5 Things Every Donation Page Needs

Unarguably, the donation page is the most important part of a nonprofit organization’s website. If you’re an organization that depends on the generosity of your donors, then you can’t take any chances when it comes to providing a functional, conversion-friendly donation page.  

Why is your donation page important?

• It’s the backbone for your nonprofit organization

Even though online donations might not be your only way of receiving donations, as more and more people turn to the internet to exchange and send money, it’s likely that your online donation page will continue to increase in importance.

Statistically, in 2019, online donations rose by 28%, totaling $511 million. The figure rose higher to $808 million by the end of 2020, showing a significant increase in online giving during the pandemic. This shows donors are comfortable with online giving, making it the new norm.

• It can help you increase donors conversion rate

A well-thought-out donation page can absolutely help increase your conversion rate. With the right design and content, users will land on your donation page feeling motivated and inspired to give. We’ll discuss best practices for design and content below.

• It makes it easier for supporters to spread the word. 

An online donation page is easily shareable. Whether your donation page allows donors to share their donation on their social media pages, or you’re simply linking the page in an email blast to your supporters, sharing your donation page online is simple and effective. 

Now that we have a clear understanding of the reason why an online donation page is important, let’s talk about some best practices to optimize your donation page:

1. Make your donation page a noticeable part of your website

No matter the efficiency of your donation page or how beautifully it’s designed, it makes no difference if supporters and donors visiting your page can’t find it. We suggest ensuring that you include a “Donate” button in your site’s main navigation menu. If it’s possible to make that page link a button rather than just plain text, we recommend that as well. 

While a “Donate” button in your site’s navigation will probably be the most effective path to the donation page, it’s also important to sprinkle donate calls-to-action throughout the rest of your website. Adding a simple text or button on your About, Impact, Get Involved, What We Do, etc, pages will ensure that there’s always a jumping-in point to the donation page, no matter where your user is on your site.

2. Give a reason why

You’re probably used to this by now, but your donation page is no exception: you need to compel users to give, without bogging them down with too many facts. Some simple ways to do this:

• Include impressive, high-level impact stats on your donation page. Did your nonprofit help lower the HIV transmission rate to zero in your area? Share your impressive impact through numbers that users can’t ignore.
• Share some testimonials. If you’re able to share some words from people who are directly impacted by your work, the donation page is a good place to do that. When potential donors can see exactly what impact their money can have on a person’s life, they’re more likely to give.
• Use imagery. It’s cliché, but a picture is worth a thousand words. Show powerful imagery of the people, places, and/or animals your work affects.

3. Pick an effective donation platform

Using donation software like Hopsie, which allows you to create custom donation forms, peer-to-peer campaigns, automated emails, and more, can greatly increase the effectiveness of your donation page. Third-party donation platforms like Hopsie allow users to donate with ease and with a comprehensive dashboard, you can manage your donations with ease as well. 

4. Make your donation page visually appealing

Just like the rest of your website, the design and content of your donation page matter. Some things to keep in mind when creating a donation page: 

• Maintain your branding. Your donation page should fit in seamlessly with the rest of your site, using the same brand colors, typography, and image types as the rest of your site.
• Don’t clutter the page. Clean design is paramount to an efficient user experience. While you want to get your point across to users as to why they should give, too much information can be overwhelming.
• Let your donors know where their money is going. A lot of nonprofits accomplish this by listing out on their donation page what certain donation amounts can accomplish in terms of the work that they do. For example, $100 might provide clean water for an entire village for 1 month. Spelling out what these donations can do in terms that your users can visualize has an incredible impact. 
• List other ways to give. Maybe a user has already donated. Maybe they just don’t have the funds right now. Maybe they’ve given once but want to do more. Instead of turning away people who aren’t going to or aren’t able to give money, give them other options, like volunteering, planned giving, in-kind giving, and more.

5. Show your appreciation. 

People like to be recognized for their generosity. Show your donors you care by thanking them for their gift. Some nonprofits go as far as showcasing their top donors on their website. No matter how you go about thanking your donors, use heart-felt, direct language and if possible, let them know the impact their donation is going to have on your work.

The bottom line? Donation pages are the most important page of your website. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to converting users into donors, so take the time to analyze and tweak your design and messaging to see what works for you.