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Fundraising

The Ultimate Guide to Donation Pages for Nonprofits + 25 Examples to Fire Up Your Fundraising

Author: Sayana Izmailova
July 28, 2022
Contents
🕑 25 min read

Donations are the lifeblood of any nonprofit! Not only do they bring in regular revenue, but they also represent the strength of your relationships with your supporters.

Looking for an easy way to turn those supporters into donors? Then it’s time to set up a donation page on your website!

What is a Donation Page?

A donation page is a web page where your supporters can directly give money to your organization. Instead of sending cheques through the mail or donating at in-person events, your donors can support your organization with the click of a button!

A quality donation page:

  • Makes donating quick and easy
  • Is safer than collecting mail donations
  • Provides you with information for your donor database
  • Increases your visibility by being super shareable

These web pages are becoming an increasingly popular way for nonprofits to collect donations. If you want to stay on top of the latest giving trends, creating a donation website is a must-do!

Click through to claim your 60-day trial of WildApricot to create effective QR codes that will speed up event check-in.

How to Make a Donation Page in 15 Simple Steps

Figuring out how to set up a donation page doesn’t have to be difficult! Here are 15 simple steps to get you started.

1. Choose a Project Owner

Determine whose responsibility it is to build your donation page! If possible, get someone who already has some knowledge around web design, can connect your site to your donor CRM, and is confident with your branding.

2. Choose Your Fundraising Software

The best donation pages connect to the rest of your fundraising software. Look for platforms that can build your website and donation page, as well as set up a donation tracking system.

The right fundraising software can:

  • Set up recurring giving
  • Optimize your page for all devices (computers, phones, tablets)
  • Send automated donation receipts
  • Collect donor data

Psst—WildApricot covers all of these bases for you, and even comes with a 60-day free trial!

3. Choose Your Donor CRM

Having the right customer relationship management (CRM) software—also known as donor management software, or a DMS—is key to maintaining and developing your donor relationships.

The best CRM system should:

  • Gather and organize donor data
  • Let you identify donors’ giving trends
  • Help you turn one-time donations into recurring donations
  • Make communicating with donors super simple

Positive customer relationships are what lead to donations. Be sure to pick the CRM system that’s right for your specific organization!

4. Wireframe or Draw Out Your Page

Before you create a donation page, it’s important to have a plan! Drawing out a wireframe will help you structure your information in a way that’s aesthetically pleasing and easy to understand.

A wireframe is a two-dimensional drawing made specifically for web design. It helps you map out how you want to use the space on your webpage—think of it as a blueprint specifically made for a screen.

Remember: building a donation page is about more than just slapping information on a website! Aim to make your user experience intuitive and enjoyable.

5. Gather Your Page Components

When you’re figuring out what to put on a donation page, it’s best to ready your page components in advance.

Some copy and design elements you should prepare include:

  • Donation form
  • Site copy
  • Site graphics
  • Analytics
  • CRM Connection
  • Social media posts

It’s much easier to structure a donation page around your content rather than the other way around. With your building blocks gathered in advance, assembling your website should be a breeze!

6. Get Internal Feedback

Feedback is your friend! While one person should own the project, multiple perspectives will help you catch what’s missing, or what could use a little more massaging.

Checking in with your fundraising and marketing departments will be especially helpful. After all, your goal is to bring in donations through a powerful expression of your nonprofit’s values!

7. Make Changes (and Make it Simple!)

Prioritize the changes that simplify your process. A donation page should be easy to work with—if it feels like you’re getting lost in the details, you might be overthinking it!

8. Finalize Your Collateral

With feedback applied and changes made, you’re ready to finalize all the assets that will make up your donation page. Do your final checks that graphics, copy and forms are looking sharp and working as they should!

9. Build Your Page

With your elements gathered and your feedback incorporated, all that’s left is to build the page! Put it together and see if it looks as cohesive in practice as it felt in theory.

10. Check for the Must-Haves

There are a few must-have features for any successful donation page. Before you go live, make sure these three elements are included:

Mobile Responsiveness

Did you know that 54% of internet traffic is mobile? If your page isn’t mobile friendly, you’re likely missing out on donations! Be sure all of your images, text, and forms can adjust to fit the screen sizes of multiple devices.

Accessibility Standards

Your donation page should be accessible to people with varying disabilities. This means incorporating features such as high color contrast and alt text.

Check the University of Waterloo’s collected web accessibility resources for more information!

Secure Payments

When people donate to your cause, they need to trust that their bank information will be safe! Two simple ways to ease their minds and avoid security breaches are to:

  • Work with a payment processor that is PCI-compliant
  • Use SSL technology to encrypt and authenticate their payment information (this means having a web address that begins with “https” instead of “http”).

11. Add a “Donate” Button to Your Site

Donating should be easy! A big, eye-catching button will direct your supporters exactly where they need to go to donate.

12. Add Tracking to Measure Success

Collecting information on your user activity will help you see what’s working on your donation page. Use this data to troubleshoot and update your page as needed.

13. Share on Your Marketing Channels

Share share share! Use newsletters and social media to spread the word about your organization. No matter how beautiful your non profit donation page is, it won’t do much if people don’t know about your organization!

14. Ask Donors to Share

Putting in a “share” button after people have executed their donations can give you an extra boost. People are proud of where they donate to—encouraging them to spread the word is an easy way to bring in those invaluable word-of-mouth connections.

15. Watch other Nonprofits & Optimize!

Remember that you aren’t the first organization to seek out online donations! Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, research other nonprofits (especially with similar missions!) and see what’s working for them. Take notes, and incorporate it into your donation page.

What to Put On a GREAT Donation Page: 20 Best Practices

Before building a website, it’s important to be aware of donation page best practices! Here are 20 key elements to include on your page.

  • Logo: A logo—especially in the upper left hand corner!—assures your donors of where their money is going. It’s important for visitors to recognize your website as professional and authentic, otherwise they might worry it’s a scam.
  • Clear Branding: Work with a familiar logo, a recognizable color palette, and consistent fonts. Your donation page should clearly match the rest of your website.
  • Banner: Banners are the stand-out visual component at the top of your page! Think of them as a virtual poster, and put in the information a passerby would need to understand your mission. Stick to one banner per page so you don’t reduce the visual impact!
  • Attention-Grabbing Images: Images draw people into your page and break up chunks of text. Pictures of beneficiaries, or your volunteers hard at work, tend to inspire a more emotional connection from prospective donors.
  • Headline: Where images show what your nonprofit is, a headline tells! Wording is everything—test a few headlines with your team and see which packs the strongest punch.
  • Mission Statement: Visitors might not click through to the separate page that contains your mission statement. Be sure to include it on your donation page so you can be sure it’s still reaching everybody.
  • Impact Statement: Your mission statement sets up the goal, and your impact statement says why it matters. Use this element to show exactly how you intend on making a difference, and what stands to be gained from donor support.
  • Call to Action: When people are learning how to ask for donations, they sometimes forget the most important part—actually asking! Make a call to action that visitors can respond to. “Donate to our cause today!”
  • Strong Conversion Copy: The goal of everything you write on your donation page is to encourage action. Use persuasive language, and format your page in a way that makes donating feel urgent and easy.
  • Donation Form: As you walk people through donating, provide clear instructions and a layout that naturally guides the eye. Be sure to include sections that gather donor data so you can stay in contact and track your success.
  • Monthly or Recurring Giving Options: Recurring donations give you a consistent stream of revenue. One time donations are good, but recurring ones are better—make sure people know they’re an option!
  • Suggested Gift Amount: Including a suggested amount can be a real game changer. As long as it’s within a donor’s budget, a $5 donation can easily become a $50 donation if they have a sense of how that’ll impact the mission.
  • Gifting Levels: Give your donors some options for what a donation can look like. Everyone’s means are different, so be sure to demonstrate impact at every level.
  • Gift Matching: Many donors don’t know that gift matching is on the table! One easy thing you can add to your form is a suggestion that people get their employers to match donations. Many corporate initiatives already exist for just this purpose.
  • Tracking Code: Use tracking to understand which channels your page visitors are coming from (organic search, social media, etc.) and other details, like where in the world they are.
  • Social Proof: Set up an FAQ that covers basic questions, such as how taxes work or where donation money goes. If you link it on the donation page, people can easily get the answers they need to donate with confidence.
  • A/B Tests: A/B testing refers to when you show two versions of the page to different sets of visitors at the same time. Track the conversion for each page, and you can see what’s working best for your conversation!
  • Connect to a Donor CRM: Think of donations as the start to relationships. If you want to stay in contact with your donors, build a database, and form a community, a Donor CRM is the way to go.
  • Let Donors “Share” the Page: Who doesn’t love free marketing? A “share” button lets donors do the work for you by spreading the word to their networks.
  • Thank You Page: Just like you want to have thank you letters, a donation thank you page is essential. Lead with gratitude (literally put it at the top of the page!), and show your donors that you care about their contribution to your mission.

