By Jared Lindell
The Community Foundation is always working to make giving easy and convenient for area donors. While some people enjoy stopping into the Foundation office to make a gift, others might prefer to do so right from the comfort of their own home. Well the miracle of technology has provided the Foundation with the ability to offer the second option though online giving.
It cannot be disputed that website traffic and internet usage has increased worldwide throughout the years and will continue to do so. With more people online, more are preferring to make transactions online, such as donations. There are some benefits in doing so including: The transaction is immediate, no cash needs to exchange hands, it is convenient as it can be done from any computer with an internet connection, and it is fast. However, for those not interested in this type of giving, don’t worry, as CRCF will always accept walk-in gifts and gifts through the mail. Before making a donation online, one must feel comfortable in doing so, and the Community Foundation understands this is not for everyone.
To take you through the process of making a gift online, the following are the steps you need to take:
2) Click on the “Donate Now!” button on the menu at the left side of your screen.
Once here you will have the opportunity to search for different types of funds by fund category or keywords. No matter what fund you might wish to donate to, all CRCF funds are available
3) Once you find the fund you wish to give to, click on “Donate.”
At this point, you will be taken to a new screen where you can enter your gift dollar amount. You can also add additional instructions, such as if the gift is in honor of someone or memory of someone.
4) After you have entered your gift amount, click “Final Checkout.”
At the final checkout, you will be required to fill out some personal information (name, address, login information).
5) Once your personal information is complete, click “continue,” then type in your credit information and submit. That’s it! You made an online gift!
Within minutes your gift information is received by the Community Foundation, so that the CRCF staff can issue the appropriate acknowledgement letter. Additionally, when entering your personal information, you will be prompted for a username and password. Your username and password will allow you to login the next time you go to make a donation, as opposed to entering your information all over again. This login information will also allow you to track your online giving history to CRCF, so make sure you keep that username and password in a safe place.
The inevitable question that is always asked with this type of offering: Is the online giving site secure? The simple answer is yes. When incorporating online giving, CRCF was required to install special security features for the site so no one else will be able to view your personal information or access any of the internal data. So you can be confident in knowing all measures have been taken to secure every aspect of the site.
Again, the Foundation staff understands that this form of giving might not be for you. If such is the case, we welcome anyone just stopping by the office at 418 Spring Street. However, if you are curious to learn more about this new online giving option, call the Foundation staff at 661-3390 or simply give it a try!
Published in the October 22nd edition of The Post-Journal