How To Create A Successful Online Donation Page For Your Nonprofit Organization
Your donation page is an important part of your nonprofit organization’s website.
It provides a way for people to give without needing to be physically present, and it can be a great tool for generating funds in order to help your charitable cause.
Before you begin, you should think about your target audience’s motivations when it comes to donations.
However, the most important thing to remember is that you should always think of donation pages as a fundraising tool and not just an online donation option.
You want your potential donors to see your page and be motivated enough to donate online or volunteer their time – so it’s crucial that you find ways to make them feel emotionally connected to your cause.
Here are some tips on how you can create a straightforward donation form that will encourage more donations and greater levels of donor engagement!
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Make Sure Your Donation Page Works On Mobile Devices
Why this matters:
A donation page that is not mobile-friendly will likely result in lost donations.
More and more people are visiting websites via their phones and tablets, so it’s important to make sure your donation page looks good on all devices.
Your nonprofit’s donation form needs to display correctly on a mobile device.
if your donors have to pinch-to-zoom then you’re going to be missing out on donations.
How to do this:
There are a few ways you can make your donation page mobile-friendly and boost your online fundraising.
One way is to use a responsive design for your donation page.
This will ensure that the page automatically adapts to the size of the screen it is being viewed on.
Another way is to create a separate donation page specifically for mobile devices.
This donation page can be designed specifically for phones and tablets, and it will be easier to navigate than the donation page on your main website.
Using an online donation platform that renders well on mobile is extremely important.
That’s why I recommend using Donorbox for your nonprofit’s donation page.
Keep Your Message And Branding Consistant
Why this matters:
If potential donors visit your donation page and it looks different than the rest of your website or your email appeal, they may be confused or put off.
Keeping your branding consistent will help keep the overall look and feel of your website cohesive, which can make donors more likely to donate.
You want to reassure your donors, at every step of the donation experience, that they’re in the right place and that they’re entering their credit card details into the correct online form.
Having inconsistent branding and messaging creates anxiety for donors, so make sure these things stay consistent.
How to do this:
Make sure that all elements of your donation page are consistent with the branding of your website.
This includes the colours, fonts, and design elements. You may also want to use the same donation form on your donation page as you do on other pages of your website.
This will make donors feel more comfortable filling out the form since they will be familiar with the layout and questions.
Outline Your Case For Support
Why this matters:
People are more likely to donate if they understand why your organization is important and what it does.
Reiterating your story on your donation page will help donors learn more about your cause and why it’s important.
Too many nonprofits don’t give donors any reason to give on their donate page.
A really great donation page will have a compelling case for support that motivates donors to give.
How to do this:
Include a brief overview of your organization’s story on your donation page.
This should be a brief summary of your organization’s mission and how you are helping to make a difference in the world.
You can also use images or videos on your donation page to help tell your story.
If potential donors can see how their donation will help make a difference, they will be more likely to donate.
Prioritise The Space ‘Above The Fold’
Why this matters:
Don’t put your most important and compelling content down the bottom of your donation page.
If donors have to scroll to see your best content, then it isn’t going to get seen.
It’s important to use the donation page to show donors how they can help your organization.
While people may be interested in donating, you must give them a reason why they should donate with compelling text and images that are easy-to-read.
How to do this:
Put an image or video at the top of your donation page that tells your story.
This image should be eye-catching and show the impact of donation, which will encourage donors to learn more about your organization.
Try including text that explains how their donation can make a difference or what they’ll get in return for donating (i.e., exclusive content).
Make Your Page Secure
Why this matters:
When donors submit their donation information, they want to know that it is safe and secure. Don’t put your donor data at risk.
If your donation page and form are not secure, donors may be hesitant to donate or fill out the form.
How to do this:
There are a few things you can do to make your donation page more secure.
One way is to use a secure donation form.
This will ensure that the information donors submit is protected.
You can also use a secure connection (HTTPS) for your donation page.
This will help protect donors’ personal information from being intercepted by third parties.
Eliminate Distractions
Why this matters:
If potential donors are interested in donating, you don’t want to distract them from the giving process by including too many elements on your donation page.
This can confuse or overwhelm donors and cause them to leave without donating.
How to do this:
Keep your donation page simple and focus on the donation form.
Don’t include any other elements that will distract donors from the donation form or take up too much space.
