours and on weekdays. By dollar amounts, donors are more generous earlier in the week, but the number of donations increase later in the week. And online donors give significantly more than off-line donors.

To assist affiliates in leveraging this trend, ASPSF subscribes to an online donation system provided by Click&Pledge.com. This secure system enables all SPSF affiliates to receive donations and event registration fees by major credit card, electronic check, or invoice.

We have added a donate button to each page of the ASPSF website. But this is only one step in the online campaign strategy. Read the tips at the bottom of this page to learn how to attract online donations.

Clicking on a donate button opens an online donation form. Supporters may direct their donation to benefit one or more counties in Arkansas and enter any dollar amount. When the donor submits the form s/he receives an automatic acknowledgment and confirmation of the donation, which may be printed for tax purposes. ASPSF also receives an automatic alert, which is passed on to the recipient affiliate. This enables you to send a personal acknowledgment to the donor.

Be assured that donors' private information is kept confidential. Click&Pledge.com may not use supporters' contact information for any marketing or commercial purposes. ASPSF will retain this information for bookkeeping and transaction identification purposes only. The affiliate designee may retain all rights to this information.

Donations (less any service fees) collected through this system are deposited directly into ASPSF's merchant account held at TransFirst. ASPSF allocates these contributions according to any instructions donors provided on the donation entry form. Since these are considered local donations, ASPSF also awards any eligible matching funds and sends the affiliate a lump-sum check.

For more information about this system and its services, contact Chris Womack at (479)927-1402 xt. 10 or email.

Tips for Making an Online Campaign

• A button is not an outreach strategy. An online donation tool does not create donations any more than does having a mailbox where a donation check can be sent. Something must cause the donor to act in order for them to make a contribution.
• Reach out through email. Email pulls people to your web page. Ask them to donate, or to act, or just to view something on your web page. Give them a reason to come - and ideally, a reason to donate.
• Market your web page. Put your web address on your letterhead, business cards, on event information, in your email footer - everywhere you can. Post your PSAs or press releases on your web page or student testimonials or compelling photos, then promote them widely. Learn more about developing your affiliate SPSF web page.
• Before the contributions come in, plan how you will thank your donors, who will be in charge of the acknowledgment process, how you will know your campaign has worked.

Tips provided by Laura Quinn (Idealware.org) and NTEN.org.

Online Donations

Effective June 22, 2010, Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund established service with Click&Pledge.com as a provider of merchant and donation management services. This replaces our former provider, Contribute.com.

The Click&Pledge.com system is free to use, and merchant fees are a low 4.5% plus $0.30 per credit card or ACH transaction.

The "Donate Now" buttons that were present on each page of this website have been temporarily removed while our account and donation pages are being set up. If you would like to learn more about Click&Pledge.com, visit their website, or feel free to email Chris Womack with questions.