Do you ever wonder what would happen if you were not able to track failed online transactions?  Recently we had an international ministry who had a major gift donor attempt to make a $1,500 donation online.  The card declined, but the ministry had no real-time knowledge of the failed transaction. 
 
Fortunately we had set up the client’s donor management software system to notify our account management services whenever a failed transaction occurred.   This additional tracking measure enabled us to contact the ministry and inform them that the donor had attempted several times to make a gift online.   The ministry was able to lookup their contact information within their CRM system and place a personal call.  This was a great opportunity to thank the donor for their generosity and offer assistance in reclaim the payment. 
 
Failed gift transactions occur more often than you might realize.  There are several reasons why a payment might fail e.g. the donor’s credit card may be expired or over its limit, or maybe the donor gave the wrong billing information.  Whatever the reason might be, it is extremely important to be able to track and step-in when these failed transactions occur. 
 
We have observed over the years that donors are motivated to re-submit payments online not only once, but up to two to three times before moving away from a website.  Some donors might call you if they are having difficulty, most won’t.   Our job is to be attentive to the support needs of donors and build long-term donor relationships. 
 
Chris Ruhlen is co-founder and CEO of Donor Depot, a CRM and web development company dedicated to providing quality technology products and services that deliver exceptional value to nonprofit organizations.  Chris has helped hundreds of national and international nonprofits with their fundraising and technology since 1996.  Chris has a B.A. in Old Testament Literature from Oral Roberts University and M.A. in Counseling from Regent University.   
 
Feel free to contact Chris at chris@donordepot.com or visit http://www.donordepot.com
Learn more:  Participate in a live webinar session http://www.donordepot.com/university