Remember: the goal of this page is to bring in donations for your organization. Don’t confuse the messaging by including competing CTAs! The focus should always be asking for donations.

Bonus Tip: Be aware of “The Fold.”

The Fold is the content that exists on the page before the user scrolls down. All of your essentials should be there, dressed up in your very best branding. Include information on why donors should give, the call to action, and the donation form itself!

How to Set Up a Donation Page in WildApricot

First make sure you have online payments set up! Once that’s done, you can set up your donation form.

Donation forms are set up through using “gadgets.” Wild Apricot has a specific donation gadget which you can learn more about here.

Once you’re setting up your form, be aware of two different kinds of fields. There are common fields (which apply to information that would be on any records, such as names) and donation-specific fields.

Choose the fields you want to include. Note that the Amount field and Payment frequency fields are donation fields that cannot be deleted.

To upload a form to a page on your Wild Apricot website…

  1. Click the Website menu, then click the Sites pages option within the Website module.
  2. Create or begin editing the site page where you want the donation form to appear.
  3. Click the Gadgets icon to display the list of available gadgets.
  4. Drag the donation form gadget from the list, and drop it where you want it to appear on the page. You can insert it into a section within a layout, or above or below a layout.
  5. If the donation form gadget is grayed out within the Gadgets list, that means you’re editing a page that already has a singular gadget on it.
  6. After you have dropped the gadget in the desired location, hover your pointer over it and click the Settings icon.
  7. From the gadget settings panel on the left, choose the desired settings for your donation form. For more information, see Donation form settings.
  8. Click Save to save the changes to the page.

If you want to embed your form on a website that is not hosted by Wild Apricot, you can use our donation widgets!

25+ Examples of Donation Pages to Fire Up Your Fundraising

Here are 25 donation page examples that can serve as inspiration! Each of them have different pros and cons, so pull what works best for you from them.

1. The Australian Thyroid Foundation

This donation page engages the reader with an eye-catching design and focuses attention on how donations benefit the organization.

What’s done well:

  • A thank you message. This element lets visitors know their support is both needed and appreciated by the organization. A simple thank you can be what encourages them to give (or give more!).
  • An option to volunteer. If your visitor is feeling passionate about your work, this gives them another chance to get involved! Don’t underestimate the power of volunteers.
  • A comments section. Empower people to share where they would like to see their donations going.

What’s missing:

  • Suggested donation amounts. This can be what turns a $20 donation into a $200 one! Be sure to include an “other” option as well for those who want to give less (or more!)

2. Lakeside Hope House

This donation page features a user-friendly and visually appealing donation form. It also lists out what specific impact can be made at each donation amount!

What’s done well:

  • A clearly stated mission. This strengthens a visitor’s connection to the organization and validates their choice to donate.
  • An option to dedicate a gift in memory or honor of someone. Tribute gifts are very popular, as they add extra meaning to the act of giving.
  • A selection of e-cards to notify people who have had a donation made in their name. This adds a personal touch!

What’s missing:

  • The impact is listed at the bottom of the page. An impact statement is essential to a donation page for nonprofits, but it loses its value if it’s only discoverable after a donation has been made.

