[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1530},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide":3,"related-guides-donors":409},{"_path":4,"_dir":5,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":8,"description":9,"published":10,"modified":10,"author":11,"author_image":12,"image":13,"silo":5,"ctaHeadline":14,"ctaDescription":15,"faqs":16,"body":29,"_type":402,"_id":403,"_source":404,"_file":405,"_stem":406,"_extension":407,"sitemap":408},"/guides/donors/tax-receipt-automation","donors",false,"","Automatic Tax Receipts for Donations","How to stop generating tax receipts manually. What automatic receipts look like, CRA compliance requirements, and the setup that actually works.","2026-01-13","Matt Elliott","/images/matt.jpg","/images/guides/tax-receipt-automation.png","Tired of manual tax receipts?","See how automatic receipts work in Communal.",[17,20,23,26],{"question":18,"answer":19},"Are automatic tax receipts CRA compliant?","Yes, when configured correctly. The system needs your charity registration number, proper receipt numbering, and all required fields. Good software handles this automatically once you set it up.",{"question":21,"answer":22},"Can I customize the receipt template?","Most systems let you add your logo and a thank-you message while keeping all the required compliance fields. The key is that it still looks professional and includes everything the CRA requires.",{"question":24,"answer":25},"What if a donor needs a replacement receipt?","With automatic receipts stored in the system, you can resend any receipt in seconds. Even better, give donors access to a portal where they can download their own receipts without emailing you.",{"question":27,"answer":28},"How do recurring donations get receipted?","Each donation generates its own receipt automatically. Monthly donor means 12 receipts per year, all sent without you doing anything.",{"type":30,"children":31,"toc":381},"root",[32,40,45,50,57,62,67,73,78,83,88,93,99,104,164,169,174,180,185,190,195,201,208,213,218,224,229,235,240,279,284,290,296,301,307,312,318,323,329,334,339,344,350,355,360,365,371,376],{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":35,"children":36},"element","p",{},[37],{"type":38,"value":39},"text","You know the process. Someone donates. You open your receipt template, fill in their name and amount, generate a PDF, email it to them, file a copy somewhere, update your spreadsheet. Twenty minutes gone. Now do it again for the next donation.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":41,"children":42},{},[43],{"type":38,"value":44},"December hits and suddenly you have 50 receipts to generate while also running year-end campaigns. Donors email asking for copies of receipts you sent months ago. You can't find them because your filing system is \"that folder somewhere.\"",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":46,"children":47},{},[48],{"type":38,"value":49},"This is what automatic tax receipts fix.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":52,"children":54},"h2",{"id":53},"what-automatic-actually-means",[55],{"type":38,"value":56},"What automatic actually means",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":58,"children":59},{},[60],{"type":38,"value":61},"When we say automatic, we mean: donor gives, receipt appears in their inbox, copy gets filed in your system. You do nothing. The whole thing happens in seconds.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":63,"children":64},{},[65],{"type":38,"value":66},"Not \"automatic after you click approve.\" Not \"automatic once you run the batch process.\" Truly automatic. Donation comes in, receipt goes out.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":68,"children":70},{"id":69},"the-manual-receipt-problem",[71],{"type":38,"value":72},"The manual receipt problem",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":74,"children":75},{},[76],{"type":38,"value":77},"Here's what manual receipt generation actually costs you:",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":79,"children":80},{},[81],{"type":38,"value":82},"Every receipt takes 10-20 minutes when you account for finding the template, filling it in correctly, generating the PDF, writing the email, sending it, and filing everything. If you get 200 donations a year, that's 30-60 hours just on receipts.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":84,"children":85},{},[86],{"type":38,"value":87},"But the real cost is the mistakes. Typos in names. Wrong amounts. Duplicate receipt numbers. Receipts you sent but can't find when someone asks. Year-end scrambles when you realize your records don't match your bank statements.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":89,"children":90},{},[91],{"type":38,"value":92},"Automatic receipts eliminate all of this because the system handles it the same way every time.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":94,"children":96},{"id":95},"cra-compliance-requirements",[97],{"type":38,"value":98},"CRA compliance requirements",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":100,"children":101},{},[102],{"type":38,"value":103},"For Canadian registered charities, the CRA is specific about what a donation receipt must include:",{"type":33,"tag":105,"props":106,"children":107},"ul",{},[108,114,119,124,129,134,139,144,149,154,159],{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":110,"children":111},"li",{},[112],{"type":38,"value":113},"Your charity's registered name and address",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":115,"children":116},{},[117],{"type":38,"value":118},"Your registration number (the BN format with RR)",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":120,"children":121},{},[122],{"type":38,"value":123},"A unique receipt number (sequential, no gaps)",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":125,"children":126},{},[127],{"type":38,"value":128},"Where the receipt was issued",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":130,"children":131},{},[132],{"type":38,"value":133},"Date the receipt was issued",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":135,"children":136},{},[137],{"type":38,"value":138},"Date the donation was received",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":140,"children":141},{},[142],{"type":38,"value":143},"Donor's full name",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":145,"children":146},{},[147],{"type":38,"value":148},"Donor's address",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":150,"children":151},{},[152],{"type":38,"value":153},"Amount of the gift",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":155,"children":156},{},[157],{"type":38,"value":158},"Eligible amount (same as gift amount for cash donations)",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":160,"children":161},{},[162],{"type":38,"value":163},"Description of any advantage received (usually \"nil\" for straight donations)",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":165,"children":166},{},[167],{"type":38,"value":168},"Good donor management software includes all of these fields automatically. You enter your charity information once during setup, and every receipt that goes out is compliant.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":170,"children":171},{},[172],{"type":38,"value":173},"If you issue receipts missing required fields, donors can't claim the deduction and you could face CRA penalties. This is why using proper software beats Word templates.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":175,"children":177},{"id":176},"why-immediate-receipts-matter",[178],{"type":38,"value":179},"Why immediate receipts matter",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":181,"children":182},{},[183],{"type":38,"value":184},"Some organizations batch receipts and send them weekly or monthly. We'd strongly recommend against this.