Resources / How a small nonprofit takes online donations
Practical guideA giving page people can finish on a phone, and records you can stand behind.
A small nonprofit in the Treasure Valley does not need a complicated giving system. People need a page they can finish on a phone, and you need a clear record of what came in.
Start with a Donate button that is easy to find on every page, not only on a buried giving page. The form should ask for the basics, confirm the gift, and send the money to an account your organization owns. If a donor has to create an account or hunt for a login, many will stop.
On the nonprofit and church sites we build, the usual setup is a giving page connected to Zeffy. Zeffy is funded by optional tips from donors, and gifts go to the organization’s own account. If you already use another provider, we can link to that instead. Eligibility and terms are set by the provider and can change, so check their site for current details. We describe that setup in more detail on our Giving and donations page.
Tell people what the gift supports in plain language. A restricted fund, a scholarship, or a general operating gift should be labeled so the donor and your bookkeeper are looking at the same thing.
Someone on your team should know who will send a receipt or a thank-you, and where those records live. Official tax forms are not something a website template can issue for you. Confirm current receipt rules with a tax professional or IRS guidance.
Worksheets in our shop can help with that record-keeping. They are not filing tools. See the Donation Receipt and Thank-You Pack and the Donor and Giving Tracker. If you are writing a year-end letter, the Year-End Appeal Letter Kit is a starting point, and it works better when the giving page is already in good shape.
For the site itself, start with our nonprofit website plans and, if you are local, the Treasure Valley nonprofits page. The Nonprofit Website Planning Workbook is a page checklist if you want to think the donate page through on paper first.
General information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Details about third-party tools can change. Check each provider’s site for current terms.
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