Direct debit giving is a convenient way to give and is used by nearly a third of all donors. When you combine this with other statistics, such as 54% of donors worldwide prefer to give online with a credit or debit card and the oldest age group (65+) is the most likely to give via direct debit, it is easy to see why more and more charities are aiming to implement this donation option.
Enabling Direct Debit can be difficult for charities, as it involves investment, skills, and changes to infrastructure, but as the demand for online giving increases, it is becoming more and more necessary to offer it.(Discover Why Your Charity Needs to Encourage Direct Debit Giving).
To help you maximise your direct debit giving, here are 4 things that your charity must do when implementing it as an option.
1) Make sure it is visible and accessible through your website
Managing our finances online has become the norm, so more and more donors are willing to donate through paperless sign-ups on charity websites. To maximise your direct debit giving, make the donation option visible on every page, draw attention to it, and make sure that it is easy, quick and simple to use.
2) Offer the option to choose Gift Aid
Another way to maximise donations is to offer donors the option to Gift Aid their donations. A whopping 94% of people that sign up for Direct Debit giving choose Gift Aid so that’s an extra 25% gained each time by just making the option available.
3) Optimise your Direct Debit giving for mobiles
Although it is less common for donors to sign up via mobile than it is via desktops, this way of donating is increasing every year. The key to converting a potential donor into a long-term direct-debit-giving donor is to increase speed and ease of sign up on the move, so if you want to maximise your donations, make sure that your mobile platform is effective.
4) Minimise cancellations by offering options
If you allow donors to be flexible with their Direct Debit donations, then the more likely you are to retain those donors for the long-term and avoid total cancellations.
It’s recommended that charities aim for a maximum 3% cancellation rate and the way to stay below this is to offer flexibility on payment dates, reduced donation amounts, and even payment holidays. If your cancellation rate exceeds this, review your operations and supporter care programmes and see what can be improved on.
Need more help with Direct Debit Giving? Read:How to Encourage Your Supporters to Give Monthly
