Billie Bailey | Amperage Marketing + Fundraising
For many nonprofits, significant time and energy go into fundraising campaigns, appeals and donor communications. But when a supporter decides to give, the donation form itself often receives far less attention.
That's a missed opportunity.
Recent nonprofit giving research continues to show that donors expect the same seamless digital experience they encounter elsewhere online. Even small points of friction can cause donors to abandon a gift before completing it.
The good news? A few practical upgrades can make giving easier and help increase conversions, donor satisfaction and revenue.
Today's donors increasingly expect fast, secure payment methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal.
Digital wallets eliminate the need to manually enter payment information, reducing friction and speeding up the donation process. This is especially valuable for mobile users, who may otherwise abandon a form that requires too much typing.
The easier it is to complete a gift, the more likely donors are to follow through.
More donors than ever are engaging with nonprofit content on their phones. Yet many donation forms still feel like they were designed primarily for desktop users.
Take a moment to est your own giving experience on a smartphone:
If not, you may be creating unnecessary barriers to giving.
Every additional field on a donation form creates another opportunity for a donor to stop.
Whenever possible, use technology that remembers returning donors or pre-populates information from campaign links and donor records. Even simple conveniences can improve completion rates while creating a smoother experience.
Remember: If a field isn't necessary, consider removing it.
Suggested gift amounts help donors make decisions more quickly and can often increase average gift size.
Rather than presenting a blank field, consider offering several giving options tied to impact:
When donors can easily connect a gift amount to mission impact, they're often more confident in their giving decisions.
Bottom Line
Nonprofits spend considerable resources encouraging supporters to donate. Don't let an outdated donation form become the obstacle between intent and action.
A faster, more intuitive giving experience can improve donor satisfaction, increase conversion rates and help maximize the effectiveness of every fundraising campaign.
If it has been more than a year since you reviewed your online giving process, now many be the perfect time for a donation form audit.
Amperage Marketing + Fundraising can help evaluate your donor experience and identify practical improvements that may increase online giving. Contact Billie Bailey to schedule a complimentary fundraising consultation and discuss opportunities for your organization.
Author Billie Bailey is a fundraising adviser with Amperage Marketing + Fundraising and works with nonprofit organizations to strengthen donor engagement, fundraising strategy and campaign performance.
