Charity and donations are a part of our modern life. From giving tax-deductible contributions to nonprofits to supporting your favorite artists through Kickstarter, the economy of monetary gifts is thriving. Though many charitable donations are given privately or anonymously, giving can also double as a public statement of support.
When it comes to small businesses and ecommerce, supporting charities that align with your company’s values can be a symbiotic action. It helps fund causes you care about, raises awareness of issues that are important to you, and gives your customers another reason to buy from you. The latter of these benefits is a hallmark of “cause marketing,” or integrating support for causes into your company’s mission and marketing strategy.
It’s easier than ever to include charitable donations in your online business, thanks to a handful of useful apps and plug-ins. These apps allow customers to give to charities at checkout. They also have the ability to handle other donations like tips and even fundraising campaigns for new products. But which apps would work best for your online business? Dive in to learn more.
What are donation apps?
A donation app is a tool that allows your online company to collect donations at checkout on your website or online store. These apps have a few possible applications:
- Charities. You can include a donation option to raise money for a nonprofit organization of your choice, allowing customers to round up or choose a donation amount. Similarly, if your company has an internal nonprofit cause (such as donations of your products to those in need) you can use the app to collect donations for that.
- Tips. Use donation apps to collect tips for services or custom products.
- Crowdfunding. You can use donation apps to crowdfund unreleased products still in development. This method works similarly to a Kickstarter campaign, allowing you to collect funds from your customers or audience as pre-orders or a monetary pledge of support.
Benefits of using donation apps for ecommerce businesses
Using a donation app can help your business in numerous ways:
- Supporting causes with ease. Using a donation app can make it easy for you and your customers to do good and support causes you truly care about.
- Brand alignment. Aligning your business with causes and nonprofit organizations your business supports can be a great way to highlight your brand values.
- Customer experience. Allowing customers to donate to charitable causes during checkout can make them feel like they’re part of something bigger and associate shopping on your page with the act of giving.
- Crowdfunding. Though different from charitable donations, you can use apps to collect donations to produce upcoming products. Customers who contribute get early access and get to feel that they’re a part of the process.
Best donation apps
When it comes to crowdfunding and charity donation apps that integrate with Shopify, there are several options depending on your specific needs and budget. Here are the details of seven popular options:
Easy Donation
Easy Donation lets you seamlessly integrate a donation widget on your website—whether on your homepage, product pages, or checkout. Customers can donate any amount, which is added to their order total. Choose between single and multiple donation widgets, create standalone donation pages, and connect with various charities worldwide. The app also allows you to customize donation receipts and track contributions through admin reports, ensuring an impactful donation experience.
Pricing: There’s a seven-day free trial. After that, the Basic plan is $7 per month and the Advanced plan is $10 per month.
One Tree Planted
If your business aligns with environmental causes, you may want to use One Tree Planted, a simple donation app that allows customers to donate $1 to plant a tree at checkout. Based in Vermont, One Tree Planted has a network of partners around the world that use their donations to plant trees. Unlike some of the other apps that allow customers to choose their donation amount and which charity to send it to, this app is wildly simple: $1 equals one tree.
Pricing: Free to install.
Crowdfunder
Crowdfunder can help businesses collect donations for future products. The crowdfunding app integrates with your Shopify store and lets you take pre-orders, collect funds for new releases, or raise money for a cause. Running a crowdfunding campaign can help you gauge interest in new products and raise funds for new projects while minimizing refunds.
Pricing: Seven-day free trial followed by an unlimited account at $24 per month.
Donate Source
Donate Source is a simple charity donation app that allows you to add a donation button to your web store. Donate Source operates without the need for a third party, which keeps your customers’ Google Pay, Apple Pay, or other payment information safe in your system. You can use Donate Source to add a single charity or multiple organizations. The app automatically sends customized donation receipts to donors, so they can keep it in their records separate from their purchase.
Pricing: Basic plan starts at $4 per month, with a Pro plan at $6 per month and an Advanced plan at $8 per month.
Givz
Givz is a charity donation app that offers a range of options including:
- The ability to make a cross-store donation (for example, 10% of all sales goes to charity)
- Product-specific donations (every shoe purchase raises $5 for a specific charity)
- A spend threshold (all orders over $50 give 10% of total bill to charity)
This customization gives customers incentives to check out specific items or to spend a little more to participate. Looking for something simpler? Givz also has an option for a simple custom donation to an organization of your choosing.
Pricing: Basic option starts at $19 per month, with Essential plans at $99 and month and Advanced plans for $299 per month.
Sales CountUp
Sales CountUp is a donation app that publicly counts your store’s donation information, similar to the “plastic water bottles saved” counter on airport water bottle filling stations. Sales CountUp allows your customers access to public donation data and lets them track progress, aligning your brand and results with real-worldimpact.
Pricing: Sales CountUp offers a free plan, which includes one widget and up to 200 orders, or an unlimited plan at $6 per month.
Shop for Good
Shop for Good is a popular donation app that lets you integrate multiple donation options into your ecommerce store. Stores can set a percentage of sales as donations on specific products or categories, or on all goods in their shop. Stores can encourage shoppers to donate by giving gifts or discounts on purchases to those who do, or offer a standard donation option at checkout or a “round up the change” choice for customers. The app has features to manage compliance and distribution of funds, making the process as hassle-free as possible.
Pricing: A free version takes a 10% processing fee and a 3% transaction fee. Paid versions range from $300 per month to $700 per month.
Donation apps FAQ
Can I accept donations through Shopify?
Yes, several apps and plug-ins let you accept donations through Shopify. Whether you’re raising funds for causes your company supports, your own non-profit organization, or a crowdfunding campaign, fundraising on Shopify is easy and customizable. Explore options in the Shopify App Store.
Can I use Shopify for fundraising?
Yes. With Shopify-integrated apps, you can encourage your customers to round up or outright donate to causes your company supports. This kind of peer-to-peer fundraising—encouraging your audience to participate in charities you also support—is a great way to show people what your business stands for and connect with customers who share similar values.
Why should ecommerce businesses consider using donation apps?
Companies aligned with causes they support reap several benefits. Donating to worthy causes is of course a benefit in itself, but integrating donation apps into your online store experience can help build customer loyalty, increase feelings of goodwill, and help you build an engaged community around your brand.
