When planning an event for your nonprofit, it can feel like you’re spinning all the plates all the time. Is your event in sync with your cause? Have you ordered the right catered dishes? Did you advertise enough? And, the ever daunting question, will people come? With a seemingly endless to-do list, crossing off these necessary essentials can feel downright dizzying. We’ve been there, and want to help!
In this article, we’ll share three ways to accept donations online with Ticketstripe, how to handle associated fees, and detail Ticketstripe’s latest feature: ticket bundles. Plus, through Ticketstripe’s personalized checkout process, your nonprofit can ask patrons custom questions to help meet–and surpass–their wants, needs, and preferences. Whether you’re inquiring about dietary restrictions or what drew them to this event– having a designated space to note your audience’s responses is another piece in perfecting your puzzle.
Curious to accept donations online? See which one best fits your team and nonprofit.
Flexible Donations
As the strongest contender for most accessibility and word-of-mouth publicity, flexible donations provide patrons with the opportunity to pay whatever they can feasibly afford. If your target demographic shoots for Gen Z or Millennials, this is an excellent way to ensure that you reel them in. Another perk of these malleable donations is that they can be added to any existing suggested donation item or they can be their own donation item. Are you worried about meeting your quota? Your team can always add a minimum requirement to guarantee you meet your mark! For more information on this category of digital gratuity and all its fantastic benefits for making your event sizzle– check out our Pay What You Wish blog article.
Suggested Donations
The most popular way to accept donations online is via suggested donations. Your nonprofit can add up to seven proposed contribution amounts in a single entry– including the “pay what you wish” option, ideal for younger crowds. One of the best ways to utilize suggested donations is with donation tiers. Donation tiers are wonderful for all audiences and act as the “best of both worlds,” allowing you to meet your numbers while helping your patrons select a donation that best fits their lifestyle and budget. This selection is best paired with a handful of options, so you don’t paralyze or fluster your audience.
People are naturally averse to spending, but they also don’t want to feel ungenerous– and believe they’ll have a better experience moving up a tier, so put your preferred donation in the middle.
Ultimately, as social creatures, we take comfort in aligning our actions with the people around us. Suggested donations allow patrons to take part with the greater group while still adhering to their available budget.
Curious to know more about this type of online benefaction? Take a peek at our article on all aspects of donation tiers here.
Sponsored Donations
Sponsored donations are slightly different from traditional charitable contributions but can pack quite a punch with ticket bundles. Ticketstripe is proud to be the only donation and ticketing platform that offers ticket bundles and ticket wallet management. We created this feature at the request of hundreds of nonprofits to save time and increase efficiency. With this feature you can create sponsor packages that include multiple tickets. The sponsor receives an email inviting them to share the packaged tickets via their digital Ticketstripe Wallet. Meanwhile you, the organizer, automatically collect information from the recipients when they claim their tickets.
Take, for example, an event planner who is accepting Platinum Sponsor donations online. The sponsor will receive 10 table tickets and two VIP tickets. Our platform lets you easily assign the two ticket items to this donation and enables your nonprofit to collect valued information from the ticket recipients digitally.
Whichever donation type you pick, our goal is to ultimately transform your event page into a donor box for your organization, allowing you to share the details of your fantastic event and accept donations all in one convenient location. We want to give the incredible nonprofits doing such important work a leg up, and we know this is a great way to do just that!
Figure Out Your Fees:
Once you’ve ticked off your donation style, or combinations thereof, the next step is determining how to handle the service and merchant fees for each donation item. With Stripe, you can pass all fees to the buyer, absorb them, or pass on just the service fee and absorb the credit card fee. All fees are instantly deducted, and any adjustments can be made via Ticketstripe for maximized ease and efficiency.
After reading about these three donation options, you may think, “this sounds lovely, but how do I encourage people to donate and participate in my event?” In addition to a killer social media strategy and email list– which you can find comprehensively outlined in previous blog posts– we have three tried and true guideposts to masterful marketing.
1. Wow Them With Your Website
If social media platforms are the new business cards, websites are your digital headquarters. Make sure you have a website that reflects your nonprofit’s mission and message! Be thoughtful with your design, and find the colors and themes that speak to what your nonprofit is and what you’re striving to become. A clear site tells patrons that you’re active and have a clear goal for your foundation. Be sure to add a “How to Donate” button on your website and social channels that link to your Ticketstripe donation page.
2. Show Off Your Successes
When you’ve got it, flaunt it! It’s natural to take pride in your work, and showcasing your wins is a great way to illustrate to your audience the concrete steps you’ve taken to reach your financial and communal goals. Document your achievements across your social media channels to increase your digital footprint. By publicly illuminating your efforts, you encourage new patrons to join your cause, show existing benefactors what their funds are going towards, and create opportunities for further publicity and potential media coverage. Make it clear that you accept donations online so visitors can donate.
Once you’ve accumulated your undoubtable successes, start putting together clips to build a press kit for your website, holding all your triumphs in a tidy place.
3. Make Connections
We get by with a little help from our friends. The nonprofit world is small but mighty, and making connections is critical to help meet your goals. Use the power of social media to find other organizations with similar ambitions and reach out. See if you can combine forces to create something incredible– doubling your audience and potential funds. In addition to kindred nonprofits, message local businesses and volunteer groups for their skills and expertise. Take the time to ensure you’re building a name both in your hometown and online to extend your reach fully. Remember that even using social platforms, success doesn’t blossom overnight. Trust yourself and your team’s ability to shed light on crucial issues, and know that you will make it happen with continued, consistent effort.
For any questions, feel free to contact us. We can’t wait to hear from you.
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