As a nonprofit that is tech-savvy, it is likely that you have a fantastic website. We assume that you already have the essential tools like donation buttons, donation form, and donor CRM to facilitate a seamless donation process. If your CRM happens to be Funraise, you are ahead of the game (and we are not biased at all). However, it is not just about having the basic digital fundraising tools in place. If you want to prioritize a digital-first approach to encourage potential donors to contribute and maintain the engagement of existing donors, you need to include some additional features in your tech toolbox, such as a chatbot, which is one of our personal favorites.
To recap, chatbots are the friendly widgets that appear on websites, providing assistance to unsuspecting visitors. These automated agents have been commonly seen on e-commerce, banking, healthcare, and travel sites, and now nonprofit organizations are also adopting them.
As a result, today we will be disclosing all the information about chatbots: their definition, their functions, the reasons why you might want one, and whether they will eventually become our robot rulers (which is unlikely, but if it does occur, at least they are good at casual conversation).
Why is everything suddenly all chatbots, all the time?
It is likely that the majority of your friends are software engineers. However, you are correct. Prior to March 2020, many nonprofits were resistant to technology due to its cost, complexity, and disruptive nature. This made it challenging to promote technology adoption in an industry where time is always limited. Then, the pandemic occurred.
“Looking back, I think we’ve witnessed a decade of digital transformation in the last two years,” Beth Kanter recently told us.
We had the opportunity to interview her and Allison Fine, who are both nonprofit trainers, consultants, and authors, on our Nonstop Nonprofit podcast. Their recent publication, “The Smart Nonprofit: Staying Human-Centered in an Automated World,” gives them a comprehensive understanding of smart technology, such as chatbots. Beth explains that when the pandemic began, nonprofits had no other option but to act quickly in order to save lives and provide their services. Consequently, there was a significant increase in the adoption of technology, as many barriers and hesitations were eliminated.
Give it to me straight: What’s a chatbot and how does it work?
A chatbot, similar to a human being, is a computer program capable of understanding and responding to written or spoken language. It enables communication with customers and provides assistance, much like a real person. You might have encountered chatbots numerous times, for instance, when receiving automated notifications about your DoorDash order or when rescheduling a medical appointment through an online platform.
And why do I need a chatbot?
Beginning with the fact that engaging in live chat increases the likelihood of website visitors making a purchase by 82%, it is surprising that only 12% of NGOs globally utilize chatbots. This suggests that it is necessary to alter this current scenario. To explore all the advantages of incorporating a talkative chatbot, refer to our “Chatbot benefits” section.
How does a chatbot work?
Chatbots guide users through conversations using pre-defined choices. The chatbot asks a question and provides a limited number of answers, from which the user selects one. This method is simple yet effective. However, if you want your chatbot to handle open-ended questions, it will utilize a combination of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing to understand your needs. Essentially, the chatbot can process text and convert it into data, and vice versa. By recognizing patterns and learning from interactions, it can engage in meaningful conversations.
Of course, there is much more involved than just that, but you grasp the concept.
I’ve heard chatbots are evil.
That was quite a jump. The issue is that people often mix up “chatbots” and “bots,” despite them being distinct. “Bots” are simply software that automates tasks and have sometimes been used maliciously, which has given them a negative reputation. However, this applies rarely and does not relate to chatbots. Chatbots are friendly and useful, as they excel in listening and aim to simplify things for you.
But what about the human touch?
The relational aspect of nonprofit work, especially in fundraising, has no substitute, and chatbots do not intend to replace your job. Chatbots are incapable of establishing relationships and connecting on an emotional level. Nevertheless, they are capable of providing prompt responses to fundamental inquiries, benefiting both donors and yourself.
“We [see smart tech and chatbots] as an opportunity to relieve staff of rote tasks, like answering the same questions all day or doing paperwork ad nauseum. It allows staff to do what people ought to do: build relationships, tell stories, plan, dream,” affirms Allison.
If someone is thinking about joining your board, they will not discover the necessary information in a chatbot. However, a chatbot will be highly beneficial if they want to learn about the drop-off hours for your food bank.
The conversation we just had was delightful! Now, let’s move on to the informative facts about chatbots, which are both cold in nature yet welcoming and non-threatening.
Ok, I’m sold. How do I get a chatbot?
