How to nail nonprofit website design
Tips for creating content that inspires donor support and amplifies your reach online
Last week, philanthropy platform Goodworld picked up the fundraising tech giant Cheerful Giving (formerly BSTOW) in an acquisition that leverages the latest technology to make it even easier for consumers to give.
Whether we give blockchain technology and digital money credit for this, it really doesn’t matter, because what does matter is the recognition that there is a positive correlation between social payments and donor behavior.
And for Dale Pfeifer, Goodworld Founder & CEO, it’s all about “making everyday actions more meaningful.”
“Soon people won’t be going to a donation page on a nonprofit’s website to give,” Pfeifer added. “Donations will happen instantly as people shop, interact with friends on social media, attend an event, or otherwise encounter a cause that inspires them during their day.”
Grit Daily spoke with Pfeifer about this innovative and globally increasing trend.
Grit Daily: What’s the main driver behind the Cheerful acquisition?
Dale Pfeifer: Philanthropy is quickly evolving and we saw a need for a unique platform that incorporated tried and tested fundraising technology into the social and mobile digital sphere which younger generations utilize the most.
Philanthropy today weaves together an ecosystem that includes social media, businesses, financial systems, donors and causes. Giving is becoming more integrated as an everyday part of our lives.
Consumers and givers are exploring ways to incorporate giving into their day-to-day. Paying for your morning coffee becomes an opportunity to round up to the nearest dollar for your cause. Purchasing a concert ticket donates a portion of proceeds back to charity. Pretty soon people won’t be going to a donations page on a nonprofit’s site.
Giving will become intertwined with your everyday life — something that you do as you shop, communicate, and encounter causes that inspire you in the moment.
Goodworld began by building #donate, which combined social media and charitable giving. We admired the Cheerful Giving platform from afar, as they’d also approached millennial giving in a powerful way, but from a different angle. Together, both of our platforms and talent combined, provides an all-in-one solution for philanthropy today.
GD: For the uninitiated, what is “hashtag-to-donate technology?”
DP: Our #donate technology is a powerful way to solicit donations on social media. Donations can be made instantly by typing #donate on a cause’s post on Twitter, Facebook or swiping up to donate on Instagram.
Donors receive a customized receipt and the donation will arrive in the charity’s bank account within 48 hours.
GD: What can your customer base expect from your newly acquired suite of tools from Cheerful?
DP: We have come together to launch a unique, all-in-one platform that brings together the very best and simplest ways to donate for all.
The suite already includes giving pages, text to give, donor CRM, round-ups, event ticketing and auctions, matching donations, and social media donations on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and mobile apps.
We are also introducing Good Business, a CSR platform that amplifies any company’s ability to have a positive impact.
It makes engaging employees, customers, and community in workplace giving and volunteering simple and fun. It enables businesses to establish a workplace philanthropy program in minutes that’s initially free and scales with your business.
The ‘Experience’ Officer
Richie Kendall, former Cheerful CEO is now the company’s other CEO, or Chief Experience Officer. Now that’s a title you don’t hear everyday.
“Together, we’ve built a true social ecosystem for good. With thousands of the world’s leading nonprofits and our growing community of brands and influencers, creating social impact is now a part of everyday interactions.”
And according to Pfeifer, through the company’s strategic partnership with Mastercard and several banks, Goodworld is also developing a series of tools to accelerate philanthropy through purpose-driven payments.
“Our goal is to make giving the heartbeat of a new financial paradigm. This is only the beginning. You can expect to see more new innovative technology that seamlessly weave charitable giving into everyday life.”
GD: Inquiring minds want to know about your leadership style. What is “Allophilia?”
DP: Allophilia is the like or love of others. When applied to leadership, Allophilia explains how the combination of love and effective leadership can create an environment of encouragement and trust, which has the power to unify teams.
Incorporating this leadership style into Goodworld and now Cheerful Giving gives me the opportunity to unite more people — our donors, team members and partners — through a common passion.
When applied to charitable giving, it manifests itself in the immunity-like boost you feel when they accomplish something good. When people give, it is easier to feel connected and hence the effects of Allophilia such as love, affection, comfort, engagement, enthusiasm and kinship.
GD: What is one conventional wisdom about charitable giving that’s just plain wrong?
DP: People often believe that charitable giving is an exclusive club; one that is only accessible to those with large amounts of disposable income. However, that is just plain wrong.
Donations can be any amount; even contributing $1.00 to charity every week can make a difference at scale. Technology such as social media as well as our spare change donations have brought micro donations [donations between $0.25 and $10] a target audience of millions across the globe.
While micro donations are small amounts, they are often given at a much higher frequency as they are set and forget through your laptop or phone. We believe that it is micro donations integrated into everyday life, not just the big checks, that will power the future of philanthropy.