This includes text, images, and links to other content on your website.
If you can, also remove any menus or navigation options from your nonprofit’s online donation form.
Simplify Your Online Giving Form
Why this matters:
Donors don’t want to have to fill out the donation form multiple times. Repetitive information, such as name and address fields, can be a hassle for donors.
How to do this:
Avoid asking potential donors for repetitive information on your donation page.
If you can, avoid asking for too much information like separate billing and shipping addresses.
Don’t make them fill out their name twice etc.
Simplicity Matters
Why this matters:
Great donation pages are simple.
Donors will be more likely to donate if they find your donation form easy-to-use.
If the donation page is complex or difficult to navigate, donors may get frustrated and leave without donating.
How to do this:
Keep your donation form simple so that potential donors can easily fill it out in one sitting.
Also, include a brief description of the giving process to help donors understand what they need to do.
Streamline your process
Why this matters:
Donors want to donate quickly and easily without having to jump through a lot of hoops.
If the giving process is complicated or takes too long, donors may get frustrated and leave without donating.
How to do this:
Make the giving process as quick and easy as possible by including clear instructions on how to donate.
Also, make donation forms simple and straightforward. Use buttons with suggested donation amount to make things even easier for your donors.
Use Suggested Donation Amounts
Why this matters:
Donors want to feel like they’re making a difference with their donation, and offering different giving levels can help them do that. Giving levels can also make the giving process seem more achievable for potential donors.
How to do this:
Create donation levels that are relevant to your organization and offer perks for each level of donation.
This will give donors a sense of accomplishment and will encourage them to donate more.
Make sure that donation levels are clearly marked on the donation form so that potential donors can easily find out what they need to do in order to get each gift or perk.
You can do this easily using a tool like Donorbox.
Donorbox allows you to create a visually appealing nonprofit donation page that includes suggested donation amounts.
You can even link those suggested amounts to practical outcomes, allowing donors to see exactly what their gift will achieve.
Offer alternative giving options
Why this matters:
Not everyone who wants to donate to your organization will want to do so online. You can offer other donation options, such as mailing a check or donating over the phone, in order to reach more potential donors.
How to do this:
If you want to offer other donation options, make sure that you have detailed instructions on how to donate through those methods.
Also, make sure that your donation page links to other donation options on your website.
Attach Tangible Outcomes to Donation Amounts
Why this matters:
Donors want to know the impact of their donation so that they can feel good about giving.
This is particularly important for small donations, which donors may not feel are worth it on their own.
How to do this:
Offer donation levels with tangible impacts by attaching images and descriptions of what your organization will do with donation money.
This will help donors feel like their donation is making a difference.
Ask For Recurring Donations
Why this matters:
Offering recurring donations and encouraging donors to set up regular donation plans can help them do that.
Your recurring donors are actually going to be the donors most likely to give to your one-off appeals as well.
The more you can encourage deeper levels of engagement with your donors the more successful your fundraising efforts will be.
How to do this:
Offer donation levels that allow your organization’s supporters to make monthly, quarterly, or yearly donation commitments.
Also, make it easy for donors to set up recurring donations on your donation page.
Donorbox is one of the simplest platforms for setting up recurring gifts.
Simply select monthly giving options on your form (or some other frequency) to collect donations regularly.
Donorbox even has an online portal that allows your donors to manage their monthly donation, including updating payment details and their donation amount.
Use Matching Gift Programs
Why this matters:
Donors want to feel like their donation is making an impact, and matching gift donation levels can help them do that.
Providing donors with the option of giving through matching gifts also allows you to increase your donation revenue without having to spend additional time or effort on fundraising activities.
How to do this:
If you want to offer matching gift donation levels, make sure that you have a process in place for verifying whether or not donors are eligible for matching gifts.
You can also provide information on how to donate through matching gift donation levels on your donation page.
Programs like ‘Double The Donation’ allow your nonprofit to access corporate giving programs so a donor’s employer can match their gift to your organization.
Try Different Button Text Options
Why this matters:
Donation pages that are easy to navigate will make the giving process more effective.
The submit button text should reflect these factors by emphasizing action and encouraging donors to complete the donation form.
How to do this:
Experiment with different donation button text, such as “Donate” or “Give now.”
