Nonprofits should make online giving as simple as possible to maximize donations. Effective donation forms are crucial to the process. Online giving is a popular donation method. According to Matchpro 260, monthly nonprofit online donations account for 31% of all online fundraising revenue. 63% of donors prefer to give online.
Donors may visit your site, but it doesn’t mean they will donate. In fact, 60% of donors get to the donation page and leave before donating. A poorly designed page could be at the root of most abandonment issues.
The right nonprofit donation page tips could solve these issues helping your organization increase its profitability.
Table of Contents
- Key Components of an Effective Donation Form
- Simplifying the Donation Process
- Building Trust with Donors
- Personalization and Customization Options
- Enhancing Visibility and Accessibility
- Optimizing for Different Platforms
- Using Analytics and Feedback
- Try the Donation Forms Trusted by Thousands of Organizations
- 100+ Free Fundraising Tools and Templates
- Donation Form FAQs
Key Components of an Effective Donation Form
Organizations should look for the following elements in their donation forms to reduce abandonment rates.
Clear and Concise Layout
Your donation form should have an intuitive layout with fields for contact and payment information. This format will work well with stored information so donors can complete forms in seconds. They won’t need to worry about error messages appearing because the wrong information was filled into an unpredictable field.
Essential Fields to Fill Out
The donation form should ask for essential information- nothing more and nothing less. Extraneous fields will cause confusion and frustration. Review your form to ensure it’s as concise as possible.
The Importance of Mobile Responsiveness
According to Nonprofit Source, 25% of donors complete their donations on mobile devices. Ensure your donation form formats well on mobile. Mobile-friendly donation forms should shrink down to fit into a mobile screen. They should have magnified fields making it easy for people to type in information on a phone or tablet.
Simplifying the Donation Process
People are short on time and attention. A complex donation process may increase abandonment rates. You can simplify the process by integrating the following steps.
Minimizing the Number of Fields
Donors can become overwhelmed by long, complex forms. Minimize the number of fields you use ensuring you only collect the necessary information. Unnecessary fields should be eliminated.
Using Auto-Fill Features
Auto-fill automatically inserts a user’s personal information into payment forms and other web forms for added convenience. Most websites work with auto-fill.
However, donation sites can make the process even easier by giving donors an option to store their information in the organization’s database. Donors can log into the site and use the stored information to make future donations.
Implement a Progress Bar for Multi-Step Donation Forms
It’s best to limit your donation form to one page. However, if additional pages are necessary, consider adding a progress bar to let donors know how much of the donation process they have completed.
A Spindogs article explains the psychological benefits of a progress bar. According to research, certain neurotransmitters are released when completing tasks making you feel rewarded.
The progress bar plays on an individual’s need to complete the task and benefit from that positive feeling. It also provides a sense of accomplishment as they work their way to the goal.
Building Trust with Donors
Nonprofit organizations face an additional roadblock when dealing with online donations - a lack of trust. Some donors may want to give, but if they haven’t worked with your organization before, they may not trust you with their personal information. Here are some ways you can build trust.
Adding Security Measures
Various security measures make people feel secure when entering financial information on a website form. They include:
- SSL Certificate: A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate ensures donor information security. It is a digital file that encrypts data sent between a website and a browser to establish a secure connection. Websites with SSL will have an HTTPS before the website address as opposed to the traditional HTTP.
- Trusted Payment Gateways: Several payment gateways are known for their reliability. Offer several secure payment options for nonprofits allowing donors to choose their preferred methods. Work with platforms that people recognize and trust.
- Multi-Factor Identification: Organizations may consider installing multi-factor identification software to make their sites more secure. However, some forms of MFI can add frustration to the donation process. Facial recognition is easy and secure. Consider integrating it into your system if possible.
Displaying Nonprofit Credentials and Transparency
Nonprofit credentials let donors know that your nonprofit is a legitimate organization and not a fly-by-night setup. They include:
- Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP): The CNP is the only nationally recognized credential for nonprofit management in the United States. Individuals must complete a leadership development program to earn the credential.
- Advanced Certified Nonprofit Professional (ACNP): This credential can be earned after the CNP. It has additional requirements such as professional experience and development.
- NANOE: Nonprofit practitioners who learn to apply free-market principles to the nonprofit market may earn this credential.
Incorporating Testimonials and Success Stories
Testimonials and success stories build trust with donors. They show donors that their funds are going to a worthwhile cause and helping your organization reach achievable goals. Post testimonials and success stories on your site in the form of videos, text, and other mediums to improve your organizational reputation.