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":186,"children":187},{},[188],{"type":38,"value":189},"When someone donates, they expect immediate confirmation. A receipt arriving days later feels unprofessional. Worse, it generates support emails: \"Did you get my donation?\" \"Where's my receipt?\"",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":191,"children":192},{},[193],{"type":38,"value":194},"Immediate receipts also matter for year-end giving. Someone making a December 31st donation needs that receipt for their tax return. They can't wait until your next batch run in January.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":196,"children":198},{"id":197},"setting-this-up-right",[199],{"type":38,"value":200},"Setting this up right",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":203,"children":205},"h3",{"id":204},"your-charity-information",[206],{"type":38,"value":207},"Your charity information",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":209,"children":210},{},[211],{"type":38,"value":212},"Enter your organization's legal name exactly as registered with the CRA. Your registration number. Your address. The name of your authorized signatory (the person whose signature appears on receipts).",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":214,"children":215},{},[216],{"type":38,"value":217},"Get this right once and every receipt uses it correctly.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":219,"children":221},{"id":220},"receipt-numbering",[222],{"type":38,"value":223},"Receipt numbering",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":225,"children":226},{},[227],{"type":38,"value":228},"Receipt numbers need to be unique and sequential. The CRA can audit this. Most software handles numbering automatically, but verify that numbers don't reset unexpectedly and there are no gaps in the sequence.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":230,"children":232},{"id":231},"the-email-that-delivers-the-receipt",[233],{"type":38,"value":234},"The email that delivers the receipt",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":236,"children":237},{},[238],{"type":38,"value":239},"Configure the email with:",{"type":33,"tag":105,"props":241,"children":242},{},[243,257,269,274],{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":244,"children":245},{},[246,248,255],{"type":38,"value":247},"A from name that's your organization (not \"",{"type":33,"tag":249,"props":250,"children":252},"a",{"href":251},"mailto:noreply@software.com",[253],{"type":38,"value":254},"noreply@software.com",{"type":38,"value":256},"\")",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":258,"children":259},{},[260,262,268],{"type":38,"value":261},"A clear subject line (\"Your tax receipt from ",{"type":33,"tag":263,"props":264,"children":265},"span",{},[266],{"type":38,"value":267},"Organization Name",{"type":38,"value":256},{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":270,"children":271},{},[272],{"type":38,"value":273},"A brief thank-you message",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":275,"children":276},{},[277],{"type":38,"value":278},"The receipt attached as a PDF",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":280,"children":281},{},[282],{"type":38,"value":283},"Test this by making a small donation yourself. Make sure everything arrives correctly and looks professional.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":285,"children":287},{"id":286},"handling-the-edge-cases",[288],{"type":38,"value":289},"Handling the edge cases",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":291,"children":293},{"id":292},"non-receiptable-transactions",[294],{"type":38,"value":295},"Non-receiptable transactions",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":297,"children":298},{},[299],{"type":38,"value":300},"Not everything qualifies for a tax receipt. Event tickets with food and entertainment, merchandise purchases, auction items (except the amount over fair market value). Your system should let you mark these so no receipt generates automatically.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":302,"children":304},{"id":303},"receipt-corrections",[305],{"type":38,"value":306},"Receipt corrections",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":308,"children":309},{},[310],{"type":38,"value":311},"Sometimes you need to fix a mistake. Maybe a donation was logged with the wrong amount. The proper way: void the incorrect receipt and issue a new one with a new receipt number. Never edit an already-issued receipt.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":313,"children":315},{"id":314},"donor-requests-for-copies",[316],{"type":38,"value":317},"Donor requests for copies",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":319,"children":320},{},[321],{"type":38,"value":322},"Donors lose receipts. Tax time arrives and they need copies. With receipts stored in your system, you can resend any receipt in seconds. Even better: give donors access to a self-serve portal where they can download their own receipt history.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":324,"children":326},{"id":325},"recurring-donations",[327],{"type":38,"value":328},"Recurring donations",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":330,"children":331},{},[332],{"type":38,"value":333},"Recurring donors—whether weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual—get a receipt for each gift. Monthly donor means twelve receipts, weekly means fifty-two, all automatic.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":335,"children":336},{},[337],{"type":38,"value":338},"Some organizations worry this is too many emails. It's not. Donors expect receipts. Each one is also a reminder of their ongoing support.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":340,"children":341},{},[342],{"type":38,"value":343},"If donors really want fewer emails, some systems can generate annual consolidated summaries. But the default of one receipt per donation is what most donors prefer.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":345,"children":347},{"id":346},"the-switch-from-manual",[348],{"type":38,"value":349},"The switch from manual",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":351,"children":352},{},[353],{"type":38,"value":354},"If you're currently doing receipts manually, switching to automatic feels dramatic. Suddenly something that took hours happens without you.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":356,"children":357},{},[358],{"type":38,"value":359},"The key is testing before you go live. Make test donations. Verify receipts generate correctly. Check that all the fields are right. Look at the receipt as a donor would and make sure it looks professional.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":361,"children":362},{},[363],{"type":38,"value":364},"Once it's working, trust it. The system will handle receipts more reliably than manual processes ever could.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":366,"children":368},{"id":367},"the-payoff",[369],{"type":38,"value":370},"The payoff",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":372,"children":373},{},[374],{"type":38,"value":375},"Organizations that switch to automatic receipts describe the same thing: they forgot tax receipts were ever a problem. The system just handles it. Staff time goes to programs and fundraising instead of paperwork.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":377,"children":378},{},[379],{"type":38,"value":380},"That's the point. Tax receipts are necessary but they shouldn't be where your time goes. Automate them and move on to work that actually matters.