Glossary

The Scope defines the deliverables of the upcoming implementation sprint in a digital project. Scoping is conducted after the requirement engineering phase. Larger web, CRM, or automation projects are typically implemented using agile methodologies, with their scope defined in advance.

Screen readers are input and output tools for people with visual impairments. They allow users to have website content read aloud or navigate the screen using speech or Braille output. As a key instrument of digital accessibility, they ensure that people with limited vision can access the content of nonprofits and participate in fundraising campaigns.

Search Engine Advertising (SEA) refers to paid advertising measures on search engines. SEA is a key discipline in online fundraising, helping organizations expand their reach and drive more traffic to their website through paid media. Advertisements are strategically displayed for specific keyword groups to target the right audience effectively.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) refers to optimizing a website for search engines. SEO includes both the optimization on a website's domain (on-page SEO) and external content (off-page SEO). Key aspects of SEO include: - Local SEO: Enhancing local search visibility. - Off-page SEO: Focused on backlinks and external signals. - On-page SEO: Primarily keyword optimization within the site. - Technical SEO: Improvements in page speed, accessibility, and more. - Additional Measures: Domain reputation, UX/UI, page experience, and related factors. All Soulclick products are continuously optimized for SEO and updated with a range of standard SEO features, such as improved loading speeds and accessibility.

The See-Think-Do-Care Framework is commonly used in online fundraising campaigns, breaking down the donor journey into four phases. Each phase has distinct goals and thus uses different messages and content.

In the See phase, for instance, the goal is to reach as many potential donors as possible and spark their interest, while the Think phase focuses on presenting specific ways to support the cause. The Do phase prioritizes conversions and the Care phase aims to build strong relationships with donors.

For small-scale campaigns with limited resources, the focus is often only on the Think and Do phases, leaving out the other two.

An SEO Ranking refers to the position a website holds in the organic (unpaid) search results of a search engine. The higher the ranking, the more prominently the site is displayed, increasing its visibility to users. ​

Search engines like Google utilize complex algorithms to evaluate and rank websites. Key factors influencing SEO ranking include:​

• Quality and Relevance of Content: High-quality, informative, and relevant content is favored by search engines.
• Backlinks: Links from other reputable websites serve as trust signals and can enhance a site's ranking. ​
• User Experience (UX): A user-friendly design, fast load times, and mobile optimization contribute to a better ranking. ​

In online fundraising, achieving a strong SEO ranking is crucial for directing potential donors to your website. Effective search engine optimization increases visibility, thereby enhancing the success of fundraising campaigns.​

The Search Engine Results Page (SERP) displays search results to users on platforms like Google or Bing. SERPs typically include 1-3 paid ads at the top, followed by 10 organic listings, with additional ads sometimes appearing at the bottom. Traffic from SERPs falls into two categories: Paid Search and Organic Search. Paid Search refers to search ads that organizations pay for to rank higher, while Organic Search includes non-paid results, where sites compete for higher visibility through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In digital fundraising, high SERP visibility is crucial for driving online donations and attracting new donors.

A Service-Level Agreement (SLA) is a formal contract between the customer and the software provider. It outlines operations, support, availability, and other critical aspects of daily business interactions. For business-critical applications, SLAs mitigate risks by specifying resolution times and software uptime. Soulclick's SLAs guarantee the seamless and secure operation of your account and are an essential component of our SaaS delivery model.

An integrated system architecture requires a central data hub, known as the Single-Point-of-Truth (SPoT). Typically, a CRM or data warehouse serves as the SPoT, connecting surrounding systems such as marketing automation, web, and fundraising tools via API interfaces.

By synchronizing relevant data attributes, a centralized and reliable information base is established. This allows charities to analyze donor, transaction, and communication data, enhancing the effectiveness and management of fundraising campaigns.

Single Sign-On (SSO) allows users to log in to a digital service repeatedly with a one-time registration, such as via a Facebook account. In online fundraising, SSO can streamline the donation process by enabling users to complete transactions without inputting personal details.