You can also try out donation button icons to see whether those are more effective at encouraging donors to complete the donation form.
Offer Alternative Payment Options
Why this matters:
Different donors have different payment preferences.
Offering donation payments through a variety of methods will make it easier for potential donors to donate to your organization.
Also, don’t forget cryptocurrencies.
While cryptocurrencies are still relatively new, the amount of money that is being given online to charities via crypto is growing exponentially.
How to do this:
Make sure that you accept donations through a variety of payment methods, such as debit cards, credit cards, and PayPal.
You can also accept donations through donation apps, such as Google Wallet and Apple Pay.
Use Social Media Buttons To Spread The Word
Why this matters:
Social media is a powerful tool for getting the word out about your organization and its donation page.
In order to make it easier for donors to share your donation page on social media, include social media buttons on your donation page.
How to do this:
Include social media buttons on your donation thank you page that will allow donors to share your donation page with their friends and followers on social media.
This will help you reach more potential donors.
Include a Donation Themometer
Why this matters:
A donation progress meter (or thermometer) can help them do that by showing how much of the donation goal has been reached.
How to do this:
Include a donation progress meter on your donation page.
This will show donors how much of the donation goal has been reached and encourage them to donate more.
Donorbox allows you to do this easily by setting a goal amount when you create your campaign.
If you’ve entered a target amount, then a progress meter will appear on your donation page and will be updated whenever anyone gives a gift.
Include Testimonies, Impact Stories & Endorsements
Why this matters:
Testimonials and endorsements are an effective way to show donors the impact that their donation has had.
How to do this:
Include a testimonials section on your donation page.
This will show donors the impact that their donation has had and encourage them to donate more.
Also, if your organization has been credited by a government charities commission or some other body, be sure to include these logos or seals on your donation page.
Don’t Forget To Follow Up
Why this matters:
Planning for what happens after donation will increase the effectiveness of your donation page.
Your donor needs to know that your online donation page worked.
They want to have confidence that your donation form worked and that their online donations have been received successfully and that their gift is going to make a difference.
How to do this:
Make sure that you plan for what happens after donation on your donation page.
This could include thanking donors, providing updates about how their donations are used, and sharing other types of information with them as you have it.
Encourage Donors to Share Their Donation On Social Media
Why this matters:
Allowing donors to share their donations on social media will help increase the reach of your donation page.
How to do this:
Include social media sharing buttons on your donation page.
This will make it easier for donors to share information about your donation page with others on social media.
Make Your Website’s “Donate” Button Visible & Prominently Placed
Why this matters:
Making your donation button visible and prominently placed will increase the effectiveness of your donation page.
Having a clear call to action on your nonprofit website is very important.
Your donation form needs to be easily accessible for donors so that they can use it effectively and donate as quickly as possible.
How to do this:
Make sure that you include a “donate” button on your website that is visible and prominently placed.
This will make it easier for donors to find the donation page and complete the donation process quickly, which means more donations for you!
Use a Donate Button On Social Media
Why this matters:
Adding a donation button to your social media accounts will help increase traffic to your donation page.
How to do this:
Include a donation button on all of your organization’s online content, such as social media posts, website pages, and email blasts.
This will make it easier for donors to find and donate to your organization.
Choose The Right Fundraising Software for Your Donation Pages
Why this matters:
Using donation software for your donation pages will increase the effectiveness of your donation form.
Donation software can help you manage donations, keep track of donors, and more.
How to do this:
Choose the right donation software for your donation pages.
This will help you manage donations more effectively and keep track of donors, which can help improve your donation process in the long run.
When creating an online donation page for your non profit organization, it’s important to make sure that you include all of the necessary information for donors.
This will help increase the reach of your donation page and encourage more people to donate.
Additionally, using donation software for your donation pages will help improve the effectiveness of your donation form.
So, make sure to choose the right software and get started today!
There are lots of different options available, but if you’re just starting out then I recommend using Donorbox.
It’s super simple, and you can be up and running in less than 15 minutes.
Donorbox’s forms employ all the best practices to boost your online fundraising efforts.
Their Donation page design tools are excellent and really easy to use.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you’ve found these tips helpful and you will be able to use them to improve your own online donation form.
Keep in mind that donation pages are constantly evolving, so it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies.
By following these tips, you can create a successful online donation page for your non profit organization.