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":382,"depth":382,"links":383},2,[384,385,386,387,388,394,399,400,401],{"id":53,"depth":382,"text":56},{"id":69,"depth":382,"text":72},{"id":95,"depth":382,"text":98},{"id":176,"depth":382,"text":179},{"id":197,"depth":382,"text":200,"children":389},[390,392,393],{"id":204,"depth":391,"text":207},3,{"id":220,"depth":391,"text":223},{"id":231,"depth":391,"text":234},{"id":286,"depth":382,"text":289,"children":395},[396,397,398],{"id":292,"depth":391,"text":295},{"id":303,"depth":391,"text":306},{"id":314,"depth":391,"text":317},{"id":325,"depth":382,"text":328},{"id":346,"depth":382,"text":349},{"id":367,"depth":382,"text":370},"markdown","content:guides:donors:tax-receipt-automation.md","content","guides/donors/tax-receipt-automation.md","guides/donors/tax-receipt-automation","md",{"loc":4},[410,788,1184],{"_path":411,"_dir":5,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":412,"description":413,"published":10,"modified":10,"author":11,"author_image":12,"image":414,"silo":5,"ctaHeadline":415,"ctaDescription":416,"faqs":417,"body":430,"_type":402,"_id":784,"_source":404,"_file":785,"_stem":786,"_extension":407,"sitemap":787},"/guides/donors/donor-management-software-for-nonprofits","Donor Management Software for Nonprofits","What to look for in donor management software, what to ignore, and how to avoid the common mistakes we see organizations make.","/images/guides/donor-management-software-for-nonprofits.png","Still generating tax receipts manually?","See how automatic receipts save hours every month.",[418,421,424,427],{"question":419,"answer":420},"What is donor management software?","Software that tracks donations, manages donor relationships, generates tax receipts, and shows you how fundraising is going. It replaces the spreadsheets and manual receipt generation that eat up staff time.",{"question":422,"answer":423},"How much does donor management software cost?","Anywhere from $50 to $500+ per month depending on features and size. Watch out for per-contact pricing that gets expensive as you grow, and payment processing fees that aren't disclosed upfront.",{"question":425,"answer":426},"What's the difference between donor management software and a CRM?","A CRM tracks any type of contact. Donor software is built specifically for fundraising: automatic tax receipts, recurring donation management, giving history. Generic CRMs usually can't do these things well.",{"question":428,"answer":429},"Can donor management software integrate with volunteer management?","Some platforms handle both natively, which is valuable if you want to see when volunteers also donate. Third-party integrations exist but tend to break or require maintenance.",{"type":30,"children":431,"toc":765},[432,437,442,448,453,464,474,484,494,499,505,511,516,521,527,532,555,561,566,571,577,582,588,593,603,613,623,633,639,645,650,655,661,666,671,677,682,688,693,699,704,709,715,749,755,760],{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":433,"children":434},{},[435],{"type":38,"value":436},"If you're looking at donor management software, you're probably frustrated with something. Tax receipts taking forever. Donations tracked across three different spreadsheets. No idea if fundraising is up or down compared to last year.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":438,"children":439},{},[440],{"type":38,"value":441},"This guide is what we'd tell you over coffee: what actually matters, what's marketing nonsense, and what we've seen trip up organizations like yours.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":443,"children":445},{"id":444},"the-problems-this-software-actually-solves",[446],{"type":38,"value":447},"The problems this software actually solves",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":449,"children":450},{},[451],{"type":38,"value":452},"Most organizations come to us with variations of the same complaints:",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":454,"children":455},{},[456,462],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":458,"children":459},"strong",{},[460],{"type":38,"value":461},"Tax receipts are eating your life.",{"type":38,"value":463}," Every donation triggers a chain: find the template, fill in the details, generate a PDF, email it, file a copy, update the spreadsheet. Do this 30 times in December and you've lost days.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":465,"children":466},{},[467,472],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":468,"children":469},{},[470],{"type":38,"value":471},"Donations fall through the cracks.",{"type":38,"value":473}," A check comes in at an event. Someone means to log it Monday, but Monday is chaos. Three weeks later, the donor asks for their receipt and nobody can find the record.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":475,"children":476},{},[477,482],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":478,"children":479},{},[480],{"type":38,"value":481},"You can't answer basic questions.",{"type":38,"value":483}," The board asks how you're doing compared to last year. You spend four hours pulling data from spreadsheets, PayPal exports, and your accounting software. The numbers don't quite match. You present something that's probably close.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":485,"children":486},{},[487,492],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":488,"children":489},{},[490],{"type":38,"value":491},"Recurring giving is manual.",{"type":38,"value":493}," You'd love predictable monthly revenue, but your current setup can't handle it. Or it can, but when cards expire, donors just quietly stop giving and nobody notices.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":495,"children":496},{},[497],{"type":38,"value":498},"Good donor management software fixes these by putting everything in one place and automating the tedious parts.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":500,"children":502},{"id":501},"what-to-actually-look-for",[503],{"type":38,"value":504},"What to actually look for",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":506,"children":508},{"id":507},"tax-receipts-that-happen-without-you",[509],{"type":38,"value":510},"Tax receipts that happen without you",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":512,"children":513},{},[514],{"type":38,"value":515},"This is the feature that saves the most time. When someone donates, the system should generate a compliant receipt and email it immediately. No clicking, no reviewing, no filing. It just happens.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":517,"children":518},{},[519],{"type":38,"value":520},"If a system says receipts are \"automatic\" but you still have to click a button to send each one, that's not automatic.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":522,"children":524},{"id":523},"recurring-donations-that-actually-recur",[525],{"type":38,"value":526},"Recurring donations that actually recur",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":528,"children":529},{},[530],{"type":38,"value":531},"Recurring donors are gold. They give more over time, they're predictable, and they stick around longer than one-time donors. Whether weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual, recurring only works if:",{"type":33,"tag":105,"props":533,"children":534},{},[535,540,545,550],{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":536,"children":537},{},[538],{"type":38,"value":539},"Donors can sign up easily (not a separate form or phone call)",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":541,"children":542},{},[543],{"type":38,"value":544},"They can update their own payment info when cards expire",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":546,"children":547},{},[548],{"type":38,"value":549},"The system actually charges them each month without manual intervention",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":551,"children":552},{},[553],{"type":38,"value":554},"You can see your recurring revenue at a glance",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":556,"children":558},{"id":557},"online-giving-that-doesnt-lose-people",[559],{"type":38,"value":560},"Online giving that doesn't lose people",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":562,"children":563},{},[564],{"type":38,"value":565},"Your donation form is often someone's first interaction with your organization. If it's slow, confusing, or asks for too much information, they leave. You'll never know they tried.