Pledge forms have come a long way from paper and pen and metal filing cabinets. Thanks to Intelligent Gift Documentation Management platforms, today’s gift documentation management is faster, easier, smarter – and less prone to errors thanks to digitization. If you’re wondering what’s next in the evolution of pledges and gift agreements — the foundation of so many nonprofit operations and transactions — this is a good place to start.
In this blog, we explore several developments that will likely impact your gift documentation management in the year ahead, ranging from enhanced collaboration to donor inclusivity.
Here are the trends you can expect in 2024 and what they mean for your nonprofit organization.
1. Introducing Smart Gift Agreements
If you handle agreements at your organization, you know that generating pledge forms and aligning them with donor intent can be time-consuming and inefficient. Most organizations follow the same process, often beginning with a piece of paper or a PDF. After a verbal commitment, that PDF is printed and either mailed or scanned, sent to the donor, who marks it up and returns it – hopefully via email. This often lengthy process continues until negotiation is complete, the pledge form signed, countersigned, and filed. Many organizations will think they’re ahead of the game by generating a PDF of the form, creating a digital record. This typically represents the end of negotiation and the finalization of the agreement.
Beyond inefficiency, this process has a number of limitations. Introduced into the market about 30 years ago, PDFs are becoming relics – and yet many nonprofits consider this to be a way to integrate “modern” technology into their standard operating procedures. PDFs require considerable customization to become mobile-friendly and don’t lend themselves to easy editing or tracking changes — two essential aspects of sophisticated pledge processes. Nonprofit organizations of today need a digital solution specifically for gift agreements, with more capabilities than a PDF.
Fortunately, there’s an option available that goes beyond static paper and PDFs towards digital, adaptable, and smart gift agreements that can be tailored to gifts of all sizes. Intelligent Gift Documentation Management platforms exist in collaborative web environments that all parties can easily use. For instance, edits can be shared and accepted within minutes, allowing for streamlined and timely adjustments and a single repository for gift documentation in all stages – from commitment to close. With a single hub, fundraising staff can create, confirm, sign, manage, and collaborate around the gift document – rather than chasing a gift document file (and all of its versions) from inbox to inbox.
2. Expanding collaboration within the tools teams already use
Tools that facilitate collaboration among teams have become even more essential over the past few years. Google Docs, for instance, is now an increasingly common choice for professional documentation and filing. In the year ahead, fundraising professionals will come to expect similar solutions, tailored to nonprofit fundraising that make it easy to manage, collaborate, and execute fundraising strategies – all while connecting to popular CRMs like Blackbaud, Salesforce, and Ellucian.
As more organizations choose to take advantage of these capabilities, booking gifts will become even more collaborative and convenient for fundraisers and donors alike, especially those that are geographically distributed.
3. Realizing inclusivity and growth
Bringing greater sustainability, resilience and innovation to employees and external stakeholders is increasingly top of mind for senior leadership and executives. With Smart Gift Agreements designed to support all levels of the gift pyramid, this SaaS solution aligns with leadership priorities while supporting organizational growth. Better yet, as people around the world increasingly rely on smartphones for personal and professional communication, mobile-friendly solutions are prized.
Intelligent Gift Documentation Management platforms are designed to meet the needs of fundraisers and donors alike. When at lunch with a donor, making space on the table for a laptop may seem cumbersome – but with a few taps on your phone, a digital gift agreement can be generated and delivered in real time.
Additionally, Smart Gift Agreements can elevate the donor experience for early stage donors. Formally recording smaller gifts supports fundraisers in achieving their goals, while also acclimating donors to a professional workflow that values their support, no matter the size.
The ability to manage gift documentation in the palm of a hand facilitates best practices and adds a layer of professionalism to a demographic of donors and prospects who deserve to feel appreciated.
4. Automation and AI
AI will play a major role in gift documentation management. WIth the ability to help trigger alerts based on gift agreement progress, donor activity, and organizational needs. Well-developed solutions provide an opportunity for automatic reminders – and alleviate fundraisers from “bill collecting” so that they may focus on the more meaningful steps to grow relationships.
Automations support the renewal process as well. When preparing for a major fundraising effort, platforms can build on the myriad of personal touches and conversations happening over the course of the year by pushing renewal reminders to hundreds of donors at a time either automatically or on demand. In 2024, this is becoming popular, particularly for renewing lower-level gifts..
As AI matures, machine learning models will empower organizations to move gift documentation through reviews, edits, approvals, signatures, and more faster and with fewer errors. assist organizations in generating gift agreement structures that will delight donors.
Set your organization up for success in 2024
Gift Documentation Management is an essential part of any nonprofit’s operations and revenue planning. Get ahead in 2024 by investing in Intelligent Gift Documentation Management that elevates the donor experience, improves donor retention, shortens the time it takes to close gifts, and increases revenue.