5 proven tips for good online giving hygiene during the pandemic

We’ve all been inundated this year with information on safe distancing and good social and physical hygiene in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. But has your giving platform similarly adapted to provide a safe and “clean” giving experience?

During this pandemic, most organizations and churches have learned the importance of technology and online interactions in order to remain connected to members and guests during a time of isolation.

But does your church giving platform offer the ease, efficiency and peace of mind your givers need now more than ever?

WHAT MAKES A “CLEAN” ONLINE GIVING EXPERIENCE?

Just as some health mandates during this pandemic have been confusing, conflicting and frustrating, online interactions can have a similar effect on givers at a time when they are at their limit for frustrating experiences.

Following are the minimum requirements for online giving hygiene that help givers feel good about giving.

CLEAN ONLINE GIVING FEELS TRUSTWORTHY

Does your giving page take your givers to a third-party site to complete their gift?

Online scams abound and people are on high alert for tricky, suspicious, untrustworthy online experiences. Jumping suddenly from your trusted giving page to an unknown organization’s page where they’re expected to hand off their most sensitive information is disconcerting for givers and the number one reason for gift abandonment.

Some givers may not realize this has happened, but when they get a Do-Not-Reply email acknowledgment from an organization they don’t know, it’s not uncommon for churches to receive calls from frightened givers wondering if they’ve just been scammed.

CLEAN ONLINE GIVING IS SIMPLE, QUICK & DOESN’T ASK TOO MUCH

How many hoops do your givers have to jump through to give? Are they:

• Forced to create an account to give (or search for hidden guest checkout)?
• Fill out too many fields?
• Search through confusing navigation to find what they’re looking for?
• Frustrated by glitchy forms that require information re-entry or leave them wondering if the gift has been completed?

CLEAN ONLINE GIVING PROVIDES FLEXIBLE OPTIONS

It’s no longer enough to offer multiple payment options – that’s a base-level expectation. Clean giving makes it easy for givers to find and:

• Set up recurring giving
• Make pledge goals and review progress
• Update their profile and card information
• Give to the fund of their choice
• Split their gift into multiple designations in one donation
• Review their giving history

CLEAN ONLINE GIVING SATISFIES THE GIVER’S NEED TO FEEL THEIR GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Some loyal givers will happily donate to the general fund, trusting the church to spend the money in the most judicious way. But many givers want to be inspired and know that their gifts are applied to the ministries that stir their hearts.

Does your online giving experience offer an easy way for them to have a choice? Is that choice simply a drop-down menu with 2-3 options or a dynamic display of ministry descriptions they can browse, search and click through to learn more or give, as they’ve grown accustomed to doing with their favorite online brands?

CLEAN ONLINE GIVING FEELS PERSONAL

Personalization has also become a base-level expectation for online interactions. A clean experience that calls them by name, addresses their giving behavior (i.e. first-time giver, long-time tither, etc.) and includes a thank you acknowledgement from the church, not a third-party payment processor, will help your givers feel known, appreciated, and eager to give again.

Not all online giving platforms are created equally. VIsion2 offers a free check-up of any online giving platform to test for over 60 issues that create a cluttered or “dirty” experience known to contribute to gift abandonment.

Reach out for more information.