The Beginner’s Guide to Donorbox

So you’re looking for a fundraising platform that meets your organization’s needs? In this comprehensive beginner’s guide to Donorbox, we’ll dive into everything you need to know about the innovative software solution, from its features and benefits to why your organization absolutely needs it.

8 minutes read
The Beginner’s Guide to Donorbox

Looking for a guide to Donorbox? You’re in the right place!

Starting and running a nonprofit organization is one of the most rewarding callings out there. Organizations like yours champion some of the most important causes of our time. But most nonprofits, whether they are big or small, need support. 

Donorbox offers innovative and intuitive fundraising tools so that you can focus on what matters most – your cause, donor engagement, and bringing in critical funds. In this beginner’s guide to Donorbox, you’ll learn how to put our platform to work to further your mission and grow your nonprofit.


What is Donorbox?

Simply put, Donorbox is a dynamic online fundraising platform designed to effectively and efficiently help you bring in more donations for your cause.

Whether you’re a small grassroots organization or a large-scale charity, Donorbox offers a user-friendly solution for collecting donations, managing donor information, and tracking fundraising campaigns – all in one centralized platform.

Powerful donor management tools, real-time analytics, and secure payment processing enable your nonprofit to gain valuable insights into your supporter base while ensuring your donor information remains protected and secure.

Donorbox’s user-friendly interface and responsive customer support make it a trusted choice for over 80,000 organizations from 96 countries!

Join them - sign up today!

What Donorbox Has to Offer

We provide you with the tools you need to boost your fundraising, increase event attendance, improve donor engagement, and more. Here’s a guide to Donorbox’s features and services designed to help you help others!


Donation Forms

Imagine these as your virtual collection plates. Donorbox donation forms are customizable, secure online forms where supporters can easily input their donation amount and details to contribute to your cause. Enable UltraSwift™ Pay on your Donorbox donation forms to enable donors to give using digital wallets, making donating up to 4x faster!


Donate Buttons

With just a click, donate buttons direct your supporters straight to your donation form, making it easy for them to give on the spot. Use a sticky donate button on your website to see donations increase even further. Think of them as friendly nudges toward generosity!


Donation Pages

Imagine a dedicated space solely devoted to showcasing your cause and inviting donations. Donation pages are where you can tell your story, share impactful visuals, and make a compelling case for support. Plus, Donorbox hosts your donation pages for free!


Text-to-Give

With Text-to-Give, supporters can donate simply by sending a text message and receiving a link to your online giving form. It’s quick, easy, and perfect for those who prefer the simplicity of their mobile phones for charitable giving.


Peer-to-Peer

This is where your supporters become your superheroes. Donorbox Peer-to-Peer empowers individuals to create their own fundraising campaigns on your behalf. They rally their friends, family, and networks to support your cause, expanding your reach and impact.


Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a digital megaphone for your cause. Donorbox’s platform allows you to launch targeted campaigns to raise funds for specific projects, initiatives, or needs. Use tools like goal meters, updates, social sharing buttons, and more to rally supporters together!


Memberships

Memberships offer a special way for your most dedicated supporters to engage with your organization on a deeper level, and our Memberships tool makes it simple for them to sign up online. Whether it’s through exclusive content, perks, or access to events, membership programs foster a sense of belonging and community.


Events

From galas to marathons to virtual gatherings, events are powerful opportunities to connect with your supporters face-to-face (or screen-to-screen). Donorbox Events allows you to launch an online event ticketing form in less than a minute, while also generating tax-deductible and fair market values for each ticket, automating your receipting, and much more.


Donorbox Live™ Kiosk

Think of Donorbox Live™ Kiosk as your fundraising assistant, ready to help you collect swift cashless donations anytime and anywhere. This app easily transforms any tablet and a paired card reader device into an on-brand donation station, enabling you to collect donations via card, smartphone, or smartwatch.


Donor Portal with QuickDonate™

This is your supporters’ gateway to giving. Their Donor Portal is like their VIP access pass to manage donations, update information, and track their impact over time. And with QuickDonate™, they can donate again in just a few clicks, making giving as seamless as possible.


But How Can Donorbox Help Your Nonprofit?

So now you know what Donorbox has to offer, consider how these products can help you ensure your nonprofit’s success.


