Set Up Your Product Donation Process

[Alicia_Schmidt]

Set Up Your Product Donation Process

Create a low-lift process that makes it easy for nonprofits to be successful.

📍 Where you are

You’ve chosen your model. Now you need to build the process a nonprofit can actually move through — from finding your program, to applying, to getting onboarded, to renewing. Every gap in that journey is where good intentions break down. This module maps out what to build and in what order.

The key is to think from the nonprofit’s perspective. Map their journey: how do they find your program, apply, get onboarded, receive support, and renew?

Outsource before you build. If you have a tech product, use TechSoup to administer eligibility verification and distribution. For pro bono, use Taproot or Catchafire. Don’t build what already exists.

Map the Nonprofit’s Journey — 5 Stages

Stage	What to Do	What to Build
1. Discovery	Add your program to your website, nonprofit outreach, and TechSoup. Actively promote — don’t assume they’ll find you.	A landing page or web section describing the program and how to apply
2. Application	A simple form under 10 fields. Long applications discourage under-resourced nonprofits.	A Google Form or Typeform — review applications weekly at first
3. Approval	Define eligibility criteria in advance. Verify 501(c)(3) status. Respond within 5 business days.	A simple approval email template (use the AI prompt below)
4. Onboarding	Account setup, a welcome email, and one onboarding call or short video.	An onboarding email sequence of 2–3 emails (use the AI prompt below)
5. Support & renewal	Decide what support you can sustainably offer. Renewal email at 11 months with a brief impact survey.	Renewal email + 3-question impact survey

🤖 AI DRAFT PROMPT

Draft our nonprofit approval & onboarding email sequence

Generate the approval confirmation email and the first two onboarding emails for a nonprofit accepted into your product donation program.

Copy this prompt into your preferred AI assistant (like Claude or Gemini), then fill in the [brackets]:

Write a 3-email sequence for nonprofits accepted into our product donation program.
Our company: [name, what our product does].
What they receive: [e.g., free access to our project management software, up to 5 user seats].
Support included: [e.g., 10 hours of onboarding support, help docs, email support for 90 days].

EMAIL 1 — Approval confirmation (sent immediately):
Confirm acceptance, explain what they get, set expectations for onboarding timeline, express genuine enthusiasm for the partnership. Under 150 words.

EMAIL 2 — Getting started (sent 2 days later):
Step-by-step instructions to access and set up the product. Link to help resources. Who to contact with questions. Under 200 words.

EMAIL 3 — Check-in (sent 30 days after access):
Ask how it's going, offer a quick call if needed, share one tip or feature they may not have found yet. Under 100 words.

Tone across all emails: warm, human, low-pressure. Not a customer success script.

Capacity Limits — Protect Your Team

Setting limits isn’t about being restrictive — it’s about making a promise you can keep. Nonprofits who apply deserve a reliable, well-supported program.

What to Cap	Why	Example
Number of orgs per year	Prevents support burden growing uncontrollably	We accept up to 25 applications per year
Support hours included	Sets expectations; protects your team	10 hours of onboarding support included per org
Org size / budget	Focus on orgs who need you most	Organizations with annual budgets under $2M
Geography	Focused impact; easier to support	US-based nonprofits only — for now

💡 PRO TIP

Pro bono tip: An employee doing a 10-hour pro bono design project counts toward both their time pledge AND your product pledge. Double impact, same hours.

3 Quick Actions

• All 5 journey stages mapped: discovery, application, approval, onboarding, support and renewal.
• Capacity limits set: orgs per year, support hours, eligibility criteria.
• Program shared externally (website / partner) with clear instructions on eligibility and how to apply.

You’re ready to launch. Now let’s measure what your donation is achieving and share the story.

Next: Share Your Product Donation Impact →