Giving to Friends University has just become conveniently clickable. The friends.edu Web site is giving benefactors the option of online giving in a convenient and secure format.

Aaron Winter, director of the Friends University Annual Fund, says this new method of giving benefits both the University and its donors.

“For our donors it gives them a more convenient way of giving. It can save them time and postage. After donors make a Phonathon pledge or they receive a solicitation in the mail, they can simply go online and make their gift if they like, rather than going to the trouble of mailing it in,” Winter said. “For the University, it is immediate fulfillment and is money that can go right to work. Particularly in the case of Phonathon, we don’t have to spend our resources on trying to get a pledge fulfilled, and it allows us to focus our efforts on stewardship.”

Online giving can be done with a credit or debit card through the friends.edu Web site. Donations are processed through CASHNet, which adheres to the stringent guidelines mandated by the Payment Card Industry (PCI).

“CASHNet’s niche in the market is providing hosted PCI-compliant payment solutions for higher education,” said Joan Tregellas, director of University Relations services.

Donors will have the option of deciding what areas they want their contributions to benefit.

“The default gift designation is to the Friends Annual Fund. However, there is also an option where the donors can manually input where they would like their designation to go,” Winter said.

Winter said online giving is an option that is tailored toward busy benefactors.

“We are very excited to have the ability to offer our donors the opportunity to make a gift online. People are so busy now that it’s very important to make things as convenient as possible, and if we can save our donors a little bit of time by offering this service, that makes it well worth it,” he said.

Simply put, the new online giving option makes giving to Friends University easier than ever, said Hervey Wright III, vice president of University Relations.

“We are always looking for ways to make giving to Friends University more convenient, and online giving is one such way,” Wright said. “Online giving at Friends University is an easy, fast and convenient way to support the University.”

To donate online, click here.