7 Things to Consider Before Choosing an E-Commerce Solution for Your Nonprofit

By Marcella Vitulli

From colleges and foundations to museums and music venues, nonprofits have always relied on donations and grants to fuel their mission, but with the ubiquitousness of online shopping, these organizations now have an opportunity to increase their revenue and expand their reach. Whether it’s through a museum’s digital storefront, a university’s annual campaign or a foundation’s ticketed gala, today’s e-commerce solutions allow nonprofits to sell products, accept donations online and engage with their audience in new ways. But how do you decide on the right one? Taking the time to weigh these seven factors will help you choose your nonprofit e-commerce platform with confidence.

1. Budget

For nonprofit organizations, sticking to budget parameters is non-negotiable. As you set your budget targets, plan to make a sensible investment in a platform that can both get your online store off the ground and scale with you as your needs and offerings expand. The cheapest option isn’t always the best.

You’ll need to budget for startup costs for the initial setup as well as ongoing expenses. Assess all potential fees, including transaction fees, hosting costs and charges for additional features or add-ons to your e-commerce toolset. For example, WooCommerce’s core platform is free but the price of additional features such as “name your price” and subscriptions can quickly stack up. Shopify, too, charges for popular add-ons like custom fields.

Even if nonprofit discounts are not spelled out in a software’s public pricing, it’s worth asking about when you request more information or meet with a sales rep for a demo. You should also be sure to include a budget for marketing, since promoting your online store is crucial for driving sales.

2. Accounting Software Integration

Effective accounting software integration makes financial reporting easier and more accurate. It also enables you to automate the tracking of product sales and donations so you can see where revenue is coming from, helping to support your nonprofit’s transparency and accountability goals. Consider platforms that offer direct integrations with popular accounting software like QuickBooks and confirm that they provide real-time syncing to keep your financial data mapped and current.

3. Integration with Other Systems

You’ll also want to ensure the data you collect from e-commerce customers flows into your existing lists and management tools to keep the conversation with your audience going. Ideally, your e-commerce platform should integrate with your customer relationship management (CRM) software, your donor management system (if different) and marketing channels like your email newsletter tool.

For the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, we wrote a custom integration that synced WooCommerce orders with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT, the organization’s CRM — previously a manual process. Integration not only makes for smooth data flow, but also enhances operational efficiency and allows for better supporter engagement.

4. User Requirements

Can your nonprofit e-commerce tool accommodate your team’s operational needs without incurring prohibitive costs? Some platforms are structured around the number of users or seats needed and charge fees for additional users, so consider how many team members will need access to the e-commerce platform.

Additionally, you should weigh the platform’s available user roles and permissions, which will allow you to control who has access to sensitive customer information and who can make changes to the store and its offerings, an essential step toward maintaining security and operational control.

5. Ease of Use

Like most software, a user-friendly interface is a huge plus for any e-commerce platform, especially if the team using it has varied or limited technical expertise.

Look for tools with intuitive designs and drag-and-drop functionality. Comprehensive tutorials and help documentation — and highly-rated customer support — are also key to helping your team effectively manage your online shop and processes.

6. Customization and Scalability

A nonprofit e-commerce solution should grow with your organization. Before you commit to a platform, confirm that the customization options can meet your future needs and prevent you from having to migrate to a new system later. Any online merchandise store for nonprofits should also support various payment methods and, ideally, allow users to add a donation before checkout.

To meet your visual needs, look for platforms that offer a variety of out-of-the-box templates and themes that can showcase your products and that allow tailoring to reflect your brand and website. For the Olmsted Network’s Shop, we restyled WooCommerce’s out-of-the-box product, index and checkout screens to provide the right balance of brand consistency with proven, high-converting designs.

7. Security

Finally, the platform you pick should help you safeguard your supporters’ data. Choose one that complies with industry standards related to credit card processing, provides regular security updates and supports secure payment gateways.

Selecting the right e-commerce solution for your nonprofit requires some thoughtful evaluation of budget, integration needs, user requirements and security. Don’t move ahead with a contract until you’re confident you’ll have the tools that enable you to efficiently manage your online store, engage your supporters and generate essential revenue for your mission.