ApproveThis manages your DonorDock Integration approvals.

When “Wait, Who Approves This?” Kills Momentum

Let’s be real: Nonprofits aren’t exactly known for moving at lightning speed. Between board sign-offs, budget approvals, and making sure every donor interaction is on-brand, getting anything done can feel like wading through molasses. And when you’re trying to launch a time-sensitive campaign or respond to a major donor’s request? Those delays aren’t just annoying – they cost you donations.

That’s where slapping ApproveThis and DonorDock together via Zapier becomes your secret weapon. Think of it as adding nitrous oxide to your nonprofit’s engine. Automate the bureaucratic stuff, so your team can focus on what actually matters – raising funds and making an impact.

Why This Combo Works (Besides Saving Your Sanity)

DonorDock keeps your donor data tidy. ApproveThis keeps decisions moving. Connect them, and you’ve eliminated the two biggest bottlenecks in nonprofit operations:

• No more data limbo: Approval requests auto-populate with DonorDock info – no copy-pasting donor amounts or campaign details.
• Zero license headaches: Board members or external partners approve via email. They don’t need DonorDock logins (or a PhD in your CRM).

But the real magic? Zapier acts as your invisible intern. It quietly shuffles data between systems the second something needs a greenlight. No coding, no IT tickets, just approvals that happen before your coffee gets cold.

4 Ways to Make Your Nonprofit Actually Agile

1. Campaigns That Launch When They’re Supposed To (For Once)

The Problem: Your “Urgent! Holiday Fundraiser” gets approved… in January. Because Karen from accounting was on vacation and the request got buried.

The Fix: New ApproveThis request → Zapier auto-creates the DonorDock campaign. Set approval thresholds so if it’s under $5K, it auto-approves. Over that? Escalates to the board. Now “urgent” actually means something.

2. Don’t Let Sketchy Contacts Poison Your Data

The Problem: Volunteer adds their cousin’s “totally legit” foundation as a donor. Spoiler: It’s not. Now your team wastes hours cleaning up the mess.

The Fix: New DonorDock contact? Zapier pings ApproveThis. Development director gets an email with the contact’s details + a big “APPROVE” button. No approval = the contact never moves past “prospect” status.

3. Turn Approved Ideas Into Donor Appeals in 60 Seconds

The Problem: Board loves your disaster relief idea… but by the time you draft the appeal, the news cycle has moved on.

The Fix: The second ApproveThis gets a “yes”, Zapier triggers DonorDock to create the appeal. Pre-load templates with dynamic fields – the approved budget auto-populates, your ED’s pre-written plea imports. Hit send while the iron’s hot.

4. Prove You’re Not Wasting Donors’ Money (Without the Spreadsheet Nightmares)

The Problem: A donor asks how their $10K was spent. Cue panic as you dig through emails and beg finance for reports.

The Fix: Every DonorDock activity (event, grant, etc.) auto-generates an ApproveThis request. Approvers get context: “This $2K expense is 20% of the Smith Foundation grant.” All approvals are logged with notes – exportable for audits in two clicks.

Setup So Easy Even Your Least Techy Board Member Could Do It

If you can order DoorDash, you can connect these systems:

1. Grab Your Zapier Account: Free tier works, but paid lets you add more “if this then that” logic. Sign up here.
2. Pick Your Trigger: In Zapier, choose DonorDock (new contact, activity) or ApproveThis (request approved) as the starting point.
3. Do the Thing: Map which DonorDock fields auto-fill ApproveThis requests, or vice versa. Pro tip: Use ApproveThis’ calculated fields to auto-flag requests over $10K.
4. Test With a Real-Life Scenario: Submit a fake $15K campaign request. If your ED’s inbox gets the approval email within 60 seconds, you’re golden.

Who Wins Besides Your Overworked Staff?

Fundraising Teams:

Stop babysitting board members for approvals. Your “ask” emails now include: “PS: Already approved by finance per policy #3.” Donors see you as competent, not chaotic.

Ops/Finance:

Auto-reject requests that don’t match grant restrictions (thanks to ApproveThis’ conditional logic). Vacation delegate so when Karen’s snorkeling in Bali, her deputy gets the emails.

Leadership:

Real-time dashboards show which campaigns are stuck. Slash meeting times by 60% – everyone already sees the status without you playing reporter.

This Isn’t Just “Efficiency” – It’s Survival

Donors have options. If you’re slow to launch programs or can’t prove fiscal responsibility, they’ll bounce. ApproveThis + DonorDock isn’t about being fancy – it’s about being credible.

Ready to stop losing donations to paperwork delays? Register for ApproveThis or grab a demo. We’ll even help you build your first Zapier flow – no charge, because we’re nice like that.