3. American Dance Therapy Association

This donation page features a clever design with two side by side scrolling panes.

What’s done well:

  • An easy user experience thanks to having two sections featured side by side. Visitors can fill out the donation form while always having the organization’s mission and the impact of their donation within view.
  • Everything is visible in the right panel. This includes a clear statement about the nonprofit’s mission, a thank you message, important tax information, and links to the supporting organizations. Visitors don’t have to search the site for information.

What’s missing:

  • Address fields are not mandatory on the donation form. You want to collect as much user data as possible with your donation page. Getting the addresses early will prevent you from having to hunt them down with it’s time for tax receipts and thank-you letters!

4. Good Shepherd Centres

This donation page features a compelling photo of a beneficiary holding up a “Thank You!” sign. This is an opportunity for an emotional connection and an expression of gratitude all in one!

What’s done well:

  • A choice of what to support. Letting your donors determine where they would like their money to go gives them a sense of greater personal impact. Be sure to also include a general fund (which doesn’t limit how you spend the money), but label it as something urgent, such as “high priority needs.”
  • The option to make gifts monthly. The best donations are recurring donations! Donors can set and forget, and your organization doesn’t need to put as much effort into reviewing these donors.

What’s missing:

  • A mission statement. Even if your donor is familiar with your mission, reiterating it at the moment of donation helps strengthen the donor’s ties and give more meaning to their gift.

5. Canadian Radiation Oncology Foundation 

This donation page includes an easy to use form and an option for the donor to give anonymously.

What’s done well:

  • An easy-to-use donation form. It has a clean design and is free of unnecessary clutter, which will simplify the donation process.
  • The option for anonymous giving. Not all donors want to be recognized publicly—including an anonymous option ensures that everyone can give the way they prefer.

What’s missing:

  • Compelling images. In place of additional logos, an image of individuals and groups who benefit from the organization’s activities can go a long way. This makes for a stronger emotional connection from prospective donors.

6. Change for Children

This page features helpful links in the sidebar and impactful photos of the nonprofit’s beneficiaries. Visually appealing and easy to navigate!

What’s done well:

  • A stand-out sidebar which links to key information. It tells donors about other ways to give, the impact of their donation, donor rights, and tax information—all without cluttering the page!
  • A request for a message for the organization. Encourage donors to post thoughts about their relationship with the organization, or a personal anecdote about how they’ve benefited from its work. It makes their voices heard, and gives you a story to share!

What’s missing:

  • A field to note where donors heard about you. This is a way to track which of your fundraising and marketing efforts people are the most responsive to.

7. Friends at Your Metro Animal Shelter 

This donation page has an appealing color scheme and design. It also features a compelling photo right at the top.

What’s done well:

  • A heartfelt thank you left at the top of the page. It makes a difference to lead with appreciation!
  • Information about their partnerships with other programs. This provides prospective donors with options on how they would like to support the organization.

What’s missing:

  • Clear paragraphing. The first paragraph goes from saying thank you to giving tax information to stating the importance of donations. Breaking up paragraphs by information makes the page easier to read and the information easier to digest.

8. CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions

Along with a user-friendly design, this page includes lots of ways for the site visitor to engage with the organization beyond just making a donation.

What’s done well:

  • An eye-catching banner that prompts them to sign up for the newsletter. This keeps donors in touch with the organization, and gives potential donors the option to get more information in case they want to donate at a later time.
  • The bottom of the page has a place for all contact information, including social media links. Put this information on the front page instead of on a separate “Contact” page. This will reduce the need for visitors to click too many times!

What’s missing:

  • A field to note where donors heard about you. As we said in the section on Change for Children, this is a way to track which of your fundraising and marketing efforts people are the most responsive to.

9. Forsyth Humane Society 

This page features a powerful photo and story about a beneficiary, as well as simple yet appealing design elements.

What’s done well:

  • A photo with a story. Stories that focus on one individual beneficiary are more emotionally moving, because it’s easier for prospective donors to feel connected to them. Plus, who doesn’t love a cute dog?
  • Icons associated with different means of support. They add a visual element that breaks up the text, along with a level of professionalism to the entire page.

