ApproveThis manages your GivingTech Integration approvals.

When Fundraising Meets Approval Workflows

Let's be real: non-profits have better things to do than chase down signatures for every donation. That's where ApproveThis and GivingTech come in - like peanut butter and jelly for your operational sanity.

GivingTech handles the money moves - tracking donations, managing donor relationships, and keeping your fundraising engine running. ApproveThis acts as the decision-making layer that ensures every dollar gets where it needs to go without bureaucratic delays. Connect them through Zapier, and you've just turned weeks of "Hey, did you approve that?" emails into a single automated workflow.

Why This Combo Works

Most non-profits we talk to have the same problem: critical decisions get stuck between departments. Your development team secures a $50K donation, but it takes three weeks to get sign-offs from finance, program leads, and the board before you can actually use the funds. With this integration:

• Donations trigger immediate approval workflows
• Multiple teams can review simultaneously (no waiting your turn)
• External partners can approve without getting logins to your core systems

We've seen organizations cut approval times by 80% while actually improving compliance. Not bad for a setup that takes 23 minutes to configure.

The Killer Use Case You'll Actually Use

Instant Donation Review Workflows

Here's how it plays out for a mid-sized environmental non-profit:

1. A corporate donor pledges $75K through GivingTech
2. Zapier automatically creates an approval request in ApproveThis
3. The workflow simultaneously alerts:
- Finance (to verify payment method)
- Program leads (to confirm project alignment)
- Legal (to review terms)
4. All approvals happen via email - no logins required
5. Once greenlit, the funds get allocated within hours instead of weeks

The secret sauce? ApproveThis' calculated fields automatically flag donations over $100K for board review, while smaller amounts can auto-approve based on your rules. No more manual threshold checks.

Setup That Doesn't Require an IT Degree

If you can set up a Zoom call, you can handle this:

1. Create a Zapier account (free tier works)
2. Choose GivingTech's "New Donation" trigger
3. Map these fields to ApproveThis:
   - Donation amount → Approval amount field
   - Donor info → Custom description
   - Designated program → Department tag
4. Set your approval rules in ApproveThis:
   - Who needs to approve based on amount/program
   - Automatic reminders (because we all forget)
   - Escalation paths for slow responders

Pro tip: Use ApproveThis' vacation delegation feature so approvals don't get stuck when your CFO is trekking the Andes.

Who Actually Benefits (Spoiler: Everyone)

Finance Teams

Finally get that audit trail they've been begging for. Every donation approval shows who approved it, when, and with what comments. Plus, automatic threshold rules prevent junior staff from accidentally approving six-figure donations.

Program Managers

Stop playing phone tag with finance. When a restricted donation comes in for your clean water initiative, you get pinged immediately. Approve via email while waiting for your latte, and watch the funds get allocated before the milk foam settles.

Operations Directors

Cut the 23-step manual process down to three automated steps. Real-time dashboards show exactly where every donation is in the approval chain, so you're never blindsided by board questions about pending funds.

The Unsexy (But Critical) Details

Security nuts? Good. ApproveThis maintains SOC 2 compliance, and since approvers don't need GivingTech logins, you're not spreading credentials around. For sensitive donations, enable sequential approvals so the executive director gets final say after initial reviews.

And for the love of efficiency, use conditional fields to hide unnecessary details from approvers. Your animal shelter's treasurer doesn't need to see the donor's pet's name - just the amount and designation.

Why This Beats "Just Using Email"

We all know how donation approvals really happen without this setup:
- 12-forwarded emails with conflicting comments
- Version 7 of the "FINAL approval request.docx"
- That one check stuck under the ED's keyboard
With ApproveThis + GivingTech, you get:
- Single source of truth for every decision
- Automatic reminders that don't make you the nag
- Mobile-friendly approvals that happen during soccer practice

Ready to Stop Being a Approval Middleman?

Here's your play:
1. Grab a free ApproveThis trial
2. Connect it to GivingTech via Zapier (takes 15 minutes)
3. Set up your first rule: "Auto-approve donations under $5K"
4. Watch your team reclaim 8 hours/week minimum

Or if you're the hands-on type, book a 15-minute demo and we'll show you how other non-profits killed their approval backlog.

Either way, your future self (the one not chasing PDF signatures) says thanks.