Fundraising
The Proven Way to Answer Donor Questions at 2 a.m. Without Hiring Staff
A donor opens your website at 11 p.m. on a Sunday. They want to know if last year's tax receipt went out, or how to change their monthly gift. Your office opens Monday at nine, and by then they've moved on.
The fix is simple. You can answer donor questions at any hour with a website chatbot that answers only from your own content, and send anything it can't handle to your staff by email. No new hires, no night shift.
Why donors ask their questions after hours
Most people give when they have a quiet moment. For most donors that means evenings and weekends, long after your team has gone home.
Their questions are usually small. They still matter, because an unanswered question at the moment of giving often ends with the tab closed. Common ones include:
- Where's my tax receipt, and can I get a copy?
- How do I change or pause my monthly gift?
- How much of my donation goes to programs?
- Can I give in memory of someone?
- Do you accept gifts of stock or cheques by mail?
Every one of these has an answer somewhere on your site. The donor can't find it fast enough.
How to answer donor questions without adding staff
A chatbot like The Wow Bot reads your website pages and the links you approve. When a donor types a question, it answers from that content in plain language, then points them to the right page.
It won't guess. If the answer isn't in your content, it says so and offers a "Talk to a person" handoff, which sends the question to your team by email. Someone replies in the morning, and the donor knows they've been heard.
That's the balance most fundraising teams want. Let the bot cover the routine questions so your people handle the conversations that need a human touch, like a major gift or a sensitive bequest.
Set it up in four steps
- Tidy your key pages. Check that your giving pages explain receipts and monthly gifts clearly. Our guide to how monthly giving works is a good refresher.
- Add the bot to your site. It's a plugin on WordPress or one line of code anywhere else.
- Test it in your account. Ask the questions your donors ask. Add starter questions like "Where's my tax receipt?" so visitors see what they can ask.
- Watch the reports. The weekly summary email and the Needs attention report show weak answers. One click lets you fix a weak answer.
Most organizations are live in an afternoon. Rather have us handle it? Wow Setup does it for you.
What to watch for
Donor trust is everything. Pick a chatbot that answers only from your content and only shares links you've approved, so it can't invent a policy or send someone to a stranger's site. We explain why that matters in why most charity chatbots make things up.
Privacy matters too. The Wow Bot stores data in Canada, and Wow Bot staff can't read conversations unless you allow it. It also flags hacking attempts.
Keep your content current. Change your receipt schedule? Update the page and the bot follows. Your website FAQ plays a part here as well, and we cover that in how your website FAQ may be costing you donations.
What happens if you wait
Every unanswered question is a small leak. A donor who can't find how to update a card might let a monthly gift lapse. Someone ready to give $100 at midnight might forget by morning. Keeping donors happy is cheaper than finding new ones, and donor retention starts on your website.
Picture Monday morning. Your inbox has a handful of real conversations to follow up on. Routine questions got answered overnight, and a few new donors joined your email list with their consent recorded. You didn't hire anyone.
See it on your own site
Donors will keep asking questions at 2 a.m. It's time to answer donor questions the moment they come up. Plans start at $29 USD a month, and you can try it free for seven days.
Start your 7-day free trial or, if you'd like a hand, let Wow Setup do it for you.
Frequently asked questions
Can a chatbot answer donor questions about tax receipts?
Yes, as long as your website explains how receipts work. A chatbot that answers from your own pages can tell donors when receipts are sent and how to request a copy. When the question needs a person, like a missing receipt for a specific gift, it can hand the donor to your team by email so someone follows up.
Will a chatbot make up answers about our charity?
A well-built one won't. The Wow Bot answers only from your website content and approved links. If it can't find the answer, it says so and offers to connect the donor with your staff. That keeps your policies accurate and protects the trust donors place in your organization, which is worth far more than one quick reply.
How much does it cost to answer donor questions 24/7?
Far less than a staff member. The Wow Bot plans start at $29 USD a month, and there's a 7-day free trial so you can test it with real donor questions first. If your team is stretched thin, Wow Setup is a done-for-you service where we set up the bot for you and get it ready to launch.
Is donor information kept private?
The Wow Bot is private by default and stores data in Canada. Wow Bot staff can't read conversations unless you allow it, and the bot flags hacking attempts. If a donor opts into your email list, their consent is recorded. That gives Canadian non-profits a clear record for privacy questions from donors or your board.
Do we need a developer to add a chatbot to our website?
No. On WordPress you install a plugin. On any other website you paste one line of code. Most teams have the bot answering questions the same day. You can test it inside your account before it goes live, and add starter questions so visitors know what they can ask right away.