“Nonprofit” really means that one or more individuals aren’t making a personal profit from your organization. Your nonprofit organization still needs to bring in funds in order to stay afloat and keep its message out there. And, you association nonprofit is being (should be) run like any other online store.
So eCommerce is a part of your life, whether you like it or not. From standard sales order transactions to conference registrations and journal subscriptions, you handle a wide variety of business interactions. However, there are some differences in scope and focus when it comes to nonprofit e Commerce.
For example, you probably are not charging, collecting, and paying taxes for the business you transact, which makes your process different from that of the for-profit commercial organizations you do business with, such as the printer who handles your publications, or the hotel that hosts your annual convention.
Fortunately, there are eCommerce software systems that are designed specifically with the nonprofit organization in mind. This is the reason why a commercial CRM or ERP package (out of the box) will not meet your needs unless you have a trusted industry focused partner developer or consulting firm which can aid in the implementation process.
eCommerce Software Systems designed for nonprofit associations take into consideration the critical tracking of donor funds and simply that tax issues are not. To be sure, Important elements that your nonprofit association software should support to successfully transact eCommerce business include:
Orders
Donations
Billing
Member and Non Member pricing
recurring Drafting of Donations
Accounts receivable
Subscriptions
Event registrations
Marketplace or display vendor payments
Deferred income processing
Continuing education
Payments for Abstract Submissions (Call for Papers)
Certifications
PCI compliance
You will also want to make sure that your eCommerce software will fully synchronize with your member and donor management database so that all your transactions are integrated with your members, clients and donors.
If you’re ready to learn more about how SmartThoughts can help with your nonprofit eCommerce, contact us today.
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