5 Nonprofit Donation Page Design Tips To Boost Giving

A donor lands on your nonprofit’s website, moved by your mission and ready to contribute. But instead of finding an easy and engaging experience, they’re faced with a confusing, clunky donation page. Then, they leave without giving.

For nonprofits, a well-designed donation page isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the gateway to the support that powers your cause. When someone wants to fulfill a donation request, they should experience an enjoyable process that prompts them to give again in the future.

Whether for general fundraising or a specific campaign, your page is a powerful tool for building trust, showcasing impact, and securing the resources your nonprofit needs. Let’s explore proven best practices to help your donation page drive donations, not frustration.

Simplify Your Donation Form.

Online giving is known for its convenience. The longer it takes to donate, the less likely site visitors are to do so. Start by eliminating unnecessary fields. Typically, you only need to collect donors’ names, contact information, donation amounts, gift designations, and payment details. A good rule of thumb is to use a single-page design. If you need multiple pages, that probably indicates you’re requesting too much information unless each page is incredibly short.

From here, provide a straightforward donation process by taking these steps:

• Label fields clearly. Clearly mark all fields and indicate which ones are mandatory with an asterisk.
• Use a compelling header image. Include one impactful image that communicates your cause without overwhelming the page.
• Offer multiple payment options. Make donating accessible by supporting popular methods like credit cards, PayPal, direct deposit, and digital wallets. Allow donors to opt into recurring donations by clicking a checkbox rather than filling out a separate form.
• Highlight the donation button. Place your donation button prominently on the page, using straightforward, action-oriented language like “Donate now” or “Make an impact.”

Remember, a straightforward donation process benefits your nonprofit as well as your donors. It also allows you to gather accurate, actionable data for your CRM without clutter, making it easier to nurture relationships and plan future campaigns. If you need help, a professional graphic designer should be able to help you design a compelling page that guides donors through the process.

Provide Suggested Giving Amounts.

Display pre-set donation amounts with a custom option to guide decision-making. When you solicit gifts, donors will use these to indicate how much others typically give and to pick their amounts. Plus, if they’re thinking about donating $20 but see a preset amount for $25, they may be encouraged to give a little more.

To take this best practice one step further, highlight what each donation level accomplishes, especially for targeted efforts like capital campaigns or project-specific fundraising. Here’s an example of this strategy in action for an animal shelter:

• $25 provides food and basic care for one rescued animal for a week.
• $50 covers a wellness check-up and vaccinations for one animal.
• $100 supports the spaying or neutering of one animal.
• $250 provides shelter, bedding, and care supplies for one animal for an entire month.
• $500 contributes to emergency medical treatments for injured or sick animals.

By tying each donation level to a specific and tangible outcome, donors can see the direct impact of their contribution, creating a stronger emotional connection to the cause. Take a look at your nonprofit’s average gift sizes to select suggested amounts. This ensures the options feel attainable while gently encouraging slightly higher contributions.

Brand Your Donation Page To Your Organization.

Your donation page should be visually consistent with the rest of your website and other materials. Otherwise, visitors may land on your page and think they somehow wound up on a third-party, untrustworthy site. Incorporate your branding by including the following elements on your donation page:

• Prominently display your nonprofit’s logo.
• Apply your organization’s color scheme throughout the page.
• Incorporate images, banners, or icons that represent your cause.
• Use the same fonts and text styles as your main website or other branded materials.
• Include your nonprofit’s mission statement or a brief tagline to remind donors of your purpose.
• Add your nonprofit’s tax-exempt information, accreditations, or partnerships to build trust while staying on-brand.

Cornershop Creative’s list of the best nonprofit websites highlights several well-branded websites that were designed professionally. One of these is the Lymphoma Research Foundation, which features the organization’s logo, fonts, bold purple color scheme, and a compelling image of a beneficiary. You’ll also notice it incorporates other best practices, such as suggested donation amounts and an easy recurring gift option.

Optimize For Mobile Devices.

The United States has an impressive 310 million smartphone users, with a smartphone adoption level exceeding 96 percent. That makes mobile donations imperative for nonprofits.

Ensure your donation page is responsive, meaning that it will readjust elements to fit different screen sizes and orientations. You’ll want to use a large donate button that’s easy to tap. Minimizing the number of fields will help mobile users tremendously, and you can go one step further by replacing text inputs with drop-down menus or radio buttons where possible.

Many form builders support features that enhance the mobile experience, such as auto-fill for names, addresses, and payment information. They also allow you to use input types that trigger mobile-optimized keyboards, like numeric keypads for payment details and email-specific keyboards for email fields.

Thankfully, many nonprofit website builders offer built-in mobile responsiveness, so you won’t have to design multiple versions of your page. However, always test your donation page on various devices to ensure a smooth user experience and identify pain points in the mobile giving process.

Feature A Confirmation Page.

Redirect donors to a personalized thank-you page after someone donates. This reassures donors that their gift was successfully submitted and provides an opportunity to deepen engagement.

Consider including these elements:

• A short thank-you message acknowledging the donor’s generosity
• A summary of the donation amount, frequency (if recurring), and any specific designations
• A brief description or image showing how their donation will be used, such as supporting a capital campaign to build a new facility
• Links to explore your mission further, such as success stories, upcoming events, or ways to support the nonprofit
• An opportunity to subscribe to your newsletter
• A way to research their employer’s workplace giving opportunities — Double the Donation suggests embedding a company search tool that allows donors to research their company’s eligibility requirements and find a request form
• Social sharing buttons so donors can share their contributions on platforms like Facebook or X to inspire others

Your confirmation page doesn’t need to be incredibly long. After all, you should still follow up with a confirmation email that includes a tax receipt. However, it’s a great opportunity to finish the donation process on a positive note by confirming that the gift was successfully submitted and providing additional information.

Your donation page is vital for driving year-round support for your nonprofit. By designing it to guide users through the giving process and encourage further engagement, you can turn casual visitors into dedicated supporters.

After launching your new design, continuously test elements like layouts, CTAs, color schemes, and imagery to see what resonates most with your audience. Alternatively, leave the design process and ongoing optimization to a professional designer so you can focus on other aspects of your mission.

Ultimately, a well-crafted donation page not only increases conversions but also leaves donors with a positive impression of your organization, inspiring lasting connections.