Personalization and Customization Options
Personalization is a powerful marketing strategy- and it goes beyond communication. People want to customize the way they donate. Nonprofits that provide options will see the highest success rates.
The following features will support customized donor experience optimization.
Allowing Donors to Choose Their Donation Amount
Give donors the option to choose a donation amount that suits their budget. Nonprofits can offer customization that makes the donation process faster and more convenient.
For example, the organization may allow donors to choose donation amounts in $25 increments (i.e. $25, $50, $75, $100). Doing so eliminates the need for donors to type in the donation amount making the process faster.
It can also ‘upsell’ the donation. For example, a donor who was prepared to donate $20 may hit the $25 button to make the process easier.
Organizations should also leave a field for donors to input a custom amount if they so choose.
Offering Donation Options
The donation form should also include an option allowing donors to choose to make recurring donations on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. Recurring transactions benefit organizations ensuring they receive a steady stream of income. They are also convenient for donors who don’t want to bother filling out a form every time they donate.
Enabling Donor Preferences for Communication and Updates
Some donors like to give because it makes them feel like part of a community. They may want to stay in the loop with regular updates about your events. They’ll want to know how their funds helped your cause.
Other donors may be reluctant to give for fear that they will receive ‘spam’ emails from your organization forever.
Give donors an option so they can continue receiving communication if they choose. Other donors can opt-out. You can further allow them to customize how they want to receive communication- social media, emails, fundraising letters, newsletters and so on.
Enhancing Visibility and Accessibility
Make it easy for donors to give by prioritizing visibility and accessibility in your donation form layout design. Here are some tips that will help you achieve that goal.
Importance of Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)
An engaging call-to-action for donations can help generate support. CTAs are typically an add-on to an article of value. For example, you may post a blog or video that offers value and follow it up with a CTA stating what you want users to do with the information. Typical CTAs include learning more about your cause, signing up for your newsletter, or donating.
Your CTA should suggest the desired user activity leaving no room for doubt.
Strategic Placement of the Donation Form on the Website
Place your donation form in a location that makes it easy to find. For example, you may include a link to your donation form on the header and footer of your page making it hard to miss. Add donation buttons around your page to ensure people know where to go when they want to donate.
Make the Form Accessible for Individuals with Disabilities
Accessible donation forms ensure people with disabilities can give. In addition to opening donations to a wider audience, this also helps your organization’s reputation. Consumers often frown on businesses that don’t offer accessible online features.
Here are some features that make your website more accessible:
- Use Keyboard Navigation: Some disabled users may be unable to use a mouse. Keyboard navigation enables them to fill out various form fields.
- Label Fields Well: Label your form fields as clearly as possible. A lack of clarity means users using screen readers may not understand the context.
- Provide Understandable Error Messages: Never rely on just a visual cue to convey an error. Ensure visually and hearing-impaired users can detect errors. You may also provide helpful information so users can avoid errors.
- Avoid Drop-Down Menus: Drop-down menus make the checkout process easier for some users, but they are difficult for disabled users to manipulate.
Optimizing for Different Platforms
Social media is a powerful tool for nonprofit organizations. According to the Empower Agency, 55% of people who engage with nonprofits on social media take action. 59% donate money, 53% volunteer, and 52% donate clothing, food and other personal items.
Your organization can increase its reach with the right social media integration for donations. You may:
- Include social sharing buttons to make it easy for people to share your blogs and videos on their social media pages.
- Use Open Graph meta tags to ensure your content formats well on social media
- Allow users to sign into your website using their social media handles.
- Embed social media feeds into your website.
- Cross-promote your content across social media platforms.
Ensuring Compatibility with Various Browsers and Devices
People will access your website and donation form across various browsers and devices. Ensure they are compatible with each platform. They should function and format well, regardless of how they are viewed.
Compatibility must be prioritized in your website design. Ensure your designer is aware of its importance.
Leveraging Email Campaigns to Promote the Donation Form
Emails are an effective fundraising strategy. According to a Big Sea report, 26% of nonprofit donors say emails are the best communication medium to inspire giving. A Neon One article says large nonprofits raise an average of 88 cents per email contact, while small nonprofits raise closer to $6.15 per email contact.
Your organization can make its campaign more powerful by promoting your donation form through email. Send out emails to share your success stories and update donors on what you are working on. Include a CTA to direct people to your donation form to encourage giving.
