So as I discussed last week, one of my biggest of PET-PEEVES of new trend in donor processors and management systems is the ALL-IN-ONE solutions.

I honestly do not see ANY benefit of allowing a donor management to also control your website. Put Simply…

They have no business in web design.

Sure, logging into one place for everything sounds dreamy but what are you sacrificing for it?

Answer (the daily double)… your ranking on the web, potential donors, rich sponsors and your legitimacy.

Legitimacy, donations, sponsorships.. bah! EVERYTHING will suffer

Often times with these ALL-IN-ONE solutions, they have cheesy logos in the footers + in general, make your online presence look hella DIY + like everyone else on their platform. As much as you don’t want to admit it, non-profits have to market themselves.

It might not be the grimy ways of the “for-profit-sector” but do not delude yourselves. NPO’s are marketing themselves as leaders capable of fixing a legit problem in the world. You have to present yourselves as not only leaders but trustworthy of someones money for absolutely no product in return BUT the feeling of joy.

This takes a big dose of independence, self sustainability, transparency and consistency. Giving even a small fraction of that control over to a template or another brand in your footer is a huge mistake. Often times, these All-In-Ones were donor management solutions that were already creating donor pages. From there, they thought - “Hey! Lets just make a CMS (website) management system.” SO… while their donor management items might be banging and are usually their main selling features… you wont attract donors to fill your pretty database.

Here is the deal, as an all-in-one, they cannot keep up with ALL the demands to be “the best” serving you in all of these areas you deserve.

At a minimum, a charity needs:

1. Donor Management

2. Website (with event management, fundraising pages, code integrations and forms that link to create data architecture)

3. Email Marketing

Remember our TOOLBOX? This is why we help you select solutions and programs that will work well together + will be the best for your use. You need horizontal integration NOT vertical. (Sorry Andrew Carnegie)

Your NPO deserves solutions that will keep up with your needs. With an all-in-one, you will have the following problems:

• Branding will be inconsistent

• Web design will look the same as everyone else

• Cannot keep up with SEO

• Cannot keep up with responsive needs that hurt your Google ranking + deter visitors

• Cannot add code for FB Pexel, analytics, create API keys for integrations etc

• Limits to events + fundraising support

• Forms are limited

• Embeddable items are limited

• Even donor management can be spotty

• Email marketing will suck

Ok cool Dani, but what do we do?

What are the solutions?

• Branding will be inconsistent (SOLUTION: Work with a designer like me 😍 to help you out with this!)

• Web design will look the same as everyone else. (SOLUTION: “Hi, I am Dani, nice to meet you!”)

• Cannot keep up with SEO (SOLUTION: Activate your Google Grant with my friends at Nonprofit Megaphone)

• Cannot keep up with responsive needs (SOLUTION: “Hi, I am Dani, nice to meet you!”)

• Cannot add code (SOLUTION: Haaavvvve you met Ted (Squarespace)?)

• Limits to events + fundraising support (SOLUTION: Fav Cocktail= Squarespace + Donorbox = DANI LOVE)

• Forms are limited (SOLUTION: Squarespace + Zapier + Google Docs + Pretty Much anything is all you could ever need)

• Embeddable items are limited (SOLUTION: Never a problem with my bestie Squarespace)

• Even donor management can be spotty (SOLUTION: Donorbox, learn more about it on this blog)

• Email marketing will suck (SOLUTION: Squarespace’s Email Campaigns OR Mailchimp, learn more on this blog)

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE