9 ways to meaningfully improve your donation pages

I hate to say it, but a lot (really, a lot) of nonprofit online giving pages are a hot mess.

This is holding back those organizations. And as more and more giving migrates to the web, the problem is getting worse.

But it’s completely fixable.

Here’s a helpful post from the Engage Blog: How to Make Small Changes for Big Impact on Your Donation Form. This will really help you build great donation pages.

Easy-to-find donate button

It hardly matters how good your donate page is if people can’t find it. Make sure it’s prominently placed and in a bright contrasting color. It should shine out from everything else on the page!

Multiple payment options

While donors usually use credit cards to give online, offer other choices, such as PayPal, bank transfers, or digital wallets (such as Apple Pay or Google Pay).

Recurring giving functionality

Don’t miss the opportunity for a donor to become a monthly giver (or other cadence). Make it easy and obvious. It will pay off immediately and for the long-term.

Matching gift information

Some of your donors work for employers that match their giving. Make it easy for donors to take advantage of this.

Mobile optimization

More and more of your donors do some or all of their web-surfing on their phone. Make sure your donation page works in that context..

Fundraising works!

Don’t leave behind all you’ve learned from traditional fundraising: Focus on donor impact. Be specific. Be transparent. Be timely and urgent. Makes sure the page looks and sounds like your organization. Give suggested donation amounts. None of this is new, but it’s just as important online as it has always been.

Make it accessible

Your page should be usable by everyone, including individuals with disabilities.

Include trust indicators

Things like SSL certificates, secure payment gateway logos, or charity ratings from organizations like Charity Navigator or GuideStar.

Make sure it works

Your donation page should be fast-loading and glitch-free.