Vanco offers email templates and subject lines to engage potential donors making your marketing more effective.
Using Analytics and Feedback
Analytics and feedback provide insight into your donor form performance. Here’s how to gather analytics and why it’s important.
Importance of Tracking Donation Form Performance
Organizations should be aware of how well their form performs. High-performing forms are conducive to donations. If forms don’t perform well, donors are more likely to abandon them before completing the process.
Google Analytics can collect data from your donation forms and generate reports that provide insight into conversion rates for donor forms. It can tell you which forms are most popular, how much revenue the form brought in, the keywords that led them to your form, and how long they spent on your form.
Use A/B Testing to Optimize Form Design and Content
Organizations should use A/B testing to determine which form features work, and which to improve. Send out different versions of your form changing one element. This strategy will allow you to determine how your changes impact donor response. Use Google Analytics to measure the performance of each version.
Gathering Donor Feedback for Continuous Improvement
Google Analytics is not the only method of donor feedback collection. You can also ask for donor feedback. Send out surveys to find out if they encountered any issues filling out the donation form. Pay attention to social media to learn if you are getting unsolicited feedback through those channels.
Try the Donation Forms Trusted by Thousands of Organizations
Vanco makes it easy to create donation forms and pages. Our solution is:
- Backed by 3+ decades of experience.
- Trusted by about 40,000 organizations.
- PCI compliant, the highest standard of security set by credit card companies like Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.
Contact us to learn more about our donation forms and the many ways we simplify online giving for churches.
100+ Free Tools for Nonprofits to Inspire Unprecedented Generosity!
We’ve put together 100+ pro tools and templates that are guaranteed to boost your nonprofit’s fundraising—no guesswork, no fluff. Here’s what’s inside:
- Word-for-word fundraising scripts that turn "no" into "yes"
- Fundraising letter, email and thank you templates for every situation.
- Event planning and evaluation tools including checklists, reports, evaluations, surveys and more
- Plug-and-play sponsorship proposals and templates sponsors can't resist
- Free design materials that make your events look professional
- Donation Receipt Templates for every type of contribution
- 7 AI bots to handle repetitive tasks and save you hours
The only question left: Are you ready to turn the chaos into success?
Act now!
Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
How can I make my nonprofit donation form more effective?
The best way to make a donation form more effective is to eliminate fields. Avoid making your form too long or overly complex. Simplify the process as much as possible.
What information should I include in the donation form?
Keep the information you include in your donation form to a minimum. Ask for what you need to complete the transaction (name, address, credit card number or payment app information, due date and security code). You may also place a summary of your cause somewhere on the page to remind people why they are giving.
Why are predefined donation amounts beneficial?
Predefined donation amounts are beneficial because they simplify donation forms. People can choose an amount rather than type it in. It can also motivate people to give more than they originally planned to give.
How important is mobile optimization for donation forms?
Mobile optimization is extremely important for donation forms. Statistics show around 25% of people give to nonprofits via a mobile device. If your form isn’t optimized, you may be missing out.
How can I ensure the security of online donation forms?
Make your form more secure by getting SSL certified. The technology will encrypt sensitive information to keep it safe. It will make people feel more comfortable giving.
What are common mistakes in designing donation forms?
Nonprofits risk making several mistakes when designing donation forms. They may design forms that are overly long and complex. They may fail to include accessible features. Creating forms that aren’t formatted for various browsers and devices is another common mistake. Follow donation form best practices to avoid these pitfalls.
How do automated follow-ups improve donor retention?
Automated follow-ups benefit donor retention by making donors feel like part of the community. They let donors know how their funds were used so they feel confident supporting the cause. Follow-ups also keep donors in the loop about projects and events so they can get involved.
Can technology increase donation rates for nonprofits?
Yes, technology can increase donation rates. It ensures you reach users across various browsers and devices expanding your audience. You can also use technology to promote your cause on social media and other channels.
How does online management software help in donation optimization?
Online management software helps with donor optimization by centralizing donor information, supporting digital communication, automating follow-up emails, identifying trends, and providing valuable insights.
5 Minutes to Fundraiser Success: The No-Hassle, Risk-Free Event Management Option for Nonprofits
Imagine setting up your next fundraising event in just five minutes. That’s what Vanco does for you—no learning curve, just a quick setup and an easy, intuitive system. You can try it risk-free and discover what thousands of nonprofits already know: event management doesn’t have to be a chore.
