QR Code for Non-Profits: How to Enhance Impact and Raise More Funds

You have organized a fundraising event. Now, you want to simplify the donation process for attendees. 

You wonder: is there a way around having your audience type long URLs to visit your non-profit page or payment link?

There is, and it’s donation QR Codes. 

These can easily direct supporters to your website or landing page for uninterrupted contributions. 

To create one, you’d need a QR Code generator. With so many in the market, choosing the right one for your needs is key. With a non-profit specifically, one that’s economical and has the most features has the trump card. 

In this article, we explore how to choose a QR Code generator for non-profits and how QR Codes can increase your reach, spread awareness, raise funds, and scale up campaigns.

Table of contents

1. What is a donation QR Code?
2. How to make a QR Code for donations?
3. How to use a QR Code for different non-profit events
4. How to find the best QR Code generator for non-profits
5. Best practices

What is a donation QR Code?

A donation QR Code is a QR Code that makes donation or fundraising easier and more accessible. They can direct the QR Code to a form, a payment link, or a website to donate online. 

This can be a quick and easier way for most non-profits to boost reach. This also removes the roadblock of cash-only transactions and helps drive more impact. Donation QR Codes can be shared via flyers, brochures, and other offline marketing materials. 

How to make a QR Code for donations

You can use a non-profit QR Code generator to easily create a QR Code for donations and fundraising. This tool allows you to customize your QR Code to fit your non-profit’s branding. Here’s how you can create your QR Code:

Step 1: Log in to Uniqode and choose the type of QR Code

After logging in, navigate to the +CREATE button on the dashboard and click it. From the dropdown, click QR Code.

Choose a campaign type according to what you want to share. It could be a PayPal donation page, a GoFundMe page, your website, or a payment link For instance, choose “website” from the campaign list to share your PayPal donation page. 

Step 2: Add the URL

Copy and paste the online URL of the donation page.

📝Note: Ensure the URL you add has the required access for your audience to scan and view it.

Step 3: Customize the donation QR Code

You can showcase the branding of your non-profit, on the QR Codes you use by:  

1. Adding a logo: You can embed the non-profit on the QR Code. On the dashboard, choose “Logo” and upload the logo.
2. Using brand colors: You can incorporate your non-profit’s color scheme to match your QR Code’s branding. You can use the color palette under “pattern” and “eyes.”
3. Adding backgrounds: You can add a contrasting background, such as a color or a background image. You can also leave the background transparent.  Select “Background,” choose between Color, Image, and Transparent, and customize.
4. Adding a frame and CTA: It is an excellent practice to add frames to distinguish the QR Code on flyers, brochures, or websites. Similarly, adding a Call-to-action (CTA) helps convey what content users see upon scanning. For instance, you can add CTAs such as “scan to donate” or “scan to view campaign.”  

Step 4: Download the QR Code 

Use your mobile device to scan the preview and check if the QR Code redirects to the intended file or webpage. You can download the QR Code in any format based on your use case. You can find high-resolution formats such as SVG, EPS, and other formats such as PNG, JPEG, and PDF. 

How to use QR Codes for different non-profit events

1. Easy and efficient fundraising

One of the conspicuous and most prominent use cases of QR Codes for non-profits is to help generate funds securely and seamlessly. 

You can add a QR Code to charity campaigns and print it on various marketing collaterals- from brochures, tent cards, and invitations to banners and standees. 

Once people scan the QR Code, they will be redirected to your PayPal donation page or website, enabling them to donate online. Not only does this facilitate seamless fundraising, but it also increases your chances of getting funds and keeping track of it. 

A good example is when the popular American restaurant chain Chili’s used QR Codes to raise over $5 million for the cause of cancer among children. 

As a part of its annual fundraising campaign, Chili’s tracked 291,000 scans of their QR Code printed on tents and coloring sheets placed on tables across the restaurants!

2. Expand reach on charity donations

One of the main reasons people hesitate to donate online to charities is the lack of transparency regarding where the funds will go. This ‘trust deficit’ can be addressed by transparency- and effective communication on the part of the charities. 

Inviting donors to take a behind-the-scenes tour of your programs is an easy way to create an environment of transparency. When you’re willing to open your doors, your supporters will relate that to honesty.

For instance, platforms such as GoFundMe, Square, and Donorbox can help you share videos, the journey of your non-profit, and other details on a single page, along with the donation or payment link. 

This makes it easier for your audience to scan and read the details of your charity drives, thus driving transparency and boosting trust. 

3. Charity business card

Like in any business, building relationships becomes essential when you’re a non-profit. Joining like-minded communities and networking with potential partners, donors, board members, or even professionals can help you up your game and raise funds. 

A simple way to leverage the power of a QR Code for non-profits is by using a digital business card.  

Employees can use these in their email signatures and ID cards at events to enable real-time digital conversations. Digital business cards are cost-effective, 100% contactless, and easy to share across various platforms and devices.