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":567,"children":568},{},[569],{"type":38,"value":570},"A good donation form asks for the minimum: name, email, payment, amount. Everything else is optional. It works on phones. It doesn't require account creation. It confirms immediately with a receipt.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":572,"children":574},{"id":573},"a-donor-database-that-shows-you-the-full-picture",[575],{"type":38,"value":576},"A donor database that shows you the full picture",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":578,"children":579},{},[580],{"type":38,"value":581},"You should be able to click on any donor and see everything: every gift they've made, every receipt sent, their contact info, any notes your team has added. When someone calls asking about their giving history, you should have the answer in seconds.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":583,"children":585},{"id":584},"what-to-ignore",[586],{"type":38,"value":587},"What to ignore",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":589,"children":590},{},[591],{"type":38,"value":592},"Donor software vendors love impressive-sounding features. Most of them don't matter for typical community organizations.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":594,"children":595},{},[596,601],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":597,"children":598},{},[599],{"type":38,"value":600},"\"AI-powered insights\"",{"type":38,"value":602}," - You need to know who gave, how much, and when. You don't need machine learning to tell you that.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":604,"children":605},{},[606,611],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":607,"children":608},{},[609],{"type":38,"value":610},"\"Moves management\"",{"type":38,"value":612}," - This is methodology for organizations with dedicated major gift officers running cultivation strategies. If that's not you, skip it.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":614,"children":615},{},[616,621],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":617,"children":618},{},[619],{"type":38,"value":620},"\"Wealth screening\"",{"type":38,"value":622}," - Knowing someone's estimated net worth sounds useful. In practice, it adds complexity without changing what you do. Focus on what donors actually give, not what they theoretically could.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":624,"children":625},{},[626,631],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":627,"children":628},{},[629],{"type":38,"value":630},"\"Peer-to-peer fundraising\"",{"type":38,"value":632}," - Great if you run peer-to-peer campaigns. Most organizations don't. Don't pay for features you won't use.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":634,"children":636},{"id":635},"common-mistakes",[637],{"type":38,"value":638},"Common mistakes",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":640,"children":642},{"id":641},"choosing-based-on-the-demo",[643],{"type":38,"value":644},"Choosing based on the demo",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":646,"children":647},{},[648],{"type":38,"value":649},"Every platform looks great when a sales rep is driving. The real test is day 47 when you're trying to fix a recurring donation or pull a board report.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":651,"children":652},{},[653],{"type":38,"value":654},"Ask to talk to current customers. Ask what's frustrating, not just what's great.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":656,"children":658},{"id":657},"ignoring-the-total-cost",[659],{"type":38,"value":660},"Ignoring the total cost",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":662,"children":663},{},[664],{"type":38,"value":665},"A $99/month platform charging 4.5% + $0.50 per transaction costs more than a $200/month platform with standard Stripe rates. On $50,000 in annual donations, that's a difference of over $1,000.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":667,"children":668},{},[669],{"type":38,"value":670},"Get the complete pricing including payment processing before you decide.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":672,"children":674},{"id":673},"creating-complexity-you-dont-need",[675],{"type":38,"value":676},"Creating complexity you don't need",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":678,"children":679},{},[680],{"type":38,"value":681},"You don't need 47 donor segments. You need: active donors, lapsed donors, major donors, recurring donors. Maybe a few more. Start simple. Add complexity only when you have a specific use for it.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":683,"children":685},{"id":684},"forgetting-about-donors",[686],{"type":38,"value":687},"Forgetting about donors",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":689,"children":690},{},[691],{"type":38,"value":692},"Admin features matter, but what do donors see? Can they find their receipts? Update their payment method? See their giving history? A self-serve donor portal means fewer emails to you and happier donors.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":694,"children":696},{"id":695},"the-integration-question",[697],{"type":38,"value":698},"The integration question",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":700,"children":701},{},[702],{"type":38,"value":703},"If you're a community organization, you probably also handle membership, program registration, volunteer coordination, or facility rentals.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":705,"children":706},{},[707],{"type":38,"value":708},"Software that handles multiple needs natively is better than stitching together separate tools. When everything lives in one system, a member who volunteers and donates shows up as one person with a complete history. When you're running three separate tools, they're three separate records that never talk to each other.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":710,"children":712},{"id":711},"questions-to-ask-before-choosing",[713],{"type":38,"value":714},"Questions to ask before choosing",{"type":33,"tag":716,"props":717,"children":718},"ol",{},[719,724,729,734,739,744],{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":720,"children":721},{},[722],{"type":38,"value":723},"What does the donor see after they give? (Walk through the actual experience)",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":725,"children":726},{},[727],{"type":38,"value":728},"Are tax receipts truly automatic, or do I have to click something?",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":730,"children":731},{},[732],{"type":38,"value":733},"What happens when a recurring donor's card expires?",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":735,"children":736},{},[737],{"type":38,"value":738},"Can I see a real customer's dashboard, not just a demo environment?",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":740,"children":741},{},[742],{"type":38,"value":743},"What's the total cost including processing fees?",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":745,"children":746},{},[747],{"type":38,"value":748},"How do I get my data out if I ever switch?",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":750,"children":752},{"id":751},"the-short-version",[753],{"type":38,"value":754},"The short version",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":756,"children":757},{},[758],{"type":38,"value":759},"Donor management software should make giving easy for donors and tracking easy for you. Tax receipts should go out automatically. Recurring donations should actually recur. You should be able to answer \"how's fundraising going?