If you're like most charitable organizations, you already have a web form for your donors to give online … When was the last time you reviewed it?

Do your donors have the best experience possible when they make a gift to you online?

Are you giving them multiple ways to reach you through the web, on mobile devices and in social media networks?

When your donation form is up-to-date with the latest trends, your organization can more easily connect with your digital donors. Here's our top ten ways for charities and non-profits to optimize their donation forms and raise more money online.

1. Brand-ability

You've spent years building your brand equity, don't confuse your donors by sending them to a donation form that looks like a different website! Your donation form should clearly reflect your cause and campaign.  Donation forms designed with your organization's logos, images and content perform better than generic donation forms through portal websites. Choose a donation provider that allows you to seamlessly integrate your donation form into your website.

2. Multiple Donation Options

Create a truly donor-centric donation form by offering your donors the option to give a single or a recurring gift online. Does your current donation form allow your supporters to choose to donate automatically every month? Can your donors easily schedule how long and on which date they give to you? Are you able to pre-define giving amounts that are most beneficial to your organization? Effective donation forms include flexible options for giving.

3. Mobile Web Optimized

It's no longer possible to ignore the significant number of visitors to your website who are browsing your site on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets! Our statistics show that 7 - 10% of your supporters are visiting donation forms on a mobile browser. Do you know how your current donation form performs on a mobile device? You should never have to create a separate "mobile" donation form to reach those supporters. Your website donation form should be optimized for all browsers - mobile devices included! Choose a donation platform that instantly detects which type of browser the donor is using and automatically serves up a perfectly optimized mobile donation page for visitors on smartphones and tablets.

4. PayPal Express Checkout and PayPal Mobile Express Checkout

Many donors look for an alternative to credit card payment when making a donation to your important cause. PayPal is a proven payment method of choice for a significant percentage of online donors. When PayPal Express Checkout lives alongside an existing payment gateway, many of our clients have seen donation lifts of up to 14%.

5. Google Analytics Tracking

You should never have to make guesses about what your donors are doing online or how they found your website. Full Google Analytics integration on your donation pages means you can accurately track donor traffic data and goal conversion through your organization's own Google Analytics account. You'll understand your donors' online behavior more clearly, knowing exactly which social networks or digital ad placements drove donors to your organization. If you are using online ads to drive traffic to your website, it's especially critical to know exactly which ads resulted in a donation.

6. Social Login

Your donors should already be able to share your donation form on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and of course, post on their favorite sites after making a donation to let their friends know they gave! But, did you know that "social" has gone so far beyond the sharing concept? Social Login (or Social Sign-in) is the latest way to leverage the power of social networking. When your donors log into Facebook on your donation form they can more quickly and easily make a donation to your cause and seamlessly share their action with their social networks. Social Login also makes it easier for supporters to make a repeat donation!

7. Tribute Giving and eCards

Many donors choose to give in memory or in honor of a loved one. Your donation options should allow your visitors to personalize the reason they are donating to your cause. eCards are a simple, cost-effective way for your donors to share the reasons why they gave to your cause. Does your donation form allow your donors to create, personalize and send eCards to friends and family? 

8. Flexibility

Creating a new donation form should take minutes, not hours or weeks! You shouldn't have to put in a request to a web designer or IT team when you need to create a new donation form for a special project or event. It's the same idea when editing your existing form. You should be able to change your content or edit fields & images whenever it's necessary. Can your organization easily administrate your existing donation form?

9. Personalized Emails

You already know how important it is to communicate effectively with your donors and supporters. Some donation providers send your donors a generic receipt or confirmation email after a donation. Make sure that you can personalize the content, images, sender name & email address in the donation "thank you" and tax receipt emails for your organization.

10. Security

It's very important to protect personal and payment-related information. Donors always rate security of personal information as a top concern when donating or making purchases online. Always make sure your donation provider is on the VISA verified list of PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliant vendors.

 

Want to learn more about building the best donor experience for your supporters?

We've raised over half a billion dollars for our hundreds of valued clients in the UK, the US, Australia and Canada and we're confident that we can help you improve your online giving results.

Request a personalized demo today!