Determining the most suitable solution for your website’s chat functionality can be quite complex. It relies on various factors such as the platform your site is built on (WordPress, Squarespace, etc.), your specific objectives for the chat feature (answering FAQs, guiding visitors to donation pages), your desired level of technical expertise, and your budget. However, we can suggest a few starting points: Explore GoodUnited for Facebook messaging, look into TechSoup for nonprofit tech tools, and consider visiting websites you admire, whether they are nonprofit, e-commerce, or service-oriented, to observe how they effectively engage users through chat.
Chatbot benefits
Starting with, there are numerous reasons to incorporate a chatbot into your nonprofit website.
Chatbots are convenient.
Chatbots provide a convenient way for donors to connect with your nonprofit organization directly on your website, enabling them to easily ask any inquiries they may have. Facebook has reported that 56% of individuals prefer communicating with a chatbot instead of calling customer service.
Chatbots are efficient.
Allison states that in cultures where interruptions are frequent, it is difficult for staff members to focus on their work. Therefore, chatbots can be very helpful as they can engage with the public, provide excellent customer service, and answer inquiries, allowing the staff to concentrate on more substantial tasks.
Chatbots save money.
By increasing efficiency, cost savings are achieved. Chatbots have the capability to attend to the inquiries of various individuals simultaneously, enabling your staff to prioritize the significant strategic tasks that we frequently discuss.
Chatbots are easy to install.
Despite being highly advanced, these widgets can be installed as easily as copying and pasting a small portion of code from your chatbot provider.
Chatbots give you leads and collect data.
Chatbots have the ability to acquire substantial information about the individuals they interact with, including the purpose of their visit to your webpage.
Chatbots work 24/7.
Short-staffed nonprofits face the challenge of meeting the high demand for a prompt response, whereas nowadays people anticipate quick replies. However, a chatbot is perpetually accessible, ensuring that inquiries are addressed promptly, even in the early hours of the morning.
Where to use chatbots
Chatbots are quite common nowadays! However, they are not found in every single place. You won’t see them sitting at your preferred coffee shop, enjoying a double caramel macchiato. Regardless, think about incorporating a chatbot into:
- Your website. As we’ve discussed, add a chatbot to your lonely lower-righthand corner to respond to frequently asked questions and collect visitor information.
- Facebook Messenger. Set up a custom chatbot to welcome visitors, provide them with automated responses, and direct them to the appropriate page on your website.
- Slack. Create bots for your workspace to monitor channel activity, post automated messages, and make messages interactive with buttons.
- Twitter. Build a chatbot to manage common questions and respond to people instantly.
How to use chatbots
To move forward with this relationship, you must first decide on the system you will use. After that, consider the following starting points.
- Consider FAQs. What questions do your staff members get asked again and again? Make a list and build it out as a jumping-off point for your chatbot.
- Think about voice. This is where your brand guidelines come into play. Your chatbot should reflect your organization, so make sure it “speaks” like you do.
- Think about tone. Your organization’s voice doesn’t change, but your tone does, so a good chatbot changes its tone based on the situation. A donation question? Celebratory! A complaint? Remorseful.
- Say hello. Decide what your chatbot will say when people first meet it. Remember, you want to encourage people to interact with it.
- Account for errors. Even the best chatbots mess up, so make sure your error messages are helpful and straightforward.
Nonprofit chatbot examples
Do you wonder what a chatbot can do for you? Here are a few remarkable chatbot examples from Allison and Beth that may inspire you. Additionally, their book showcases numerous successful smart tech examples for you to explore.
- Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, a nonprofit organization, developed the Rentervention chatbot to help Chicago tenants navigate housing issues due to COVID-19. Renny, the chatbot, is “a tenant’s best friend,” teaching renters about their rights and connecting them with volunteer attorneys for free legal advice.
- Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, the international humanitarian medical organization, created a chatbot to answer common questions about the COVID-19 pandemic. The chatbot freed up staff members to engage with the community on social media, discussing more nuanced issues like mental health and anxiety.
We have another example from the nonprofit organization Stop Soldier Suicide, who, along with the assistance of Funraise and GoodUnited, achieved remarkable success in 2020 by raising $4M and acquiring 100k new donors through Facebook fundraising. Their outstanding achievement can be attributed to their commitment to connecting with donors through chatbots.