What’s missing:

  • A statement donation impact for each amount donated. Donors like to see how their money directly supports something specific, like food for the animals or their medical expenses. Including this information lets them choose what’s most important to them!

10. Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund 

This donation page is different from others in that it belongs to a fund of a larger foundation. Still, it clearly explains everything the potential donor needs to know!

What’s done well:

  • Transparency about the organization’s structure. This donation page belongs to a specific fund of a larger foundation, which is explained right at the top. Donors should have a full understanding of exactly what they’re supporting.
  • Options for making a donation. As we keep seeing, the best donation page is one that gives donors lots of choice and control over where and how they donate.

What’s missing:

  • Visual elements or photos. While the information is useful, text-heavy pages can be intimidating to readers. It’s best to break your text into sections and separate it by interesting visual elements!

11. International Rescue Committee

This nonprofit begins their donation page with a compelling photo, and is transparent about how the money raised is spent.

What’s done well:

  • A photo at the top of the page. Images are one of the most effective tools you can use! A good picture serves as a reminder that donations actually change individual lives.
  • A pie chart outlining how the organization’s revenue is spent. This is a great idea, especially for larger nonprofits who work with high fundraising targets. Transparency keeps the organization accountable, and makes it trustworthy in the eyes of donors.

What’s missing:

  • The option to give anonymously. As we’ve already discussed, it’s important to cater to the various needs of donors and respect the wishes of people who don’t want to be recognized for their support in a public way.

12. Families Forward

This donation page presents a lot of useful information and includes a scrolling feed of announcements to keep site visitors up to date.

What’s done well:

  • All necessary information is accessible. For example, there are links to the donor rights and privacy policy in a visible spot on the page. The easier things are to find on the page, the better the site visitor’s experience.
  • An automatic scrolling feed of current announcements. This keeps existing donors up to date with what’s going on with the organization. It also shows prospective donors that your organization will regularly report on their progress and impact.

What’s missing:

  • A donation form at the top of the page. Keep your visitors from having to scroll too much in order to make a donation. Look to other examples on this list that have split their page into columns or made use of sidebars.

13. Mano a Mano

This donation page has a couple of unique elements, such as a catchy slogan and a flexible donation schedule.

What’s done well:

  • A catchy slogan. This reminds site visitors of the nonprofit’s mission in a creative and memorable way. It also helps reinforce the organization’s brand, and can be used across many materials.
  • A flexible donation schedule. It is common to see options to make a one time gift or monthly gifts, but this form offers quarterly and annual gifts as well. This gives donors increases the chance of people signing up for recurring gifts—which lowers your renewal expenses and secures future revenue!

What’s missing:

  • A variety of design elements. This nonprofit has a great logo, but it’s a bit redundant to have it on the page twice. Perhaps a nice photo or even just skipping straight to the slogan would work better.

14. Hospice of the Chesapeake

This nonprofit’s donation page has a few key elements that are often overlooked!

What’s done well:

  • A section for where donors can explain why they’re making a gift. One of the best things a nonprofit can do is get to know their donors. Many organizations do this via surveys, but it’s great to get the information right when someone signs on.
  • A banner to prompt donors to check if their employers will match donations. Matching corporate gifts is an incredibly easy way to double your impact! Telling donors that this is an option is a great way to bring in additional revenue.

What’s missing:

  • A tribute gift option which notifies the honored person (or their family) of the donation. It doesn’t seem this page offers the option of sending physical cards or e-cards. They might do this separately, but it’s good to let donors know what happens after the gift is given.

15. Solid Ground 

This donation page features a great form that allows donors to indicate where they heard about the organization and provides very action-focused fund designation options.

What’s done well:

  • A form to indicate where they heard about the nonprofit. This simple feature helps you gather data about which of your fundraising and marketing efforts are working best.
  • Action-focused designation options. Get personal about how you phrase where donations are allocated. Instead of calling something “The Homelessness Prevention Fund,” they say “Prevent and End Homelessness.” Using this wording makes donors feel directly responsible for the impact created through that fund.

