Nonprofits Can Apply mPOS Technology Today
Nonprofit organizations are always looking for ways to engage with savvy donors whether at events, fundraising dinners, their home or on the street. To help build support and increase donations, nonprofits are more and more using mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) technology.
With the right application of mPOS, and by coordinating with the right partner, nonprofit organizations can improve outcomes and bring significant changes to the way they raise funds, ultimately leading to greater fundraising success.
Mobile point-of-sale solutions are integrated systems, requiring several affordable hardware and software components. These include:
Magnetic card readers: Card readers attach to smartphones or tablets, allowing users to swipe credit and debit cards for payment. Some card readers also double as barcode scanners, an essential application for organizations using their mPOS devices to track inventory or scan merchandise during sales transactions.
Computing devices: Payment can be made on smartphones, but tablets may be preferable for many organizations because of their larger, more easily readable screens. Some organizations may also prefer ruggedized devices, since they will be handled by a large number of people and may be dropped.
Point-of-sale software: Many mobile applications are available to help nonprofits accept donations, with a wide array of costs and feature options, such as reporting functions, location tracking and donor emailing.
Receipt printers: A receipt printer gives donors the option of receiving paper receipts, rather than receiving them only via email.
Wireless infrastructure: Internet access is required for mobile point-of-sale systems.
These various components can be uniquely suited to the fundraising needs of different nonprofit organizations. For example, some software products integrate with nonprofit accounting, management and event software. The choices available in each product category allow an organization to tailor the technology to its own specific needs.
This piece was excerpted from CDW’s white paper “The Secrets of Mobile POS for Fundraising.” Download the full white paper.