\" without spending an afternoon on it.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":761,"children":762},{},[763],{"type":38,"value":764},"Most of the fancy features don't matter. Get the basics right and you'll save hours every month.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":382,"depth":382,"links":766},[767,768,774,775,781,782,783],{"id":444,"depth":382,"text":447},{"id":501,"depth":382,"text":504,"children":769},[770,771,772,773],{"id":507,"depth":391,"text":510},{"id":523,"depth":391,"text":526},{"id":557,"depth":391,"text":560},{"id":573,"depth":391,"text":576},{"id":584,"depth":382,"text":587},{"id":635,"depth":382,"text":638,"children":776},[777,778,779,780],{"id":641,"depth":391,"text":644},{"id":657,"depth":391,"text":660},{"id":673,"depth":391,"text":676},{"id":684,"depth":391,"text":687},{"id":695,"depth":382,"text":698},{"id":711,"depth":382,"text":714},{"id":751,"depth":382,"text":754},"content:guides:donors:donor-management-software-for-nonprofits.md","guides/donors/donor-management-software-for-nonprofits.md","guides/donors/donor-management-software-for-nonprofits",{"loc":411},{"_path":789,"_dir":5,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":790,"description":791,"published":10,"modified":10,"author":11,"author_image":12,"image":792,"silo":5,"ctaHeadline":793,"ctaDescription":794,"faqs":795,"body":808,"_type":402,"_id":1180,"_source":404,"_file":1181,"_stem":1182,"_extension":407,"sitemap":1183},"/guides/donors/fundraising-reporting","Fundraising Reports That Actually Help","What to track, what to ignore, and how to answer 'how's fundraising going?' without spending an afternoon on it.","/images/guides/fundraising-reporting.png","Need better fundraising visibility?","See how Communal tracks donations automatically.",[796,799,802,805],{"question":797,"answer":798},"What metrics should we track?","Focus on five things: total donations by period, donor count (new vs returning), average gift size, recurring revenue, and donor retention rate. These tell you whether fundraising is healthy.",{"question":800,"answer":801},"How often should we review reports?","Monthly for basic numbers (total raised, new donors). Quarterly for trends. Annually for bigger strategic questions. More frequent review usually just creates anxiety.",{"question":803,"answer":804},"Can we export reports for board meetings?","Good donor software lets you export to PDF or spreadsheet. Look for pre-built templates so you're not rebuilding the same report every month.",{"question":806,"answer":807},"What's a good donor retention rate?","Industry average is around 45% for first-time donors and 60% for repeat donors. If you're above that, you're doing well. Below that, focus on keeping donors before finding new ones.",{"type":30,"children":809,"toc":1161},[810,815,820,825,830,836,841,847,852,857,863,868,873,879,884,889,895,900,905,911,916,921,926,932,938,943,966,971,977,982,1005,1010,1016,1021,1027,1032,1037,1043,1048,1058,1068,1078,1088,1093,1099,1104,1109,1115,1120,1125,1130,1135,1140,1146,1151,1156],{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":811,"children":812},{},[813],{"type":38,"value":814},"The board asks how fundraising is going. You spend three hours pulling numbers from spreadsheets, PayPal exports, and your accounting software. The totals don't quite match. You present something that's probably close and hope nobody asks follow-up questions.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":816,"children":817},{},[818],{"type":38,"value":819},"Or you have fancy software with dashboards full of charts and numbers. You're not sure what any of them mean. You track everything and act on nothing.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":821,"children":822},{},[823],{"type":38,"value":824},"Neither of these is useful.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":826,"children":827},{},[828],{"type":38,"value":829},"Good fundraising reporting answers simple questions simply: Are we on track? Are we growing? What's working?",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":831,"children":833},{"id":832},"five-numbers-that-actually-matter",[834],{"type":38,"value":835},"Five numbers that actually matter",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":837,"children":838},{},[839],{"type":38,"value":840},"You don't need 47 metrics. You need these five:",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":842,"children":844},{"id":843},"_1-how-much-did-we-raise",[845],{"type":38,"value":846},"1. How much did we raise?",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":848,"children":849},{},[850],{"type":38,"value":851},"Total donations this month, this quarter, this year. Compare to the same period last year and to your goal.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":853,"children":854},{},[855],{"type":38,"value":856},"This answers: \"Are we on track?\"",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":858,"children":860},{"id":859},"_2-how-many-donors-gave",[861],{"type":38,"value":862},"2. How many donors gave?",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":864,"children":865},{},[866],{"type":38,"value":867},"Count unique donors. Split them into first-time and returning.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":869,"children":870},{},[871],{"type":38,"value":872},"New donors mean growth. Returning donors mean stability. If new acquisition drops, your pipeline is shrinking. If returning donors decline, you're losing people.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":874,"children":876},{"id":875},"_3-average-gift-size",[877],{"type":38,"value":878},"3. Average gift size",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":880,"children":881},{},[882],{"type":38,"value":883},"Total raised divided by number of donations.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":885,"children":886},{},[887],{"type":38,"value":888},"If this trends up, donors are giving more. If it trends down, you're either attracting smaller gifts or losing major donors. Both are worth investigating.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":890,"children":892},{"id":891},"_4-recurring-revenue",[893],{"type":38,"value":894},"4. Recurring revenue",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":896,"children":897},{},[898],{"type":38,"value":899},"How many donors give on a recurring schedule—weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual? What's the total?",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":901,"children":902},{},[903],{"type":38,"value":904},"This is your baseline. It's what you can count on before any campaigns. Growing recurring revenue creates stability.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":906,"children":908},{"id":907},"_5-retention-rate",[909],{"type":38,"value":910},"5. Retention rate",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":912,"children":913},{},[914],{"type":38,"value":915},"Of donors who gave last year, how many gave again this year?",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":917,"children":918},{},[919],{"type":38,"value":920},"Industry average is around 45% for first-time donors and 60% for repeat donors. Low retention means you're working hard to find donors just to watch them leave.