4. Use surveys to gather feedback

According to Harvard Business Review, 88% of non-profit organizations said gathering feedback was one of the metrics in measuring impact. However, getting customers to fill out a feedback form is not so simple when there’s a long URL to share.

This is where a QR Code for fundraising comes in. 

You can create a QR Code form for feedback and surveys and promote it on social media, print material, merchandise, or stationary. You can also use Google Forms or Uniqode’s native forms which are customizable, mobile-friendly, and even support multiple languages. This makes it easy to create, share, and gather feedback.

5. Let visitors RSVP to your events

Let’s say you’re hosting a church giveaway. Distributing flyers does the work, but there’s no opportunity to remind your audience or know how much of your audience is attending the event. 

It is important to keep track of invitees and attendees as it helps with better planning and optimal use of financial resources. 

To help with this, you can add an RSVP QR Code to your invitations and e-invites. Let your guests RSVP and receive all the details they might need before attending your event, like time, venue, direction, etc.

6. Use data and analytics to drive more impact

One of the critical challenges the charitable sector faces is disorganized access to data. While reports from Data Science for Non-Profits suggest that 90% of nonprofits collect data, about half of them, do not fully utilize it.

To leverage this data to its full potential- it must be organized, digitized, and easily accessible. A fundraising QR Code is a great way to gather and analyze data effectively.

You can track information like the date and time of the scan, number of scans, location, device, etc. Moreover, if you want a deeper understanding and want to dig into end-user data, you can also integrate your QR Code with Google Analytics.

How to find the best QR Code generator for nonprofits

To empower your non-profit’s fundraising efforts, it’s best to choose a QR Code generator that prioritizes ease of use, brand customization, and trackable dynamic codes.

We also recommend looking for integration with donation platforms, affordable pricing, data analytics, and multi-format downloads. Features such as bulk generation are a bonus and can help save time, while security and customer support ensure seamless campaign success.

Here’s a quick overview of the best QR Code generators for non-profits to choose from:

Things to keep in mind before using QR Codes for fundraising

As you’ve read by now, a QR Code for donations can truly help drive more awareness to your non-profit. However, it can also become not-so-effective, if you don’t adhere to certain best practices. 

Here are a few things to remember when creating a QR Code for non-profits.

1. Add a clear, powerful QR Code CTA

For instance, your QR Code for donations can have a CTA like ‘Donate Now’ or ‘Know our Story,’ and it should redirect to the correct landing page. User experience is key as there might be drop off’s if you’re not giving a clear CTA.

2. Ensure the QR Code is not pixelated

A basic rule of thumb is that the more pixelated a QR Code is, the harder it is to scan. Consider different formats like JPG, PNG, MSV, etc., and ensure you choose the right one. Check for the QR Code size based on your use case – it could be a small poster or a billboard for charity.

3. Add your brand logo

Including your brand logo in all the marketing collaterals lends credibility and authority. A QR Code with logo is easily recognizable, and it will encourage people to scan your QR Code. You can also customize other elements of your QR Code like color, shape, design, patterns, etc.

4. Test your QR Code

Imagine a QR Code leading to a 404 page for a campaign. It’s essential to test the donation QR Code several times across devices before sharing it.

Spread awareness about your cause with fundraising QR Codes

We know that as a cause-driven organization, you have a lot on your plate, and enabling people to believe in your work and create impact is the most important part of your job. 

A QR Code could be that small step that could drive big change for you and help spread awareness about your cause. With Uniqode’s dynamic QR Code, you can easily create, customize, track, and maintain your QR Codes. 

We also offer a 10% discount exclusively to non-profits and charitable organizations.

Wondering how you can get started? Try it out below!

Frequently asked questions

1. How much does it cost to make a QR Code?

Static QR Codes are free, but have limited features. Editable, dynamic QR Codes start at a price of $5/month.

2. Can QR Codes be used for donations?

Yes QR Codes can be used for donations, and you can create them in 4 easy steps:

1. Go to Uniqode’s QR Code generator and log in to your dashboard. (Sign up for a free trial if you don’t have access to the dashboard)
2. Click on ‘+Create QR Code’ and choose the type of QR Code you want to generate.
3. Enter the required details and customize your QR Code.
4. Click ‘Next,’ and your QR Code is ready for download.

3. Can QR Codes be printed for fundraising events?

You can easily download a QR Code in the format of your choice for it to be printed on physical materials such as flyers and brochures. For printing QR Codes, formats such as PNG and JPG are recommended for smaller print and non-resizing needs. If you need to resize for bigger materials such as billboards, EPS is the recommended format.

• Author Details

Author Details

Natasha Puri

Natasha is a content marketer who intertwines product with high quality content. Presently, she writes about dynamic QR Codes and their features, as a tool that drives businesses revenue. When she’s not tracking QR Codes and how they can help businesses market their products, she’s busy tracking her two little boys.

puri.natasha@gmail.com