They might be a good deal for donors, but there still are a lot of questions to ask.

By Kimberly Seville

If a donor gets burned by the card issuer, the nonprofit could lose what amounts to spare change generated by that donor’s transactions … but at what cost to the relationship with the donor?

I’m also curious about the giving behavior of donors who are affinity-card holders. Do they stop giving in response to direct-mail, telemarketing and e-mail appeals because they mistakenly think they’re giving much more than they really are simply by using a credit card to make everyday purchases? Would they have signed up for the card in the first place if they’d been clearly informed, in the letter and on the application, how much the nonprofit would receive relative to their use of the card?