As the recent natural disasters and the responses they spurred have shown, utilization of online donations by nonprofits is no longer a matter of whether. It is going on, and it will not abate.

This means that organizations are going to have to ensure that donors can contribute money quickly and without any feeling of frustration or aggravation, as well as feeling safe about giving out credit card information.

When picking out an online donation vendor, consider the following six questions:

• How many and how much? Different vendors use different pricing structures.
• What will the donation form look like on your Website? Although it’s not critical for every organization, a tailored donation form creates a more seamless experience for donors.
• Do they support recurring donations? More and more software packages allow donors to opt to donate a particular amount every month, and then take care of that billing for you.
• Do you need your own merchant account or should you use the vendor’s account? Online donations require a merchant account, a bank account that specifically handles credit card donations.
• How will you get the money? Will the vendor automatically deposit the money in your bank account or send a check, and how often?
• How will you integrate the donation data with your other systems? This is where an integrated tool shines.

courtesy NonProfit Times