Glossary

Backend Development refers to the server-side part of web or software development. In the backend, the business logic of a software (e.g., calculation logic, validations, etc.) is defined. This includes managing databases, server logic, authentication, and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that communicate with the frontend. Backend developers ensure that the server, application, and database communicate properly and provide a seamless user experience. They take care of security, scalability, and performance optimization.

A Backlink is a hyperlink on an external website that points to your own domain. Also known as inbound links, backlinks are a key element of off-page SEO and play an important role in increasing visibility, reach, and search engine rankings — also for nonprofits in the context of online fundraising.

The quality of a backlink depends on various factors such as the relevance, domain authority, and age of the linking website. Links from trusted and thematically relevant sources — so-called do-follow links — pass SEO value and can significantly improve your organic search performance. In contrast, no-follow links do not directly influence rankings but can still drive traffic and visibility.

Building a strong backlink profile requires a long-term strategy, including valuable content, media collaborations, and partnerships with relevant websites or platforms.

A Backup is a security copy of data that is created regularly to prevent the loss of important information. In online fundraising, this can include donor data, transaction histories, or website content. Backups are essential to ensure operational readiness in the event of technical failures, cyberattacks, or other incidents.

Backups may only contain personal data for as long as necessary for recovery purposes. According to data protection regulations, personal data in backups must also be deleted, for example, through automated overwriting at regular intervals.

Benchmarking refers to the comparison of key performance indicators (see also KPI) with internal goals, reference values, or industry averages. For nonprofit organizations, benchmarking is a valuable tool for evaluating and optimizing fundraising and communication efforts based on data.

A distinction is made between internal benchmarking (comparing against your own past results or across teams) and external benchmarking (comparing with other organizations or published industry data). The goal of benchmarking is to identify what’s working for others and where there is room for improvement.

In digital fundraising, the abundance of data and tools opens up a wide range of benchmarking opportunities. A/B tests, for example, can help compare conversion rates, average donation amounts, or donor engagement across different campaigns or donor journeys. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) can also serve as a benchmark to measure donor satisfaction and loyalty.

Best of Breed (BoB) refers to a software architecture where various tools, each best suited to meet the organization's needs in specific areas (e.g., email marketing), are connected via API interfaces. This creates an IT architecture composed of flexible, decentralized, and often smaller individual tools, allowing for the easy migration of individual systems. The most important data streams are consolidated at a Single Point of Truth (e.g., a CRM system). In digital fundraising, a BoB architecture offers greater flexibility and improved usability for end-users.

In a Best of Suite architecture, a comprehensive software solution from a single provider is chosen, covering multiple areas such as CRM, email marketing, and payment processing. This architecture reduces the number of API interfaces and simplifies data management for nonprofits. However, a Best of Suite architecture creates a strong dependency on one software provider, is complex to use, and still rarely meets all the needs of an organization. For smaller and mid-sized charities, a Best of Breed architecture is often more favorable in the long run.

Black Hat SEO refers to unethical practices used to quickly and effortlessly improve a website’s search engine ranking. These techniques violate search engine guidelines and can result in penalties or being banned from SERPs (search engine result pages). Typical black hat techniques include keyword stuffing, creating duplicate content, paying third-party pages for backlinks, or cloaking (showing different content to search engines than to users). Ethical SEO, also known as white hat SEO, focuses on providing added value to users and complying with search engine guidelines.

A Blog is a regularly updated section of a website (see also Content Hub) where personal insights and chronologically ordered posts are published. It features general information, interviews, and reports on various topics. In addition to text, blogs often include images, videos, and links to external sites. In online fundraising, blogs play an important role by providing transparency on donation allocation and sharing success stories. Blog posts also positively impact search engine rankings.

Bounce Rate represents the percentage of visitors who enter a website and leave it again without taking any action, such as clicking on a link, filling out a form, or making a donation. It is a key metric in web analytics that helps assess the effectiveness of a website or donation portal in engaging visitors. An average bounce rate ranges between 35% and 45%. A bounce rate between 25% and 35% is considered excellent. Bounce rates can however, vary heavily depending on the industry and application. Especially in blogs, news sites and events, bounce rates are expected to be higher than average.

Brand Hijacking refers to the practice of advertisers bidding on the names or keywords of third-party brands in paid search ads (e.g., Google Ads). This tactic is often used to divert traffic away from the original brand and attract potential donors who intended to visit and potentially donate on another charity’s website. In digital fundraising, brand-hijacking typically results in increased competition for ad placements, driving up the cost per click (CPC) for the hijacked brand. It also confuses donors and negatively impacts both brands' reputations, which is why we strongly advise against using this tactic. To counter it, charity brands can implement keyword monitoring, file complaints with advertising platforms, and use trademark protections.

Breadcrumbs are user interface elements of a website, donation shop, blog, etc. that usually appear at the top left in the form of a page path. They help users finding their way around the site quickly and navigate back and forth easily.

Business Intelligence (BI) refers to processes and software tools that analyze organizational data to generate insights for strategic and operational decision-making. BI platforms collect, analyze, and visualize data from various sources, providing a solid foundation for informed decisions.

Effective Business Intelligence solutions rely on an integrated system architecture, where data from all critical tools (e.g., CRM, ERP, web) is consolidated for analysis. Compared to basic analytics tools like Google Looker Studio, BI platforms such as Microsoft Power BI or Tableau empower nonprofits to conduct more in-depth analyses - covering aspects like transaction effectiveness, accounting entries, or fees. This approach addresses the growing donor demand for transparency and traceability while also boosting the effectiveness and efficiency of fundraising efforts.