Donation apps are becoming essential tools for churches and nonprofits. Although many Americans are eager to give to good causes, increasingly they gravitate to causes that make giving convenient. This is especially true of Millennial and Gen Z donors, who are much more likely to use an app to give than other methods like mailing a check. The COVID-19 pandemic has also accelerated the adoption of giving apps by older generations who may not be able to safely make donations in person.
Besides making it easy to give, donation apps help donors stay connected to the organizations they support. Donors stay engaged with organizations when they receive updates showing the impact of their donations. They want to know the money they give is making a difference. Automated reminders about giving and email blasts about special campaigns can also be important ways of keeping supporters informed about a nonprofit’s needs, growth, or achievements.
Egiving is the future. But what does that mean for nonprofits and their supporters?
People Are Giving—And eGiving Is Increasing
Studies have shown that Americans are generous people—the most generous in the world by some measures. Charities Aid Foundation, a U.K.-based nonprofit that tracks global giving through their World Giving Index, reports that Americans are more likely to donate money to a cause, help a stranger, or volunteer their time than other people around the world. Data from Giving USA backs this up, stating that Americans gave $427.71 billion to charity in 2018.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the amount that Americans donate is that the bulk of it comes not from foundation grants, corporate donations, or contributions from the wealthiest Americans. Rather, the majority of these donations come from average people with modest incomes.
Increasingly, these contributions are made electronically through simple donations apps on websites or mobile phones. Donors often find apps more convenient than traditional methods of giving. They can give the amount they want, when they want, and they can even automate their giving. Because of this convenience, mobile giving (donations made from smartphones) actually increased 205% last year.
But Will People Actually Use A Donation App?
Yes! Although egiving is a relatively new concept, it’s caught on quickly. In fact, online giving increased by 1.2% from 2017 to 2018 with growth continuing through 2019. And today, 49% of all church donations are made with a debit or credit card. From tithing to fundraising purchases, the majority of church attendees rely on cashless transactions for at least some of what they give to their church.
This may not surprise you since so much of our society operates without cash. Options like Paypal, Apple Pay, and Google Wallet are quickly replacing paper and coin money. This is one reason that churches that accept money through donation apps typically increase their overall donations by 32%.
Other benefits of using donation apps are that supporters can set up recurring donations so that even if they can’t make it to church, they can still contribute financially. Many people feel that automatic tithing is easier and more reliable for them, and it increases the likelihood of repeat donations. People also appreciate how easy it is to keep digital receipts of their contributions for tax purposes.
Donation Apps: Great For Givers, But Challenging For Nonprofits
While online giving has many benefits, it’s not without its down sides, too. Maintaining a donation app can be costly. Most of these apps have a monthly fee for the app as well as per-transaction fees that can eat into donations. And as the demand for giving apps has grown, companies have added more complexity and pizazz to their apps, which has required them to raise their monthly fees and has made using the apps more challenging for people running churches and nonprofits.
Another concern for many donors is whether or not online giving is safe. What will happen if their personal data is exposed? How private are their donations? In an age of data breaches and identity theft, many donors wonder whether this is really the best way to give?
TS Donate: A Different Way To Give
At TracSoft, we work with many nonprofits and churches in Columbus, Georgia and the surrounding area. We understand the difficulties they face—and the difference the right technology solutions make for them.
That’s why we developed TS Donate, a donation app that is simple and secure, provides the right features, and offers it all for the right price. TracSoft’s crack team of expert app developers are experienced in creating customized software solutions for businesses across diverse industries. We thrive on the partnerships we form with our clients, tailoring our software to their needs. That’s why we actively worked with churches and nonprofits as we refined our app, so that it would offer what they actually want and need.
Why Should I Choose TS Donate As My Donation App?
Ease Of Use
TS Donate is easy for both donors and nonprofits to use. Donors can choose from one-time or recurring payments, and they can select from common amounts like $5, $10, or $25 or enter a custom amount. Additionally, they can use simple drop-down menus to select from multiple giving campaigns so their money always goes to the cause they care about most.
Nonprofit and church organizers find TS Donate easy to use, too. TracSoft will install the app on your website and connect it for you in under an hour. Installation can even be done remotely! Let us know your needs and preferences, and we’ll make sure everything is set up according to your preferences.
Customizable And Branded
Speaking of preferences, TS Donate is completely customizable. Supporters can be wary of transferring money online, but applying your branding to our app assures your supporters that they’re in the right place and not being scammed. For that reason, we’ll blend your logo, organization colors, slogans, and other branding elements into the app so it fits seamlessly with the rest of your website.
Increase Efficiency And Connect With Supporters
Record-keeping and reporting are not the most glamorous part of running a nonprofit, but we understand how important they are. Now you can save time by creating and exporting customized reports on giving right from the TS Donate app. Track giving over time, break it down by month, or create annual reports for board meetings with a few clicks.
Similarly, TS Donate makes it easy to stay connected with your supporters. Create a list of donors and export it, or send out mass emails to publicize special campaigns or giving drives from within the app. Get it all done faster and more easily!
Secure
You know TS Donate is secure because security is what we do. TracSoft offers IT support and security monitoring to businesses large and small, and we’ve been in the business of security for over 20 years. Our app was built to handle the cybersecurity threats your website faces because we understand what’s at stake—and what it takes to protect you.
Competitive Pricing
Best of all, TS Donate can be yours for a very competitive price. Our app was created to help nonprofits accomplish their missions, and we know that it’s necessary for these organizations to keep overhead low. That’s why we kept affordability in mind from the start, because we believe in the work that you do and want to help you do it.
The Future Of Giving: Will Your Organization Be Part Of It?
If organizations want to maximize their donations, then they must adapt to the way their supporters want to give. For many of them, this means offering more convenient ways for supporters to donate, and the right donation app is the best way to do this. The future of giving is already here. Will your organization be a part of it?
To find out more about TS Donate, visit tsdonate.com or contact us today.