While chatbots may not be considered a crucial tool for digital fundraising, their absence can hinder the collection of donations, donor management, and promotion of a nonprofit’s mission. Nevertheless, chatbots are undeniably beneficial. In the larger context, integrating and managing a chatbot on a nonprofit’s website requires minimal effort. However, it can significantly facilitate the transition of potential supporters into donors, thereby simplifying their decision-making process.
Chatbots: Key takeaways
- A chatbot is a piece of software that can process written or spoken language, allowing it to communicate in real-time with live human beings.
- Chatbots have a lot of benefits for nonprofits, but above all else, they free up busy staff members from answering rote questions.
- There are plenty of platforms that allow you to build AI chatbots with zero coding skills. You just add your text and drag-and-drop it to create user flows.
- Chatbots aren’t a good solution for nuanced or complicated questions. That’s why you have trained staff members!
- You can find chatbots on websites, Facebook Messenger, Slack, WhatsApp, Skype, and more.
BONUS: Nonprofit Website Builders: The 11+ Best Providers
Nonprofits aiming to connect with online supporters now consider modern and accessible websites as essential. Although many of us lack expertise in web design, nonprofits can still have an interactive and dynamic website by utilizing suitable nonprofit website builders.
Nonprofits and other organizations can create their own websites using online platforms like WordPress, SquareSpace, and Wix. Each of these website builders emphasizes distinct aspects of website creation and offers a unique design style for your website.
WordPress
Overview
With more than 42% of websites on the internet using the platform, WordPress is the most popular website builder for good reasons. No two of those billions of websites are exactly the same due to WordPress’s extensive library of plugins and customization tools.
WordPress provides the opportunity to customize almost every aspect of your nonprofit’s website in order to showcase your content as desired. Furthermore, WordPress’s extensive network of plugin creators and design consultants ensures that even nonprofits without coding knowledge can still create an attractive and dynamic website.
Features
Nonprofits that utilize WordPress can anticipate the inclusion of the subsequent features.
- Customizability. WordPress’s block editor provides simple customization tools for less tech-savvy nonprofits, allowing them to tailor their pages to their unique needs.
- Widespread support. With millions of active users, WordPress boasts one of the largest online support communities among website builders. Both web consulting firms and dedicated individuals make and upload new content for WordPress websites daily.
- Wide range of themes. WordPress has hundreds of themes, and new ones are added to their catalogue every week.
- Visual Builders. The large selection of WordPress visual builders is one of the reasons why every website is unique. Gutenberg, the default block editor, will meet most nonprofits’ needs, but you can explore your options with builders such as Elementor Pro, WP Bakery, Beaver Builder, Oxygen, Brizy, FusionBuilder, and more.
When compared to other nonprofit website builders, WordPress provides exceptional customization options and support, thus making it one of the top choices.
Free Nonprofit Website Builders
Although WordPress is considered the top choice for nonprofit website builders, it is beneficial for nonprofits to explore other available options. Nonprofits seeking to find a free CMS plan can also consider these alternatives, even though some of them may offer fewer features in comparison to their paid plans.
If nonprofits want a stronger online presence, they may need to search elsewhere for their ideal solution (such as WordPress), but they are welcome to explore the available free options!
Free Nonprofit Website Builders
Although WordPress is considered the top choice for building nonprofit websites, it is beneficial for nonprofits to explore alternative builders to fully assess their options. Nonprofits seeking a free content management system (CMS) plan can explore these solutions, noting that certain platforms may have restricted functionalities compared to their paid counterparts.
If nonprofits want to increase their online presence, they may have to search elsewhere for the right solution (such as WordPress), but they are welcome to explore the available free solutions.
Weebly
Overview
Weebly, which is a free website builder for nonprofits, provides extensive ecommerce support for organizations that use their platform. Nonprofits using Weebly, as a part of the Square product suite, won’t have to search for external payment processors in order to begin collecting donations via their website.
Features
Weebly provides nonprofits with payment processing features as well as offering additional benefits.
- Drag and drop editor. Weebly’s user-friendly drag and drop editor allows nonprofits to design and customize their websites without any technical or coding expertise.
