How to Accept Recurring, One-Time & Custom Donation Amounts

How to Accept Recurring & One-Time Donations (00:00:00)

• This chapter of the YouTube video focuses on how to accept recurring and one-time donations on the BD platform, a common question asked by charities and non-profits using the platform.
• Prior to a recent update, accepting donations was not easy for both website administrators and donors.
• The recent update has made it much easier for both parties to set up and submit donations directly on the website, and this chapter will demonstrate how to set up donations and how they can be submitted from the donor's perspective.

Who Can Benefit From Donations (00:01:10)

• Nonprofits and charities can benefit from donations to simplify the donation process and allow them to accept donations directly on their website.
• Educational institutions can use donations to fund scholarships and other educational programs.
• Community organizations can utilize donations to fund local programs and activities, while religious organizations can use them to facilitate the collection of tithes and offerings.
• Startups and growing sites can benefit from donations to support growth and development, potentially in addition to membership fees.
• Other organizations, such as homeowners associations, can also benefit from donations to fund community efforts outside of their general duties.

Benefits of Accepting Donations (00:02:26)

• Accepting donations provides a significant benefit to non-profits, charities, and other organizations by increasing their funding and securing ongoing financial support.
• The recent update to donation platforms makes it easier for both website administrators to set up donations and for donors to submit them. This update also allows for the setup of recurring and one-time donations, enabling a more steady stream of contributions.
• The update offers customizable donation amounts, allowing donors to enter any amount they wish and choose the frequency of their donation. Additionally, it provides comprehensive reporting features, allowing administrators to track all donations, donors, and donation dates. This data can be exported as a CSV file for further analysis.

How To: 4 Simple Steps (00:03:48)

• The first step to accepting donations on your website is to enable the "Sell Digital Products and Services" add-on, which allows you to publish and accept donations.
• The second step involves creating a new digital product post, specifically for donations, where you can select the payment type (one-time, recurring, or custom amount) and frequency.
• The third step allows you to customize the donation experience by setting up a thank you page, confirmation email for donors, and notification emails for website administrators.
• By following these three steps, you can easily set up donations on your website and start accepting contributions directly.

Additional Tips (00:05:34)

• Set up thank you email templates: These templates should be automatically sent to donors after they submit their donation, providing them with a confirmation, receipt, and potentially additional information.
• Create a thank you page: This page should be designed to keep donors engaged on your website even after they have made a donation. Consider including additional information or directing them to other relevant sections of your website.
• Implement donor recognition: This can be achieved through a dedicated donor wall on your website, mentioning donors in email newsletters, or providing regular updates on how their contributions are making an impact.

Let's See a Donation Demo! (00:07:56)

• The video demonstrates how to set up a donation system on a website using the "Sell Digital Products and Services" add-on. This add-on allows for the creation of various donation options, including one-time payments, recurring subscriptions, and custom donation amounts.
• The demonstration showcases the creation of a "Donate" post type, which is a clone of the "Digital Products" post type. This allows for the separation of donation-related content from other digital products.
• The video highlights the use of sidebar modules to display the donation button and the ability to customize the button text and payment cycles. It also demonstrates the creation of a simple thank-you page and the option to send confirmation emails to donors.
• The video emphasizes the importance of providing a clear call to action on the thank-you page, such as joining a Facebook group or subscribing to a YouTube channel.
• The video explains how to integrate YouTube or Vimeo videos into donation posts, adding a visual element to the donation process.
• The video demonstrates how to track donations in the website's dashboard, including sales history, transaction history, and subscription information.
• The video concludes by encouraging viewers to use donation buttons on their websites, regardless of whether they are a non-profit or a startup, as donations can be a valuable source of funding.