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":922,"children":923},{},[924],{"type":38,"value":925},"That's it. Five numbers. If these are healthy, fundraising is healthy.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":927,"children":929},{"id":928},"reports-for-different-people",[930],{"type":38,"value":931},"Reports for different people",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":933,"children":935},{"id":934},"board-reports",[936],{"type":38,"value":937},"Board reports",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":939,"children":940},{},[941],{"type":38,"value":942},"Board members need the big picture on one page:",{"type":33,"tag":105,"props":944,"children":945},{},[946,951,956,961],{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":947,"children":948},{},[949],{"type":38,"value":950},"Total raised vs goal",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":952,"children":953},{},[954],{"type":38,"value":955},"Donor count trend",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":957,"children":958},{},[959],{"type":38,"value":960},"Top campaigns and their results",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":962,"children":963},{},[964],{"type":38,"value":965},"One paragraph explaining what the numbers mean",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":967,"children":968},{},[969],{"type":38,"value":970},"Skip the details. Use charts sparingly. Make it scannable.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":972,"children":974},{"id":973},"day-to-day-operations",[975],{"type":38,"value":976},"Day-to-day operations",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":978,"children":979},{},[980],{"type":38,"value":981},"Staff need actionable information:",{"type":33,"tag":105,"props":983,"children":984},{},[985,990,995,1000],{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":986,"children":987},{},[988],{"type":38,"value":989},"Donations received this week",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":991,"children":992},{},[993],{"type":38,"value":994},"Failed recurring payments to follow up on",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":996,"children":997},{},[998],{"type":38,"value":999},"Thank-you calls needed",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1001,"children":1002},{},[1003],{"type":38,"value":1004},"Upcoming campaign deadlines",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1006,"children":1007},{},[1008],{"type":38,"value":1009},"Every item should suggest a next step.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":1011,"children":1013},{"id":1012},"grant-reports",[1014],{"type":38,"value":1015},"Grant reports",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1017,"children":1018},{},[1019],{"type":38,"value":1020},"Funders want specific data from specific time periods. Know what they need before you need to report. Build your tracking so grant reporting is a quick export, not a project.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1022,"children":1024},{"id":1023},"year-over-year-matters-more-than-month-over-month",[1025],{"type":38,"value":1026},"Year-over-year matters more than month-over-month",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1028,"children":1029},{},[1030],{"type":38,"value":1031},"December always beats February. One major gift can make a month look great (or terrible). Month-to-month comparisons are often misleading.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1033,"children":1034},{},[1035],{"type":38,"value":1036},"Compare December to last December. Q4 to last Q4. This year to last year. That tells you whether you're actually growing or just experiencing normal seasonal patterns.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1038,"children":1040},{"id":1039},"numbers-that-dont-help",[1041],{"type":38,"value":1042},"Numbers that don't help",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1044,"children":1045},{},[1046],{"type":38,"value":1047},"Some metrics look impressive but don't drive decisions:",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1049,"children":1050},{},[1051,1056],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":1052,"children":1053},{},[1054],{"type":38,"value":1055},"Email open rates.",{"type":38,"value":1057}," Nice to know, but opens don't equal donations.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1059,"children":1060},{},[1061,1066],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":1062,"children":1063},{},[1064],{"type":38,"value":1065},"Social media followers.",{"type":38,"value":1067}," Large audience means nothing if they don't give.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1069,"children":1070},{},[1071,1076],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":1072,"children":1073},{},[1074],{"type":38,"value":1075},"Website traffic.",{"type":38,"value":1077}," Same problem. Visitors who don't donate don't help fundraising.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1079,"children":1080},{},[1081,1086],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":1082,"children":1083},{},[1084],{"type":38,"value":1085},"Total raised since founding.",{"type":38,"value":1087}," Great for a plaque. Useless for figuring out if you're on track.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1089,"children":1090},{},[1091],{"type":38,"value":1092},"If a number doesn't suggest an action when it changes, you probably don't need to track it.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1094,"children":1096},{"id":1095},"getting-data-out",[1097],{"type":38,"value":1098},"Getting data out",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1100,"children":1101},{},[1102],{"type":38,"value":1103},"Your donor software should let you export to spreadsheets and PDFs. If your data is trapped and you can't get it out easily, reporting becomes a fight.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1105,"children":1106},{},[1107],{"type":38,"value":1108},"Look for pre-built report templates so you're not recreating the same board report every month. Bonus if reports can be scheduled to arrive automatically.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1110,"children":1112},{"id":1111},"the-rhythm-that-works",[1113],{"type":38,"value":1114},"The rhythm that works",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1116,"children":1117},{},[1118],{"type":38,"value":1119},"Weekly: Quick operational check. Any problems? Any follow-ups needed?",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1121,"children":1122},{},[1123],{"type":38,"value":1124},"Monthly: Performance review. How did we do? Are we on track for the quarter?",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1126,"children":1127},{},[1128],{"type":38,"value":1129},"Quarterly: Trend analysis. How does this compare to last year? What's working?",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1131,"children":1132},{},[1133],{"type":38,"value":1134},"Annually: Strategic review. What should we change? Where should we focus?",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1136,"children":1137},{},[1138],{"type":38,"value":1139},"Stick to this schedule. Random checking creates anxiety without action.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1141,"children":1143},{"id":1142},"the-point",[1144],{"type":38,"value":1145},"The point",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1147,"children":1148},{},[1149],{"type":38,"value":1150},"Fundraising reporting should take minutes, not hours. The answer to \"how's fundraising going?