A Better Donation Page

A good online donation page is essential for nonprofits. When we first started in 1997 we spent most of our time explaining why it was safe to make an online donation. Now we talk about donor psychology and how to structure the donation page so donors will stay engaged, donate generously and finish the transaction. After almost 20 years and $350 million in processed transactions, we’ve got some good tips for you:

Your donation page should match the look and feel of your site (branded pages can result in up to 39% more transactions). You’ve likely heard this one before. It’s true! If you’re still using PayPal for Nonprofits -- it is probably time for an upgrade!

Keep your form as simple as possible. We can’t stress this enough. There will likely be people at your organization who want to collect more information from your donor. Just say “no”! We highly suggest you collect the minimum information needed to process the transaction. Just remember….Simple = Success.

Remind donors their donation matters -- but do it in just one sentence. At the top of your form reinforce why they clicked that Donate button. Say something like: “Your Donation Will Change Lives by Funding ALS Research” or “Your Support Improves the Lives of At Risk Youth” and so on. Be brief, this is not the place for a paragraph to convince. They made it to your donation page for a reason -- now you want to keep them there.

Donation amounts matter. Offering donors the option of three donation amounts and an other box have proven to generate the highest transaction size. Your lowest ask should be about $10 over your average online donation amount. That means if you average $25 online then go ahead and ask for $35 and then maybe $70 and $125, etc. Asking for too much ($1,000, etc) can discourage giving or lower your transaction size so don’t be seen as greedy. Make them feel really good about the amount they are giving!

Consider calling out ways the donation can impact your cause. Let donors know what your organization can do with a $50 donation, a $100 donation, etc. Donors love to feel their gift is making a real difference. Examples are really helpful.

Make sure your donation form is responsive. Mobile donations grow every year. You are likely missing out on a lot of transactions if your page is not responsive.

FAQ

If you don't see the answers below, contact us or visit our documentation site

Do I Need Technical Knowledge to Use CharityWeb?

Absolutely not - that's our job! Our engineers match the look and feel of your existing site - copying the wrapper and navigation for our Donate and Register modules. Donors will feel like they never left your site. The page is hosted on our secure server and you simply link to it from the Donate button on your homepage. We take care of providing the online receipt and sending the email thank you with your organization's email address. For our Event-A-Thon and Peer Fundraising Pages, we have a mobile-ready template that you can quickly customize for your needs.

Can I Use My Existing Merchant Account?

No, you can use a better one that can save you money and provides excellent service, flexibility, and advanced features such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. And, the money will still be directed into your current bank account. It is easy to apply -- you do while signing up -- and your account is typically approved within an hour.

Can You Process Monthly Gifts?

Yes. Signing up for a monthly gift is a feature of every donation page. You can set separate giving levels for one-time and for recurring gifts. Donors can log in and maintain their own recurring gifts via a donor dashboard. We send an email thank you after each successful charge and notify donors if their card has failed.

How Do I Access Transaction Data?

We store your data in a password protected control panel. You can view and download into an Excel or CSV file format 24/7. We do not charge for multiple users.

Are you PCI compliant?

Yes. We use Stripe's Level 1 PCI technology making PCI compliance easy for us and for you.

How Do You Prevent Fraud?

We have a lot of experience dealing with fraudsters and have several safe guards in place that virtually eliminate fraud.

Does Customer Support Cost Extra?

No. We're available through techsupport@charityweb.net or by phone 866.4.eTools ext 104. One of our experienced engineers will be happy to assist you.

What Makes CharityWeb Special?

We have over 20 years of experience with online fundraising and are happy to share our knowledge with you. We've worked with some of the largest charities in America. Plus, there is our personal touch. You will communicate with the same knowledgeable staff so we understand your unique needs.