Improving the Donation Page Experience: Guide for Nonprofits

Imagine you’re a donor using a nonprofit’s donation page for the first time. You’re excited to show your support for such an important cause, but when you land on the page, you find it completely cluttered, overwhelming, and difficult to navigate.

Plus, it’s not even clear where your donation will go and how it will make a difference. Frustrated, you leave the page in search of another organization to support.

Avoid losing donors this way by prioritizing their experience on one of the most (if not the most) important pages on your site. It’s not just about user experience but also about treating donors with respect, retaining their support, and maximizing funds for your cause. This guide will help you enhance your donation page so donors have the best experience possible and feel inclined to contribute.

1. Optimize the design.

Your donation page should be aesthetically appealing and easy to navigate for all users. Before you start worrying about the page’s content, first create a welcoming and inclusive web page design.

How to Implement This Tip

Make your donation page accessible. An accessible donation page is one that anyone can use, regardless of any disabilities or impairments. Adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), such as adding alternative text for images, ensuring sufficient color contrast between visual elements, and making touch targets and text large enough to tap and read.
Ensure mobile-friendliness. As much as 57% of nonprofit website traffic of all nonprofit website traffic comes from mobile users. Accommodate these users by creating a fully responsive donation page that adapts to different device sizes. Avoid page elements that could be difficult to navigate on mobile, such as small text or a form that requires excessive scrolling.
Streamline visuals. When it comes to donation page design, less is more. Leave enough white space between visual elements so users don’t feel overwhelmed and can focus on what’s important. Include high-quality images and videos that enhance users’ understanding of your nonprofit’s work and cause.

2. Simplify the giving process.

Donating shouldn’t be cumbersome for supporters. When generosity strikes, they should be able to give quickly and easily. Otherwise, they may lose interest and bounce from your donation page.

How to Implement This Tip

Condense your giving form. Only include necessary fields that collect vital information, like donors’ contact information, giving amounts, and payment details. Investigate the options in your fundraising software to further streamline your donation form. For instance, it may be more appealing to donors to answer one or two questions per page rather than a long list of questions.
Offer suggested giving amounts. Help donors decide how much they should contribute with suggested giving amounts. Pair these amounts with expected impact to give donors a better idea of the difference they’ll make. For example, you may explain that a $50 donation allows you to feed a shelter animal for a month, while a $100 donation will cover an adoptable animal’s vaccines.
Provide multiple payment options. Donors should be able to give according to their preferred donation methods. While an overwhelming 83% of fundraisers agree that offering multiple payment options improves retention, less than 3% actively prioritize convenient options like digital wallets, and only 47% offer them. To stay ahead of the curve, provide as many donation options as possible, such as credit, debit, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and bank transfer.

3. Build credibility.

When donors enter their payment information on your donation page, they’re choosing to trust your organization. Prove that your organization deserves this trust and make supporters feel confident contributing their hard-earned funds.

How to Implement This Tip

Add social proof. As suggested in Bloomerang’s donation page guide, “Social proof is the social-psychological idea that people imitate the behavior of others to conform to the ‘right action’ in any given situation. You can subtly incorporate social proof into your giving process to encourage donors to give in specific amounts.” Consider highlighting your most popular donation amounts and including donor testimonials on your donation page to use this theory to your advantage.
Incorporate your branding. Your donation page should clearly belong to your organization. Infuse it with your nonprofit’s brand elements, such as your logo, colors, fonts, and imagery style, to ensure it matches the rest of your site and online presence.
Display security badges. Explain to donors that you use a PCI-compliant payment processor to reassure them that their sensitive data is safe. Notify them of any other security measures, such as SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, that prove your nonprofit is committed to protecting donor information.

4. Center donor impact.

Donors want to know that their contributions actually matter. Use your donation page to thank donors for their generosity and fully enlighten them about the important work their donations fuel.

How to Implement This Tip

Clarify where donors’ money goes. Your nonprofit likely has several different programs or initiatives running simultaneously, in addition to ongoing administrative activities. Tell donors about your allocation breakdown and which programs you’re currently prioritizing to boost transparency and clarify expected impact.
Leverage storytelling. Show how past donations have helped real beneficiaries. Interview those impacted by your nonprofit about how your work has changed their lives. With their permission, incorporate quotes and images on your donation page to make your mission come to life for prospective supporters.
Use donor-centric language. Instead of saying, “We help local children in need,” use language that puts donors at the forefront with a statement like “Thanks to donors like you, children in our community can access new clothing and shoes their families wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.” Donors should understand that they are the ones who truly power your mission.

5. Test your page regularly.

Your donation page should evolve to fit users’ needs. Regular testing ensures it continuously provides the best experience possible for donors.

How to Implement This Tip

Use A/B testing. A/B testing involves creating two different versions of your donation page and serving each to a portion of your audience to see which one they respond better to. You should only change one element at a time so you can attribute differing conversion rates to that slight difference. Consider experimenting with different images, suggested donation amounts, and page formats.
Track performance analytics. After you make a change to your donation page, track analytics to see how it impacts user behavior. In addition to conversion rate, leverage metrics like bounce rate and time spent on the page.
Gather feedback. Quantitative data isn’t the only way to measure donation page performance. Immediately after donors make a donation, send them a survey seeking qualitative feedback on your donation page. Ask them about their experience and how you could improve the page.

While it can be nerve-racking to change a page that’s so vital to your nonprofit, continuously taking small steps to improve your donation page will help you earn more donations and retain donors’ support over time. Adapt your page as necessary to fit users’ needs and feature the most up-to-date program information, testimonials, and visuals.