Get all the information you can about how their service works. Identify what your goals are for online fundraising, and how they fit into your overall development plan. Then, spend time on their website to investigate the details. See how they present their service, and how they feature the nonprofits that are signed up with them.<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>Make sure you have a very good understanding of what fees you might have to pay. Do they subtract the fee when you receive a donation? Do you have to pay them for each use? Are there any signup or monthly fees? Do you have to pay to make changes in your listing?<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>Get referrals from other nonprofits that have signed up, and try to find out how much money they've raised through the service. Ask about the ways the service promotes itself through marketing and advertising. You want to know how hard they're working on your behalf. Make sure you understand what YOU have to do if you accept the deal. Some sites ask for buttons on your home page or announcements in your email newsletters. Finally, don't get forced into signing a multi-year contract if you're not comfortable with that. Tell the service that you want a shorter contract so you can evaluate the effectiveness of their service.<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>An earlier version of this Question and Answer was published in the NetAction Notes email newsletter at
netaction.org.