A Sitemap visualizes the hierarchy of a website, including its navigation structure and internal linking between subpages. Wireframes are often used alongside sitemaps during the conceptual phase. In the Soulclick setup, we review your website structure and provide specific recommendations for the optimal integration of the donation section.

The Slug is the part of a webpage’s URL that typically follows the top-level domain (e.g., www.helvetas.ch/donate). It indicates the path to a specific page and should ideally contain the main keyword of the subpage, making it easier for search engines to find relevant content on the website.

Social Fundraising encompasses all activities in which individuals collect donations through social networks or online platforms, encouraging friends and family members to join in. It includes crowdfunding campaigns, peer-to-peer fundraising, and social media campaigns. Soulclick offers a powerful toolkit for social fundraising, helping charities to build their own community. Social fundraising is a broad term that covers various disciplines, such as community fundraising, where local supporters engage in a social project.

Soft Bounces occur when emails cannot be temporarily delivered. Causes can include full inboxes, temporary server issues, or attachments that are too large—these delivery issues usually resolve themselves over time. However, Soft Bounces should still be monitored, as they can negatively impact the sender's reputation and deliverability, just like Hard Bounces.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a cloud-based software delivery model. Unlike traditional on-premise applications, where the software user is responsible for hosting, infrastructure, and maintenance, the SaaS model shifts these responsibilities to the software provider. Under a SaaS licensing agreement, aspects such as maintenance, updates, security, and more are handled by the provider on behalf of the customer. In return, an ongoing fee is charged. Soulclick is exclusively provided and operated under the SaaS model (see SLA).

An SDK (Software Development Kit) is a collection of tools, libraries, plugins, sample code, and documentation used by developers in software development. SDKs simplify the development process by providing pre-built components and program elements, streamlining workflows, and enhancing the final product.

A Staging Environment is a dedicated test environment used to test changes, amends or new features of software or a website before its release. Thanks to staging, major changes can be thoroughly tested without affecting the live environment (production). This makes the staging environment a crucial component in agile software development for charities, as it ensures the stability and functionality of an application before its official release.

A Sticky Header, also known as a floating header, is the top navigation element of a website that remains fixed and visible while scrolling. This keeps the navigation constantly accessible and easy to use. In online fundraising, a sticky header offers the benefit of keeping the donation button in the users' view at all times, encouraging spontaneous donations.

A Subdomain is an additional part of a main domain – for example, donate.vivamosmejor.ch, where donate is the subdomain of vivamosmejor.ch. Subdomains make it possible to seamlessly integrate third-party services like donation shops or blogs into a website. Technically, this is managed through DNS records that point the subdomain to the server of the external provider. Typically, a CNAME record is used to map the subdomain to another domain name.

Swissfundraising is the association of fundraising professionals in Switzerland. It advocates for the interests of its over 1,000 members (as of 2024) and fosters connections among diverse stakeholders through events, online platforms, and working groups. The association also organizes the annual Swissfundraisingday, a key event for networking and professional development within the Swiss fundraising sector.

System Architecture describes the structure and design of an organization's IT system, defining how various software solutions are connected and communicate (e.g., bidirectional or unidirectional). System architectures can be built using two different approaches:

• Best-of-Breed (BOB): Individual specialized software solutions for specific tasks (e.g., marketing automation) are connected to a central data hub (single point of truth) via API interfaces.

• Best-of-Suite (BOS): A single integrated platform is used, bringing together all required functions within one system.

An intelligently designed and integrated system architecture is essential for success in digital fundraising. All systems—from donation forms to CRM and email marketing tools—must work together seamlessly, enabling fundraising campaigns to be delivered in a personalized and effective manner. The Best-of-Breed approach is especially recommended for small to medium-sized organizations, as integrated solutions like Salesforce can quickly become costly and lead to a high dependency on a single provider.