What’s missing:

  • More accessible suggested donation amounts. Generally, gifts over $1,000 are solicited and made in a more personal manner, rather than through an online form. High amounts like this should come with a justification, and lower options should be suggested to prevent people from thinking small amounts don’t count.

16. The Ontario Archaeological Society

This donation page offers detailed information about the various fund options and has an easy to follow donation form.

What’s done well:

  • A clear statement of what various funds support. Before the donor is asked to fill out the donation form, they have a chance to read through these descriptions and decide which fund to support.
  • This donation comes with clear and specific instructions. Guide your donors through filling out the form with explicit instructions. For example, instead of calling a field “Designation,” the form asks “Please Indicate if you are donating to the OAS generally, to a specific Fund, or for another intent.” This makes for a smoother donor experience!

What’s missing:

  • More visual elements. There is currently quite a bit of text on the donation page. It might be helpful to break it up with some visual elements, particularly photos of the organization’s work in action.

17. So Others Might Eat

This donation page has some interesting elements within its form, such as an annual recurring gift option and an option to cover the transaction fee.

What’s done well:

  • Multiple donation frequency options. This is another example of a nonprofit making use of more than just two (one time and monthly) donation frequency options. Every nonprofit will likely ask their donors to renew at least annually anyway, so why not make it an option right when they sign up to save on renewal costs?
  • Transparency about transaction fees. A candid ask for donors to cover this fee (along with making it the default option when the page is first loaded) can save some costs.

What’s missing:

  • Minimal clicks to move from section to section. Putting the whole form on one page gives visitors a sense of how long it’ll take to fill out, so they are less likely to abandon the process halfway through.

18. Wisconsin Writers Association

This donation page includes a heartfelt thank you message and offers the option to download and mail in the donation form.

What’s done well:

  • A statement of donor impact. Like other examples, it also includes a heartfelt thank you message.
  • Options for online and printable forms. Some people would prefer to mail in their donation forms (particularly older people who are less comfortable with online transactions!). Offering this option is considerate, and extends your reach.

What’s missing:

  • Specification of optional gifts for donors. An optional gift for donors (called a ”back-end premium”) can work well for nonprofits, but donors should know what the gift is before deciding whether or not to accept it!

19. girls inc.

This donation page presents powerful statistics, quotes, and stories in an interactive, visually appealing design.

What’s done well:

  • Powerful statistics about their program. These can directly showcase your nonprofit’s impact in memorable and surprising ways.
  • Quotes from the Board Chair. Quotes from staff and the board put a face to who is actually behind the organization. It feels better to donate when you know you’re working with people who have a deep desire to help!
  • Links to stories about beneficiaries. Full stories about the people who’ve benefited from the nonprofit demonstrate how impactful the nonprofit’s work can be for just one person.

What’s missing:

  • Setting the monthly gift option as default. People typically choose the option with the least clicks, which makes for more monthly donations. Just be sure it’s clear what they’re signing up for so you can avoid post-donation calls saying they signed up to be a monthly donor by mistake!

20. Bert’s Big Adventure

This nonprofit clearly outlines the different ways to give and offers lots of options when it comes to tribute gifts.

What’s done well:

  • An easy-to-follow numbered list for ways of donating. Guide the reader’s eye with design elements, numbered headings, and fonts of different sizes and colors.
  • A choice to specify if tribute notifications show the gift amount. This lets people decide how much they’d like to share—and as we’ve said, donors like having options!

What’s missing:

  • Suggested donation amounts for the one-time gift option. As we’ve mentioned, this lets donors better gauge how much to give, and the results of that giving.

21. Maryknoll Sisters

This donation page clearly presents the different options to make a gift and includes a number of compelling photos.

What’s done well:

  • Information laid out in blocks. Whether someone wants to donate online, by mail or over the phone, they won’t need to dig  around the website in search of what they need.
  • Compelling photos showcasing the nonprofit’s work in action. Photos that are focused on people give the site visitors a sense of partnership and community.