- Video backgrounds. Nonprofits looking to make truly dynamic websites can use Weebly’s video backgrounds to add motion to their pages.
- Custom headers. Make your headers stand out by accenting them with videos and slideshows.
Weebly can fulfill the needs of nonprofits in search of a user-friendly and comprehensive website.
Wix
Overview
Wix’s objective is to assist nonprofits in expanding their organization by utilizing their website builder. In addition to regular website functions, Wix provides nonprofits with tools for growth, such as personalized Facebook ads, live chats, and other lead capture features, in order to boost their website traffic.
Features
Wix offers nonprofits a range of tools, which include:
- Logo maker. If your nonprofit is still brainstorming potential logos, consider using Wix to create a professionally designed logo to showcase on your new website.
- SEO toolkit. Wix’s site structure is optimized for search engines, putting your website in a strong position to rank higher in search results. Plus, Wix also gives users full control over meta tags to make sure you’re targeting the right keywords for your nonprofit.
- Free web hosting. Wix’s reliable web hosting has a 99.9% uptime rate and automatic back-up features, meaning you’ll never need to worry about losing access to your website.
Additionally, Wix offers a range of templates to organizations using their website builder, enabling your nonprofit to build a professional website that is prepared to assist in the growth of your organization.
Drupal
Overview
Drupal is a website builder for large nonprofit organizations that is both scalable and open-source. It is widely used by numerous nonprofits and boasts a strong foundation for creating custom websites, although it necessitates extensive setup and configuration. The Drupal community has developed a wide array of themes and modules, enabling users to swiftly construct websites and enhance functionality through simple clicks.
Features
Drupal offers nonprofits a range of features, which include:
- Marketing automation. Drupal easily integrates with automation tools. Use Drupal’s modules to assign automatic messaging triggers and capture more leads than before.
- Multilingual. Drupal can help your nonprofit connect with people all over the world by using users’ IP addresses, browser settings, and more information to detect their presumed preferred language. Then, Drupal provides an automatic full translation of your content.
- Content authoring. Durpal was designed with web publishing in mind and provides users with a variety of digital marketing tools. Manage your content across email, social media, and other software, while staying organized by using Drupal as your content repository.
Drupal has a support community of creators who are actively developing new tools and integrations to aid the growth of nonprofit websites.
SITE123
Overview
SITE123 aims to prioritize ease of use. Nonprofits can swiftly establish their website within an hour by utilizing the three-step website design process offered. SITE123’s efficient platform facilitates quick solutions for both simple homepages and online stores.
Features
SITE123 offers assistance to nonprofits by streamlining their web development process.
- Free domain registration. Unlike other services above that require a paid account for your domain registration, SITE123 offers it for free. Not sure if your preferred domain name is available? Use SITE123 to look it up and register it free for one year when purchasing an annual plan.
- Free image and icon library. Need additional image assets for your initial launch? SITE123 provides access to their library of royalty-free stock photos and icons.
- 24/7 website support. SITE123 provides help for their users at any time in a variety of formats. Use their live chat, email support, or browse video tutorials on their YouTube channel to find the help you need.
When users register, SITE123 ensures security as a primary concern by offering them a free SSL certificate.
Jimdo
Overview
Jimdo is specifically designed to cater to small businesses and self-employed individuals, therefore making it an ideal choice for small nonprofits in the initial stages. With limited resources in mind, Jimdo aims to simplify website building by enabling users to conveniently retrieve their business details from social media accounts, thereby expediting the entire process.
Features
Jimdo’s nonprofit website builder provides a range of web design characteristics, which includes:
- Automatic color matching. When you upload your photos and content to Jimdo, their website builder will automatically tailor your website’s colors to match, creating a professional design.
- Social media integration. Use your social media profiles to make setup even easier by pulling your business information and photos straight from your accounts to your website.
- GDPR-compliant legal pages. Build out your legal pages such as your terms of service using Jimdo’s legal text generator.
Your small nonprofit can easily design a professional website with minimal effort, thanks to Jimdo’s focus on convenience and quick setup.
Other Nonprofit Website Builders
Morweb
Overview
Morweb has developed their own unique CMS designed specifically for nonprofit organizations. By utilizing their user-friendly platform, even those nonprofits with limited technical expertise will be able to easily manage and enhance their website with a dynamic and visually appealing design.
