The Nitty Gritty of Online Giving

Today, we’re getting down to some nitty-gritty fundraising details: online donation pages. 

Online donations should be easy. Your supporters want to give, but if your donation page is clunky, confusing, or outdated, even your most enthusiastic donor might give up before clicking “submit.”

It’s not uncommon for a nonprofit organization to set up its online donation page and then forget about it. But your page might not be performing as well as it could be. 

One source indicates that 60% of potential donors leave a donation page before making a gift. Why?

Too often, the donation page isn’t clear, compelling, or easy to use. That’s a huge missed opportunity—but it’s also something you can fix.

It’s time to ask:

Is your online giving page serving your organization well?

First: Optimize Your Donation Form

If you are willing to set aside an hour or two, you can ensure you’ve made your donation page user-friendly and ready to maximize your ROI by focusing on these questions:

	Yes	No	Notes
Does your donation form take less than 3 seconds to load?
Are suggested donation amounts included?
Can donors choose between a one-time gift and a recurring gift?
Can donors make a gift without creating an account?
Is the donation form in a logical order?
Does your donation form require individuals to complete less than 10 fields?
Does your donation page indicate which types of gifts you accept (i.e. checks, credit cards, stocks, IRA donations, real estate, cryptocurrency, etc.)?
Does your donation page include the phone number of someone to contact if a donor needs help?
Have you personally made an online gift to your organization to see how easy (or difficult!) it is?
Is your page mobile-friendly?
Have you maximized accessibility (i.e. color contrast, use with a screen reader, etc.)?
Do donors automatically see a confirmation screen with a gratitude message when they make a gift?
Have you tested the donation page with different internet browsers?
Have you considered adding a chatbot that can walk donors through the donation experience? (For example, it can explain the types of gifts you accept, etc.)

The more times you answer “yes,” the more likely that your donation page is user-friendly. Jot notes about simple changes your organization can make. 

Next: Improve the Full Donor Experience

Beyond the nuts and bolts of the donation page, it’s worth thinking about the larger donor experience with online giving. Audit how your organization is driving online donations and stewarding online donors:

	Yes	No	Notes
Do you have a large, colorful “Donate” button near the top, right corner of your homepage?
Does your website include demonstrations of credibility (i.e., security badges, donor testimonials, financial transparency, etc.)?
Can donors quickly see how their gifts will be used?
Do donors receive an email confirmation and receipt immediately after making an online gift?
Have you experimented with peer-to-peer giving?
Have you tried text-to-donate?
Can you track donor analytics such as abandonment rate?
Do donors—at all levels—receive regular updates about the impact of their gifts?

Now Dance!

After you’ve done the nitty-gritty work of updating your online giving page, you deserve to do The Nitty Gritty dance! 

Back in 1963, this dance craze swept the nation. (Look at those moves! Can we bring it back?)

Celebrate the investment you’ve made to improve your donors’ experience with your organization. Your mission is worth it.

Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash