12 Tips for Effective Donation Forms

Creating the perfect donation form can make all the difference in helping fund your events, especially for nonprofits and arts organizations. A well-structured and user-friendly form ensures that potential donors have a seamless experience and are more likely to submit a donation. Continuously optimizing and improving your form is key! We’re here to share some donation form best practices to ensure they are top-notch, helping you drive more donations to your organization!

1. Keep it Short and Sweet

The golden rule of donation forms: shorter is better. Your patrons have already decided to give by clicking your donation link, so make it as easy as possible! The less time they spend scrolling, the better the chances that they’ll complete your form. Only ask for the most essential information directly on the form fields, such as the donation amount and payment details. Save the rest, like perks or organization details, to include in a sidebar, the confirmation page, or follow-up emails. Aim for a form that takes no more than 60 seconds to complete, increasing the likelihood that donors will fill it out and hit “Submit”!

2. Establish Your “Why”

Make sure your donors know exactly how their contributions will make a difference. Clearly explain who benefits from their donations and how  funds are utilized. Use storytelling to share about your events to genuinely connect with your audience. Keep it to roughly 1-2 sentences per section, while sharing your mission, vision, and some testimonials from beneficiaries or past attendees to establish your organization’s credibility and impact. Keeping this section brief yet powerful ensures you make the most impact with your donation form!

3. Include Donation Tiers, Options, and Impact

Show how every dollar matters! Provide specific giving levels and clearly show how each donation amount will be used. For example, $20 may help pay for costume materials, while $100 could help purchase new stage equipment. This transparency helps donors understand the direct impact of their contributions.

For each tier, be sure to include what their perks are too (e.g., discounted tickets, invitations to exclusive events, limited-time merch) in the sidebar or underneath the form. If your organization is a registered nonprofit, make sure to emphasize that their donations are tax deductible too! Additionally, offer options to donate in memory of someone or to specific campaigns, making their donations feel even more meaningful.

4. Include a Recurring Option

Adding a recurring donation option at the top of your form encourages donors to make more regular contributions! Depending on your form, consider offering various increments such as biweekly, monthly, quarterly, or even annually for larger donations. A simple nudge to make their support ongoing can turn one-time donors into recurring benefactors, providing steady support for your organization and long-term funding for your initiatives.

5. Include a Powerful Image

A single, impactful image can speak volumes! Use a high-quality photo that showcases your organization in action or highlights those benefiting from the donations. Ideally, this image should feature people in it, and you may want to brand it with your logo, fonts, and colors. When uploading this image, don’t forget to compress it for faster load times and add alt text (i.e., a brief description of what’s in the image) for accessibility.

6. Brand Everything

Consistency is key! Incorporate your logo, brand colors, and fonts across the entire form. This branding should extend to your thank you emails and other follow-up messages as well. A cohesive look reinforces your organization’s identity and builds trust with donors. Additionally, a well-branded donation process can enhance the donor’s online giving experience, increasing the likelihood of repeat donations.

7. Have a Clear Call-to-Action

Your submit button should stand out! Use a vibrant color and bold font to ensure it catches readers’ eyes when they’re on your website. The call-to-action (CTA) text on the button should be clear and direct, such as “Donate Now” or “Support Our Cause”. A highly visible and compelling CTA increases the chances that people will click and convert into donors.

8. Make it Easy to Find Your Form

The easier it is to locate your donation form, the more likely people are to contribute. Make your “Donate” button more prominent by using a contrasting color, adding a border around it, and placing it at the top of your website. You’ll want to have a dedicated donation landing page on your site as well. Once you’ve created your donation form and have a shareable link to it, promote your form across your website, blog posts, your social media bios, and newsletters. The more places it’s featured, the higher the chances of receiving donations!

9. Ensure Your Form is Mobile-Friendly

With a significant portion of web traffic coming from mobile devices, it’s crucial that your donation form is mobile-optimized for users. Partner with a solution that ensures your form loads quickly and functions smoothly on all smartphones and tablets. A mobile-friendly form means donors can contribute from anywhere, at any time, increasing your overall donations.

10. Show How Secure Your Form Is

Before putting in their personal information, donors want to know that their data is safe in your hands. Highlight your commitment to security by mentioning your form’s features related to fraud protection, data encryption, and PCI-compliance. Mention any reputable payment processors you use, like Stripe through Leap Merchant Services or PayPal. To make sure this doesn’t take up prime real estate on your donation form, you can include this as a single sentence under your form that mentioned your security credentials, then link off to your privacy policy for more details. Your donors will appreciate knowing that their data is protected!

11. Let Your Donors Pay the Fees

Processing fees can add up, so give your donors the option to cover these costs for you. Add a checkbox to your form allowing donors to include a small percentage to their gift to offset processing fees. This simple option can make a significant difference in your net donations over time, helping you raise more money for your organization!

12. Thank Your Donors!

A heartfelt thank you goes a long way. Create an engaging thank-you page and follow up with a personalized email that expresses your sincere gratitude. Use this email as an opportunity to share more about your organization and other ways to get involved too, like volunteering, attending events, or following your social media accounts. When you see larger donations come through your CRM, have a staff member personally call these donors to show how much you appreciate their support and to build a deeper connection with them.

Maximize Your Donations with Leap Patron Management

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to create a successful donation form. These simple yet effective techniques can transform a generic form into a powerful tool for fundraising. So, what are you waiting for? Take a moment to review your current forms and see where you can implement these tips. Or, if you’re interested in how to get started, consider partnering with a trusted solution like Leap Patron Management to streamline your fundraising efforts and take your organization to the next level!