Presentation slides from our March 25, 2009 webinar. Learn how to make the best of your CanadaHelps Donate Now! Button to raise funds for your organization. Highlights: - Adding the button to your website, blog, and email signature - Suggestions on where to add the button to maximize donations - Explaining CanadaHelps to your donors - Tips for success - And much more!

1. Optimizing Your
Donate Now Button
March 25, 2009

2. Reminders
You can hear us, but we can’t hear you
Type questions in the Questions Log
Presentation slides
will be available on Slideshare
Turn up your volume
For the best webinar experience, close all other applications.
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 298-048-993

3. CanadaHelps.org
What is CanadaHelps?
A public charitable foundation that provides accessible and
affordable online technology to both donors and charities.
For Charities
A cost-effective means of raising funds online.
For Donors
A one-stop-shop for giving.
CanadaHelps is a charity helping charities.
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 298-048-993

4. Today’s Presenters
• Kirstin Beardsley
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
• Mike Henry
Charity Liaison
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 298-048-993

5. Webinar Agenda
1. Donate Now Button Basics
2. Optimization Tips
• Keys to improving your online donation success
• Examples from the sector
3. Explaining CanadaHelps to your donors
4. Q & A
5. Step-by-Step Tutorial
• Adding your Donate Now button to your email
signature in Outlook
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 298-048-993

6. DONATE NOW BUTTON BASICS

7. What is the Donate Now button?
• A button on your website, blog, email signature, etc. that
links your supporters to your donation page on
CanadaHelps
• Allows for a seamless transition from your organization’s
website to your donation page on CanadaHelps
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 298-048-993

8. Where do I find the
Donate Now button?
• Under the LINK tab of your MyCharity account, obtain the HTML code to
add the button to your website
• The first step is to choose the set of buttons you like best
• Available in English and French
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 298-048-993

9. • Once you choose an image, HTML code is automatically generated
• All you have to do is add this code to your website’s existing HTML
• If you are unsure of what to do with the code, ask your charity’s website
personnel to assist you
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 298-048-993

10. Anatomy of the Donate Now button
= +
IMAGE HYPERLINK
• The Donate Now! Button is made up of a
hyperlinked graphic
• When using a webpage editor like Frontpage,
you’ll need to save the Donate Now button
image

11. OPTIMIZATION TIPS

12. Location, location, location.
• The upper right corner is prime website real estate
• Eliminate the need to scroll to find the button
• Make sure your Donate Now button stands out from
the rest of your website
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 298-048-993

13. • Put your Donate Now
button “above the
fold”
• Visitors should not
have to scroll too
much to find what
they are looking for

17. Test your link.
• There’s nothing worse than a broken link
• Once it’s up on your site, make sure it takes
people where it should
• Use the full link provided in your MyCharity
account
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 298-048-993

18. Create an appeal.
• Frame the button in a compelling way
• Show your visitors how you want them to engage with your
organization
• Make it about the donor. Why should they care? What can
they help accomplish?
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 298-048-993

23. It’s not just for your website.
• Include the Donate Now button in every
communication vehicle
• Blog, email signature, e-Newsletter

24. Blogs
• Search engines love blogs
• Readers may get inspired to donate after reading a blog post –
Including your Donate Now button on it will make it easy and quick

25. Email Signature
• Great way to remind people your organization accepts donations
online
• Get everyone in your organization to do it
• Include a brief tagline/quote about your charity, campaign, etc.

26. E-newsletters
• Always include a clickable Donate Now button along with your e-
newsletter no matter what format: HTML newsletter
• HTML, PDF, Word document, etc.

27. Put it on every page.
• Remember that the act of giving is immediate
• You cannot predict what page someone will be on when they
are inspired to donate—save them some clicks by putting the
button on every page!
• Put it in the navigation so it’ll always be there

31. Follow-up.
• Let donors know how they
helped your mission
• Recognize donors in a timely
way
• Remember to include
CanadaHelps donors in your
charity’s regular donor
recognition programs
• Find donor details in your
MyCharity account

32. Test it out.
• It shouldn’t take someone more than 2 seconds
to locate your Donate Now button
• Make it impossible to miss!
• Do this testing often to optimize your online
donations

33. Know your stats.
• Login to your MyCharity account and check your
Donation Sources
• The majority of your donations should come from
your Donate Now button
• If they aren't, start optimizing!

34. Make it easy.
Clicking the Filling out Receiving
Donate Now! Donation electronic tax
Button Details receipt
• The button should be easy to find
• The process should be simple and clear
• The donation process is easy through
CanadaHelps
• Make it easy for people to help your organization

37. EXPLAINING CANADAHELPS TO
YOUR DONORS

38. • On your website, let donors know how their
donations will be processed through
CanadaHelps
• Explain that credit cards will be charged by
CanadaHelps—not your charity
• Emphasize security and privacy

42. Other things you should
tell your donors…
• CanadaHelps is a charity too
• Inform donors that CanadaHelps assesses a
transaction fee on each donation before disbursing it
to your charity
• Highlight the benefits of online giving for both
donors and charities
• Update your donors about the different ways to give
available through CanadaHelps
• GivingPages, monthly giving, Charity Gift Cards, donations
of securities

43. • Launching next week!
• Free online resources Next Webinar
• Information about technology “GivingPages
• Demos 101”
• More webinars APRIL 8
• Two-day conference: June 8-9, 2PM – 3PM
(Eastern Time)
2009 in Toronto

44. Question and Answer
You can hear us, but
we can’t hear you
Ask questions in the
Questions Log
Ask away!

45. Thank you for attending!
Slides will be up on: www.slideshare.net/MyCharityConnects
Stay tuned for news about the MyCharityConnects website
launch!
Questions, feedback, comments? Email Amy at:
amyh@canadahelps.org

46. Step-by-Step Tutorial
Adding the Donate Now! button to your
Outlook email signature

47. Outlook 2007
• Save the Donate Now button image of your choice onto your computer.
• Select Tools > Options
• Choose the “Mail Format” tab at the top.
• Click the “Signatures” button.
• Choose to create a new signature and name it.
• Design your desired signature in the body of the message.
• Once you’re done with your text, set your cursor to where you'd like to
insert the Donate Now button. Click the “Picturequot; icon on the right side of
the text tools next to the globe icon. Find the image on your computer and
press “Insert.”
• Make sure the Donate Now button is highlighted and click the “Insert
Hyperlink” icon.
• In the Address field, paste the hyperlink provided under the LINK tab of
your MyCharity account and click “OK.”
• You now have an email signature that includes a hyperlinked image to
your donation page on CanadaHelps!