How to Build a Free Secure Donation Form
Approximately 22 million American people go online to make donations according to a Pew Internet Survey. If you want to reach these donors, you can build a free secure donation form using PayPal to accept payments for a charity or to support your Web site. The form will ask your visitor to enter his contact information and either a credit card number or an eCheck to complete the donation. The process of setting up this form is fairly easy---you may be able to have your donation form up and ready for payments in just a few minutes.
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Instructions
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Create a standard HTML page that informs the potential donor of your reason for requesting donations. Include photographs, testimonials, information about the charity or your organization, and a plea that specifically asks the person to "Donate Now." See "Resources" for a link to HTML tutorials.
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Log into your PayPal account (free to sign up) and click the "Merchant Services" tab. Choose the option to create a "Buy Now Button."
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Choose "Donations" on the drop down box under "Accept Payments for." Type in the name of the organization and a donation ID (this is optional) to identify the charity or cause.
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Decide whether you want the donor to be able to insert his own amount or you can define a specific amount. Click the "Customize advanced features (optional)" tab if you want to allow the donor to include a special message with his donation, then select "Create Button" to proceed.
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Copy and paste the code that is displayed into the bottom of your HTML page. A "Donate Now" button link to your secure donation form should show when you test the page in your browser. Test the link to assure that it opens to a secure PayPal payment site that includes information about your donation request. Check to assure that the URL (web address) starts with "https."
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Ask someone to place your first donation to assure that the website and donation form is working properly.
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Tips & Warnings
Apply for 501(c) status (exemption from federal taxes) as an official charity so that you can post this information on your donation web page. Online visitors may be more willing to donate if they know that you are recognized by the government as a charitable organization. See "References" for information on how to apply.