Developing and maintaining diverse funding streams

Your organization’s income is the cornerstone of building a sustainable future for your nonprofit. A huge part of this process is defining and designing the right fundraising strategy, establishing diversified revenue streams, and implementing prudent financial management practices. But getting, managing, and maintaining those funds requires an intuitive and powerful platform that’s uniquely designed to help you with the heavy lifting.

This is where Donorbox shines. Designed to streamline capturing donations, Donorbox gives you control of everything from dynamic online donation forms to seamless event ticketing and on-site donation kiosks. It’s a comprehensive solution tailored to your needs. And, with seamless integration with thousands of other apps, you can effortlessly access essential features and data from all your favorite tools, ensuring a smooth and efficient fundraising experience.


Keeping donor engagement at the forefront

We know that engagement fosters support, collaboration, and advocacy, while also amplifying your organization’s impact and creating a network of allies dedicated to advancing its mission.

But how does Donorbox’s powerful platform help with donor management?


Helpful data management tools

Good data management doesn’t only enhance your donor engagement strategy, it can also streamline your reporting processes! 

Donorbox’s Donor Reporting Templates are a game-changer. They provide you with valuable insights into your donors, making it easier to connect with them and raise funds for your cause. These reports also save you loads of time by automatically organizing important metrics.


Targeted engagement with enhanced donor filters

Donorbox allows you to easily filter donors by various criteria like date, location, donation size, frequency, and more. Plus, you can seamlessly export your donor lists and track recurring donor percentages for precise campaign planning. It’s the simplest way to take control of your outreach and watch your impact soar.


Personalized communication and automated outreach

Donorbox empowers you to enhance donor engagement effortlessly. Say goodbye to manual tasks and hello to more meaningful connections!

With the Moments feature, receive timely alerts for crucial donor milestones and actions. From celebrating first-year support anniversaries to acknowledging first-time donations, and even tracking changes in recurring donation amounts, Donorbox’s system keeps you informed and ready to engage with your supporters at the right moments!

Plus, streamline your acknowledgment process with customizable automated emails and receipts that speak directly to your donors and share your message.


Staying focused and aligned with your mission

The core mission of your nonprofit organization is paramount. It’s the driving force behind all activities, guides your decision-making processes, and ensures that every effort contributes to your organization’s overarching purpose and goals. And Donorbox is uniquely equipped to help you achieve your mission. 

Our case studies – like these two – give you a great first-hand look at our tools in action. Use them along with this beginner’s guide to Donorbox to inspire you as you launch your own campaigns!


Case Study – Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary

With a small administrative team and no dedicated fundraiser, Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary faced the challenge of figuring out how to effectively manage its fundraising efforts. They needed a user-friendly tool to handle their diverse fundraising needs without extensive expertise – and then they found Donorbox.

Find out more about how Happily Ever After Farm Sanctuary leveraged Donorbox’s fundraising platform to raise over $700,000 for their cause!


Case Study – Hydrating Humanity

In their recent Helser Carolina Worship Nights campaign, Hydrating Humanity orchestrated a symphony of generosity, raising an impressive $16,524 for their cause. Through the innovative power of Donorbox’s Text-to-Give technology, supporters could seamlessly join the mission by simply texting HELSERS to the designated short code.

Dive into their inspiring journey and discover how Donorbox uses technology to help drive humanitarian efforts forward!

Get started with Donorbox


Donorbox in Action: Let’s Get Sector-Specific

Next in our beginner’s guide to Donorbox, let’s explore how these innovative solutions are revolutionizing the nonprofit landscape. Plus, see how different types of organizations can harness the power of the platform’s versatile tools.


Animal welfare organizations

Sponsor an animal – Your animal shelter provides sanctuary to animals needing protection. Ask donors to sponsor a pet to help you feed, care, and house an animal. Start crowdfunding or simply add designated funds to your customized donation form and raise the necessary funds for life-saving programs.

Adoption and awareness – If your animal charity is spreading awareness about humane treatment, or helping our furry friends find homes, Donorbox is right by your side! Create campaigns for pet adoption and foster homes. Use donor information to send updates about pets and help spread the word for adoption.

Case Study – For the Love of Alex – Check out how one animal welfare organization uses Donorbox to transform its fundraising efforts!


