Online Giving Forms vs. Outreach Forms
DonorDock offers two types of forms that let your organization collect information directly from supporters: Online Giving Forms and Outreach Forms. While both can be shared via a direct link or embedded on your website, they serve different purposes.
Online Giving Forms collect payments and create Gifts, while Outreach Forms collect information and create or update contact data.
Online Giving Forms
Online Giving Forms are designed for fundraising and other payment transactions. When someone completes an Online Giving Form, DonorDock will create a Contact or match the gift to an existing Contact using the email address, and automatically record the transaction as a Gift.
Online Giving Forms can be used for:
General donations
Campaign or appeal-specific fundraising
One-time or recurring giving
Membership payments
Event ticket payments
Donor-Advised Fund gifts through DAFpay
Online Giving Forms can also apply information such as Campaigns, Appeals, Funds, Gift Tags, Badges, and Marketing Lists to the Gifts and Contacts created through the form.
Payment options depend on your organization's payment processor and configuration and may include credit or debit card, ACH, digital wallets, PayPal, and DAFpay.
Outreach Forms
Outreach Forms collect information without requiring payment.
Outreach Forms can be used for:
Newsletter subscriptions
Volunteer interest forms
Event RSVPs or registrations
Program inquiries
Communication preferences
Surveys or questionnaires
Collecting additional information from existing contacts
When someone submits an Outreach Form, DonorDock can create a new Contact or update an existing Contact with the information provided.
Forms can include standard Contact fields as well as Contact Custom Fields and Form Response Custom Fields. Contact Custom Fields are useful for information that should remain on the Contact record, while Form Response Custom Fields can capture information that belongs specifically to an individual submission.
Outreach Forms can also automatically add Contacts to Marketing Lists or apply Badges, and Form Responses can be used as triggers for Automations.
Which Form Should I Use?
If you want to... | Use |
|---|---|
Accept a donation or payment | Online Giving Form |
Set up recurring donations | Online Giving Form |
Accept membership payments | Online Giving Form |
Collect payment for event tickets | Online Giving Form |
Collect newsletter signups | Outreach Form |
Collect volunteer interests | Outreach Form |
Create an RSVP or registration without payment | Outreach Form |
Collect Contact Custom Field information | Outreach Form |
Collect one-time questionnaire or event responses | Outreach Form |
Add Contacts to Marketing Lists based on a submission | Outreach Form |
Both form types can be published and shared directly with supporters or embedded on your organization's website. Choose the form type primarily based on whether the supporter needs to make a payment or simply provide information.