Since the world seems headlong into a cashless society, fundraising for charity seems not to be as spontaneous.

A coin or bill in hand can quickly go into a donation container. My question is "How could I set up an online method of accepting funds?".

I'm thinking of perhaps a QR code to send info, but what is a good service to use that is trustworthy and won't skim off anything or add charges?

quote:

Originally posted by TRIO:
A coin or bill in hand can quickly go into a donation container.

And from there, where?
I am, if anything, less cynical and suspicious of my fellows than many who regularly post here on various topics, but unless the container is secured properly, cash comes out as easily as it goes in and therefore I seldom (not never, but rarely) donate to anything by that method. Sometimes it’s the employees of the store where the container sits, but if there’s no record of what was deposited, there would be nothing to keep anyone who had access to it from stealing as well.

That may not be your question, but it should be recognized when considering methods.

So, Apple Pay/Google Pay etc work w. cell phones. Square offers a QR Code link for restaurants.

I would think any of the VENMO, PayPal, etc places can do donations.

We send ACHs for less than the cost of a stamp. Not sure if banks offer something similar for individuals.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

And from there, where?
I am, if anything, less cynical and suspicious of my fellows than many who regularly post here on various topics, but unless the container is secured properly, cash comes out as easily as it goes in and therefore I seldom (not never, but rarely) donate to anything by that method. Sometimes it’s the employees of the store where the container sits, but if there’s no record of what was deposited, there would be nothing to keep anyone who had access to it from stealing as well.

That may not be your question, but it should be recognized when considering methods.

I understand your point. Thank you for mentioning it. That is the reason for my question. Who is trustworthy not to skim too much off the electronic donations and still be secure for the non profit and donor to use.

The reason I mentioned the old manner of a cash box is that even people with the best intentions to mail a check later, instead of cash in the box, often don't. They sometimes forget to do so. I get it; out of sight, out of mind or simply forgot the contact details.

I have read a little about Donorbox. Is this any good? Are there better choices?

It can depend on the nature of the nonprofit. There are dozens of entities setup for processing donation/tithing/offerings to churches. It's been too many years since I've personally participated in one to give a recommendation. Like many of these companies, they come and go. There are plenty of reasons to avoid paypal and venmo, but paypal did have a process to cut their fees in half for verified nonprofits. So the type and extent of your nonprofit can be a factor in determining the best solution. Also, the anticipated size and frequency of the donations...and currency, matter.

My daughter's softball team is a 501c3 organization. A fundraiser we did twice was standing outside Publix asking for donations. The girls would make signs, wear their uniforms, etc. The first year, which was 2018, went very well. However, we did receive lots of "I do not have any cash" responses.

Knowing that in many cases this response was the truth, in 2019 I took a Square. And when the girls asked for donations, they also offered that we took credit cards. And as a benefit, if paid this way, the person had a receipt which was tax deductible. We took in about $150 that day via CC.

While we might have paid 3% on the $150 we took in via CC, it was $150 that we would not have otherwise gotten. I would much rather have the $150 less 3%, than not at all.

It's better to focus on the amount you are able to collect through electronic means, rather than the small you will have to pay in processing fees.

Thank you for the excellent example holdem.

Your point of cost vs funds raised is valid. I'm glad to hear of good experiences like you had with using square. That is the kind of info I was seeking.

My concern of costs is that I don't know any details of online services. Don't want to get ripped off with a bad choice of a service.

Check this one out. I just did a quick look through and it looks like you only get hit for the credit card company charges, not 10% (more like 2.75%).
They have other plans if you're a really big time fundraiser that cost some money, but that's understandable. They do provide services for that money above just being your banker.

The other option for smaller charity is F&F by PayPal, Square and others. There you have to find a way to keep the money in a dedicated account and other issues to reassure the public it isn't just a big slush fund or scam.

I agree, the 10% skim by the others is a big turnoff to me.

https://givebutter.com/pricing

Does the non profit have a bank account? Zelle works fast bank to bank with no middleman and no fees.

Of course the person donating needs to have Zelle set up.

Venmo also is easy, but then yo have to transfer from Venmo account to bank account, and again - donor has to have Venmo set up.

As another post mentioned, Square is pretty reasonable on fees. No monthly or set up fees and lets you process VISA/MC/Amex/Discover