Visual arts nonprofits

Host next-level events – Donorbox’s event ticket system lets you set up an event online in less than a minute. Your organization can sell tickets for in-person, virtual, and hybrid fundraising events using powerful event registration software that frees up time for things that matter most, your mission.

Boost in-person giving – With Text-to-Give and QR Codes, you can point donors toward your donation form within your event program, encouraging them to give without leaving their seats.


Religious organizations

Accept tithes, collect offerings, or receive donations by text message – Text-to-Give lets supporters simply send an SMS to access your online donation form, ensuring giving (and repeat giving!) is always just a few taps away. 

Put a giving kiosk in your church Turn your tablet into a giving kiosk and raise funds during events, at your church, and on the go.

Case Study – Jesus.net – Read more about how Donorbox helped a young organization multiply donations by three in just two years!


Schools and universities

Set up scholarship funds – Many deserving students lack the necessary resources to continue their education. With Donorbox, you can easily set up scholarship fundraising campaigns for students in need. 

Mobilize the student body – With peer-to-peer fundraising, students can start their own exciting campaigns to raise funds on behalf of your institution. Take it to the next level with prizes for the students or classes that raise the most! 

Case Study – Upward Scholars – Find out how Donorbox supported this growing nonprofit in its mission to help adult immigrants move up the economic ladder through education and career development support.


Journalism and publication-focused organizations

Let donors manage their subscriptions – Our donation forms are optimized to increase and attract recurring donations. You can offer daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual recurring donation options to your readers. All your subscribers receive their own Donor Portal account and can easily manage their recurring plans.


Medical nonprofits

Fund your fieldwork – Fieldwork is often an important part of medical research programs. Don’t let lack of funding stop you! Ensure that you are covered to move your research out of the lab by fundraising through online donation forms. 

Share your research and raise funds – A great crowdfunding campaign engages your supporters and shares your progress with the world. Use a goal meter to show how much more you need to raise and encourage more donations.


Political fundraising

Easily follow campaign laws – Collect necessary donor information, set contribution limits, and list custom disclaimers on all donation forms.

Data tracking and analytics – Donorbox’s Reporting Templates make staying FEC-compliant less overwhelming. With just a few clicks, you can stay on track with all your reporting needs!


Beginner’s Guide to Donorbox Pricing

Donorbox is priced with nonprofits in mind. Because we know that the scope of funds available to each nonprofit organization is varied, our three competitive pricing tiers have been designed to meet the diverse needs of nonprofits just like yours!

Sign up for a free standard account and use features like donation forms and pages, QuickDonate™, and more with a 1.75% platform fee. Donorbox Events, Memberships, and your supporters’ Peer-to-Peer pages are also included at this level for a 2.95% platform fee.

Take your fundraising to the next level with Donorbox Pro. For $139 a month, unlock a 1.5% platform fee across most products and a 2% platform fee for Events, Peer-to-Peer, and Text-to-Give. Plus, enjoy included add-ons like Zapier, Tracking & Analytics, advanced form customizations, crypto and stock giving, and more.

If neither of these plans suits your organization’s needs, get in touch and we can help create a custom Donorbox Premium solution that meets all your requirements!


Over to You

So, there’s only one question left: Are you ready to revolutionize your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts? Donorbox is a game-changing solution, empowering organizations around the world to boost effectiveness, enhance donor relationships, and expand outreach. With user-friendly features, real-life case studies, and sector-specific insights now at your fingertips, it’s time to join the thousands already benefiting from Donorbox!

Donorbox makes fundraising easier, and signing up is the first step. After reading this beginner’s guide to Donorbox, setting up your account only takes a minute. This easy step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of getting started on our platform. 

Looking for more nonprofit tips, templates, guides, and more? Check out the Donobox Nonprofit Blog and sign up to receive the latest articles in your inbox. 

Sign up now and elevate your impact today!

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Nicole’s professional background is rooted in the nonprofit sector, where she’s honed her skills in communications, marketing, and fundraising. She has extensive experience in various fields, such as social media, content strategy, public relations, and more. Nicole has a deep passion for writing, editing, and gaining knowledge about the many causes that tirelessly advocate for essential societal change.

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Unlock the secrets to fundraising success in 2025