Features
Morweb’s unique CMS offers nonprofits a range of features, which include:
- Easy content updating. After building your website in Morweb’s CMS, you’ll never have to worry about sorting through code to make an update. With frontend drag and drop capabilities, you can make updates directly on your web pages, hassle-free.
- Custom form builders. Morweb’s CMS allows nonprofits to develop custom forms, allowing you to pick and choose the information you collect from your guests. Additionally, Morweb’s forms can be embedded straight into your website, creating a seamless experience for donors.
- Optimized loading speeds. Morweb understands how important it is that your website minimizes loading times. Between their optimized images and focus on scalable technology, each website designed by Morweb makes efficiency a priority.
If you are in need of a new website, you should consider taking a look at Morweb and their user-first CMS.
Squarespace
Overview
Squarespace’s nonprofit website builder is capable of assisting your nonprofit organization in establishing an online store and promoting your programs and initiatives. However, Squarespace truly excels in its blogging capabilities, providing a dedicated professional dashboard for monitoring your blog’s publishing data and analytics.
Features
In addition to providing blogging capabilities, Squarespace also provides nonprofits with the following features:
- Beautiful Templates. Squarespace stands apart from others with beautifully designed templates out-of-the-box.
- Custom CSS. Squarespace offers a variety of customizable templates and allows those with coding knowledge to personalize every page of their website even further.
- Squarespace app. Update your website and track your analytics while on the go with Squarespace’s mobile app.
- Integrability. Squarespace connects easily to a variety of third-party platforms, including social media, scheduling, and ordering tools.
Squarespace provides comprehensive eCommerce tools as well, enabling organizations to sell their services, subscriptions, as well as digital content.
Wild Apricot
Overview
If you want to have the support of a reliable nonprofit website builder but prefer a do-it-yourself approach, you might consider Wild Apricot. Wild Apricot offers a membership and nonprofit website building platform that enables nonprofits to quickly launch their website by selecting from various pre-built templates.
Features
Nonprofits are offered by Wild Apricot an easy-to-use website builder.
- Widgets. If you already have a website on a separate platform, there’s no need to start from scratch with Wild Apricot. Copy and paste just a few lines of codes to add widgets from donation forms to event calendars to your website.
- Blogs and forums features. Stay up-to-date with your supporter base by adding a blog to your website. Plus, nonprofits with membership programs can encourage a greater sense of community by engaging with members on public forums.
- Advanced customization. Tech-savvy nonprofits can get outside of the box with Wild Apricot by accessing the HTML and CSS code of each theme and editing them to customize their website.
Nonprofits that have membership programs can reap advantages from utilizing member-centered website builders such as Wild Apricot.
Sitebuilder
Overview
Sitebuilder is a user-friendly website builder designed specifically for nonprofits seeking a straightforward website. By utilizing the one-of-a-kind A.I. builder offered by Sitebuilder, nonprofits can have their website established within minutes. Subsequently, they can fine-tune their design templates to align with the specific requirements of their organization, thereby completing the finishing touches.
Features
The features offered by Sitebuilder’s nonprofit website builder are as follows:
- Professional eCommerce stores. Nonprofits with merchandise can quickly add and edit products on their eCommerce stores using Sitebuilder.
- Fast load times. Sitebuilder automatically sets up content delivery networks for their websites, meaning your website will load fast for all of your users.
- Easy-to-use builder. Select a template, then start designing with simple drag-and-drop features to create your website.
If you are considering a website builder for your small nonprofit that is simple and user-friendly, Sitebuilder might be a good choice.
PageCloud
Overview
PageCloud, a relatively new website builder, has gained followers by prioritizing an intuitive website building platform that also enables extensive customization.
Features
PageCloud offers a range of features, including:
- True drag-and-drop editor. Move your page elements anywhere you want on your page with PageCloud’s drag-and-drop editor. Plus, their smart guide will help you align your content to create professional designs.
- DOM inspector support. PageCloud uniquely offers users the ability to save the changes made in your browser’s website inspect and use them on your website.
- Image optimization. When you upload images, PageCloud automatically resizes them to load as quickly as possible while maintaining high quality resolution.
You can fully customize your website with hundreds of integrations that PageCloud offers, in addition to its suite of features.