\" should be at your fingertips.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1152,"children":1153},{},[1154],{"type":38,"value":1155},"Track the five core metrics. Review them on a schedule. Act on what you learn.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1157,"children":1158},{},[1159],{"type":38,"value":1160},"More data isn't better. Better decisions from clear data is the goal.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":382,"depth":382,"links":1162},[1163,1170,1175,1176,1177,1178,1179],{"id":832,"depth":382,"text":835,"children":1164},[1165,1166,1167,1168,1169],{"id":843,"depth":391,"text":846},{"id":859,"depth":391,"text":862},{"id":875,"depth":391,"text":878},{"id":891,"depth":391,"text":894},{"id":907,"depth":391,"text":910},{"id":928,"depth":382,"text":931,"children":1171},[1172,1173,1174],{"id":934,"depth":391,"text":937},{"id":973,"depth":391,"text":976},{"id":1012,"depth":391,"text":1015},{"id":1023,"depth":382,"text":1026},{"id":1039,"depth":382,"text":1042},{"id":1095,"depth":382,"text":1098},{"id":1111,"depth":382,"text":1114},{"id":1142,"depth":382,"text":1145},"content:guides:donors:fundraising-reporting.md","guides/donors/fundraising-reporting.md","guides/donors/fundraising-reporting",{"loc":789},{"_path":1185,"_dir":5,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":1186,"description":1187,"published":10,"modified":10,"author":11,"author_image":12,"image":1188,"silo":5,"ctaHeadline":1189,"ctaDescription":1190,"faqs":1191,"body":1204,"_type":402,"_id":1526,"_source":404,"_file":1527,"_stem":1528,"_extension":407,"sitemap":1529},"/guides/donors/online-donation-forms","Online Donation Forms That Work","What makes a donation form actually work. Recurring giving, processing fees, mobile, and why simple beats fancy.","/images/guides/online-donation-forms.png","Need a better donation form?","See how Communal handles online giving.",[1192,1195,1198,1201],{"question":1193,"answer":1194},"Should we let donors cover processing fees?","Yes. Most donors will opt in when you explain that it means 100% of their gift goes to your mission. Make it a checkbox, not a requirement.",{"question":1196,"answer":1197},"What payment methods do we need?","Credit cards at minimum (Visa, Mastercard, Amex). Digital wallets like Apple Pay help on mobile. Bank transfers are useful for larger recurring gifts but aren't essential to start.",{"question":1199,"answer":1200},"How do we set up recurring donations?","Your donation software should make it a simple choice on the form. Donor picks weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual, enters their card, and they're charged automatically. They need a way to update their payment info when cards expire.",{"question":1202,"answer":1203},"Do we need a separate donation page?","You can do either a dedicated page or an embedded form on your site. Dedicated pages work well for email campaigns. Embedded forms are good for homepage giving. Most software supports both.",{"type":30,"children":1205,"toc":1514},[1206,1211,1216,1221,1227,1232,1255,1260,1265,1270,1276,1281,1286,1291,1297,1302,1307,1325,1330,1336,1341,1346,1351,1356,1362,1367,1395,1400,1405,1411,1416,1421,1426,1432,1437,1442,1447,1452,1458,1468,1478,1488,1498,1504,1509],{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1207,"children":1208},{},[1209],{"type":38,"value":1210},"Your donation form is where someone goes from \"I want to support this\" to actually giving. If the form is confusing, slow, or asks for too much, they leave. You'll never know they tried.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1212,"children":1213},{},[1214],{"type":38,"value":1215},"Most donation forms are too complicated. They ask unnecessary questions. They hide recurring options in dropdowns. They break on phones. They make giving harder than it should be.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1217,"children":1218},{},[1219],{"type":38,"value":1220},"Here's what actually works.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1222,"children":1224},{"id":1223},"keep-it-simple",[1225],{"type":38,"value":1226},"Keep it simple",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1228,"children":1229},{},[1230],{"type":38,"value":1231},"The best donation forms ask for almost nothing:",{"type":33,"tag":105,"props":1233,"children":1234},{},[1235,1240,1245,1250],{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1236,"children":1237},{},[1238],{"type":38,"value":1239},"Name",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1241,"children":1242},{},[1243],{"type":38,"value":1244},"Email",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1246,"children":1247},{},[1248],{"type":38,"value":1249},"Payment info",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1251,"children":1252},{},[1253],{"type":38,"value":1254},"Amount",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1256,"children":1257},{},[1258],{"type":38,"value":1259},"That's it. Everything else is optional or can be collected later.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1261,"children":1262},{},[1263],{"type":38,"value":1264},"Every field you add gives donors a reason to stop. \"Why do they need my phone number?\" \"Do I have to create an account?\" \"What's my employer's address?\"",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1266,"children":1267},{},[1268],{"type":38,"value":1269},"If you don't absolutely need it for the donation to work, don't ask for it.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1271,"children":1273},{"id":1272},"make-recurring-obvious",[1274],{"type":38,"value":1275},"Make recurring obvious",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1277,"children":1278},{},[1279],{"type":38,"value":1280},"Monthly donors are more valuable than one-time donors. They give more over time, they're predictable, and they stick around.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1282,"children":1283},{},[1284],{"type":38,"value":1285},"But if recurring is buried in a tiny dropdown and one-time is the default, you'll get mostly one-time donations.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1287,"children":1288},{},[1289],{"type":38,"value":1290},"Put recurring front and center. Show the options clearly: one-time, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual. Make recurring the same size and prominence as one-time, not an afterthought.",{"type":33,"tag":202,"props":1292,"children":1294},{"id":1293},"recurring-only-works-if-donors-can-manage-it-themselves",[1295],{"type":38,"value":1296},"Recurring only works if donors can manage it themselves",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1298,"children":1299},{},[1300],{"type":38,"value":1301},"Cards expire. People move. Payment info changes.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1303,"children":1304},{},[1305],{"type":38,"value":1306},"If updating a recurring donation requires emailing you and waiting for someone to manually change it, recurring breaks down. Donors need a portal where they can:",{"type":33,"tag":105,"props":1308,"children":1309},{},[1310,1315,1320],{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1311,"children":1312},{},[1313],{"type":38,"value":1314},"Update their card when it expires",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1316,"children":1317},{},[1318],{"type":38,"value":1319},"Change their donation amount",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1321,"children":1322},{},[1323],{"type":38,"value":1324},"Pause or cancel if needed",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1326,"children":1327},{},[1328],{"type":38,"value":1329},"Without self-serve, your recurring program creates support work instead of reducing it.