What’s missing:

  • Minimizing links to the same place. On this page, the blocks for “Make a Donation” and “Become a Sponsor” lead to the same form with different pre-selected boxes checked. Reduce redundancy where you can!

22. Grow North Texas

This donation page has a great example of a powerful thank you message and gives donors a lot of input into how they’d like the funds to be spent.

What’s done well:

  • A request for how donors would like the money to be used. Though most donors will say something generic, it gives them a sense of impact and responsibility. And if they later hear about the work they requested being done, they’ll feel personally responsible!
  • A specialized thank you statement. Instead of a basic “thank you for your support,” they say “thank you for supporting a strong local food system.” This brings the donation beyond the impact of a single organization, which helps donors feel like they’re contributing to something greater.

What’s missing:

  • A comprehensive donation form. Be sure to include requests for monthly donations, as well as suggested amounts! These are easy ways to bring in more revenue through your donation page.

23. American Forests 

This donation page boasts a visually appealing section on the impact of each donation amount, as well as a quote from an existing donor to inspire others to give.

What’s done well:

  • A visually appealing impact statement beside each donation amount. This can encourage donors to make a bigger gift than they otherwise would have.
  • A donor quote. These are simple to obtain (even through your donation form!), and give prospective donors an idea of why their peers are donating. These quotes also give credibility to the organization and offer a sense of community.
  • A direct mail reference code. Tracking donations that are made in response to direct mail is a great way to measure how well your direct mail campaigns are working!

What’s missing:

  • A monthly gift option. As we’ve said before, this is an easy way to encourage more consistent and long-term giving practices.

24. Australian Koala Foundation 

This donation page features an appealing design and plenty of adorable photos of koalas — can’t go wrong with that!

What’s done well:

  • A thank you from the perspective of the beneficiaries! This perspective is a creative reminder of the organization’s main purpose, and can be very sweet when it’s coming from an animal.
  • Stand-out “Donate” buttons that are impossible to miss. This is the most important part of your donation page—make sure you give it a prime spot.

What’s missing:

  • Having everything on one page. Don’t make your visitors have to click through to multiple pages. Instead, design a smooth and visually pleasing page that includes all of your information. This will prevent you from losing potential donors to click-fatigue!

25. Fort Worth Mothers of Multiples

This donation page is very simple and doesn’t have many of the features we discussed earlier. But it may not necessarily need them…

What’s done well:

  • A big thank you message. We’ve already made this point a few times, but it’s hard to overstate how important it is to lead with a thank you!
  • A design that targets the organization’s specific needs. The target audience of this page is mostly corporate sponsors and business owners, so many of the elements we’ve discussed don’t apply. As you design your donation page, it’s important to really think about who your audience is, what they need from you and what you need from them.

What’s missing:

  • Having all the information in one place. This page has both an online form and a pdf, which makes it unclear how the organization prefers donations. Keep things as clear as possible!

FAQ

How can I make a donate page on Facebook?

Making a donate page on Facebook is as simple as adding a donation button! All you need before starting is to be enrolled with Meta Pay. Here is a step-by-step guide from Facebook to help you create a donation page.

How can I create a donation page on Squarespace?

Squarespace has what they call “donation blocks.”’ These blocks even include some donation page best practices, such as suggested donation amounts and a custom form for gathering data. To watch a video and look through some written instructions on getting set up, click here.

How do I set up a Paypal donation page?

Paypal lets you use either a donation page or a button. All you need is a Paypal Business or Premier account to get started. All of the necessary and optional steps are laid out in this guide.

How do you add a donate page to your website?

The best option is to have a page incorporated into your website! We advise using a website builder that comes with donation software. Here are seven simple steps to create a donation website, along with ten examples of possible pages.

Building a Donation Page for Nonprofit Success

Enabling online donations is one of the best moves you can make for your nonprofit. Explore some donation page examples, identify the core elements you want to include, and test what works for you. Remember, you know your organization best—a donation page is just another way to succeed!

To make sure you have donor stewardship in place immediately after donation, check out membership management software from WildApricot. Packages start at $60/month—and it even comes with a 60-day free trial!

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Benchmarks & Insights for Growing Revenue and Constituents

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