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1331,"children":1333},{"id":1332},"let-donors-cover-processing-fees",[1334],{"type":38,"value":1335},"Let donors cover processing fees",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1337,"children":1338},{},[1339],{"type":38,"value":1340},"Credit card processing costs money. Standard Stripe rates are 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. On a $100 donation, that's $3.20 you don't receive.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1342,"children":1343},{},[1344],{"type":38,"value":1345},"When you give donors the option to cover this, most will. They want their full gift to go to your cause.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1347,"children":1348},{},[1349],{"type":38,"value":1350},"Present it clearly: \"Add $3.20 so 100% of your gift supports our mission.\" A checkbox, not a requirement. Some donors can't or won't cover fees, and their gift is still valuable.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1352,"children":1353},{},[1354],{"type":38,"value":1355},"Over a year of donations, this adds up. On $50,000 in annual giving, fee coverage can mean an extra $1,000+ for your programs.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1357,"children":1359},{"id":1358},"mobile-isnt-optional",[1360],{"type":38,"value":1361},"Mobile isn't optional",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1363,"children":1364},{},[1365],{"type":38,"value":1366},"Pull up your donation page on your phone right now. Try to make a donation.",{"type":33,"tag":105,"props":1368,"children":1369},{},[1370,1375,1380,1385,1390],{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1371,"children":1372},{},[1373],{"type":38,"value":1374},"Does it load quickly?",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1376,"children":1377},{},[1378],{"type":38,"value":1379},"Can you read everything without zooming?",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1381,"children":1382},{},[1383],{"type":38,"value":1384},"Are the buttons big enough to tap?",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1386,"children":1387},{},[1388],{"type":38,"value":1389},"Does payment entry work smoothly?",{"type":33,"tag":109,"props":1391,"children":1392},{},[1393],{"type":38,"value":1394},"Can you complete the whole thing in under two minutes?",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1396,"children":1397},{},[1398],{"type":38,"value":1399},"If any answer is no, you're losing mobile donors. And mobile is where a lot of giving happens now, especially from social media links and email campaigns.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1401,"children":1402},{},[1403],{"type":38,"value":1404},"Digital wallets help here. Apple Pay and Google Pay let people donate without typing card numbers on a tiny screen. That friction matters.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1406,"children":1408},{"id":1407},"what-about-campaigns",[1409],{"type":38,"value":1410},"What about campaigns?",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1412,"children":1413},{},[1414],{"type":38,"value":1415},"Sometimes you want donations tied to specific appeals: year-end giving, a building fund, an emergency response.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1417,"children":1418},{},[1419],{"type":38,"value":1420},"Good donation software lets you create campaign-specific pages with their own messaging and progress bars, while still tracking everything in the same donor database.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1422,"children":1423},{},[1424],{"type":38,"value":1425},"The donations go to the same bank account. The donors are still in your system. You just have cleaner reporting on what came from which campaign.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1427,"children":1429},{"id":1428},"testing-matters",[1430],{"type":38,"value":1431},"Testing matters",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1433,"children":1434},{},[1435],{"type":38,"value":1436},"Before you launch (and periodically after), actually test your form:",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1438,"children":1439},{},[1440],{"type":38,"value":1441},"Make a real donation with a real credit card. Go through the whole process. Did the receipt arrive? Did everything look right?",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1443,"children":1444},{},[1445],{"type":38,"value":1446},"Test on your phone. Test on different browsers. Try a very small donation and a larger one.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1448,"children":1449},{},[1450],{"type":38,"value":1451},"A broken donation form costs you money every hour it stays broken. Know that it works.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1453,"children":1455},{"id":1454},"common-problems-we-see",[1456],{"type":38,"value":1457},"Common problems we see",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1459,"children":1460},{},[1461,1466],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":1462,"children":1463},{},[1464],{"type":38,"value":1465},"Too many amount options.",{"type":38,"value":1467}," \"$10 / $25 / $50 / $75 / $100 / $150 / $200 / Other\" is overwhelming. Four preset amounts plus an \"other\" field is plenty.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1469,"children":1470},{},[1471,1476],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":1472,"children":1473},{},[1474],{"type":38,"value":1475},"Required account creation.",{"type":38,"value":1477}," Nobody wants to create an account to make a donation. Let them give first. If you want them to create an account later, ask after the donation is complete.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1479,"children":1480},{},[1481,1486],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":1482,"children":1483},{},[1484],{"type":38,"value":1485},"No confirmation.",{"type":38,"value":1487}," Someone donates and sees... a generic thank you page with no details? Send them a receipt immediately. Show them the amount, the date, your contact info. Make them feel confident the donation went through.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1489,"children":1490},{},[1491,1496],{"type":33,"tag":457,"props":1492,"children":1493},{},[1494],{"type":38,"value":1495},"Ignoring failed transactions.",{"type":38,"value":1497}," Someone's card gets declined. Do you know? Does anyone follow up? Failed donations often represent people who wanted to give but hit a temporary problem. A follow-up email can recover many of these.",{"type":33,"tag":51,"props":1499,"children":1501},{"id":1500},"the-goal",[1502],{"type":38,"value":1503},"The goal",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1505,"children":1506},{},[1507],{"type":38,"value":1508},"Your donation form should feel invisible. Someone decides to give, they give, they get a receipt. Nothing confusing, nothing slow, nothing that makes them question whether it worked.",{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":1510,"children":1511},{},[1512],{"type":38,"value":1513},"Simple beats fancy. Test regularly. Keep asking: \"Could this be easier?\"",{"title":7,"searchDepth":382,"depth":382,"links":1515},[1516,1517,1520,1521,1522,1523,1524,1525],{"id":1223,"depth":382,"text":1226},{"id":1272,"depth":382,"text":1275,"children":1518},[1519],{"id":1293,"depth":391,"text":1296},{"id":1332,"depth":382,"text":1335},{"id":1358,"depth":382,"text":1361},{"id":1407,"depth":382,"text":1410},{"id":1428,"depth":382,"text":1431},{"id":1454,"depth":382,"text":1457},{"id":1500,"depth":382,"text":1503},"content:guides:donors:online-donation-forms.md","guides/donors/online-donation-forms.md","guides/donors/online-donation-forms",{"loc":1185},1781216501439]