10 online donation form best practices.

Your nonprofit works hard to make an impact. That’s why it’s important to ask yourself if your online donation form is helping or hurting your fundraising efforts. 

A confusing or time-consuming donation process can easily turn people away and leave critical funding on the table. This refresh on the latest best practices for online donation forms will help you create a seamless and donor-friendly experience that inspires generosity and keeps your supporters returning to give.

And what if we told you there’s a way to set up a strong donation form and keep 100% of every donation without transaction fees cutting into your funds? Stick with us for expert tips to help you maximize fundraising campaigns and donation potential online for your nonprofit.

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10 tips to get the most out of your online donation form 

1. Use strong branding and engaging visuals

It’s no surprise that when your donation form looks good, you’ll probably attract more donations. When your form reflects your nonprofit’s branding (think logos, text, coloring, and tone of voice), you can more easily build trust with donors. 

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But don’t stop there! Adding visuals or videos to your donation form can capture their attention, making the act of donating feel more personal and impactful. Here are a few ideas to consider beyond the basics of branding your donation page:

• Personalized messaging: Imagine how good it feels to be greeted by name. You can make donors feel extra special by including personalized messages that acknowledge their past support or highlight the impact of their donation. It’s a simple way to build a connection.

• Donor recognition: Who doesn’t like to be recognized? Featuring recent donors on your form—whether a shout-out on a thank-you wall or a "donor of the day" feature—helps show appreciation and motivate others to give as well.

• Interactive elements: Get donors involved by adding fun, interactive features to your donation form. Maybe it’s a quick quiz that matches them with a project they care about or a timed challenge to encourage donations within a specific window. A little excitement goes a long way!

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2. Customize donation form options and introduce flexibility

Donors like having options and often abandon a donation page if the process gets too complex or they don’t see what they need quickly. Flexibility is key, and here are a few ways to accomplish this on your forms:

• Donation amounts: Give them a variety of donation amounts that vary from smaller amounts to more impactful donations, with an “other” field for those who want to give what feels right for them.

• Donation frequency: Include the choice of one-time or monthly donations from the same form. Increasing recurring donations can automatically bring back supporters to give again.

• Donation details: Learn more about your donors and help them feel empowered to customize their gift with options such as donating in someone else’s honor, name, or memory and making their donation anonymous if they prefer.

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3. Make it easy to share your donation form

A personal share from supporters to their friends, family, co workers, and community goes a long way to increase traffic to your online donation form. Add share buttons that make it simple for donors to spread the word. The more people see your campaign, the more likely you are to reach new supporters.

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‍Share options for your donation form can include:

• A direct link option to copy and paste into a text, group chat, or create into a QR code

• Social media links to populate a post that links back to your donation form on popular channels such as Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter)

• An email option that makes it easier than ever to share your form with email contacts

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4. Accept a variety of payment options

Nobody likes to be stopped at checkout, and the days of stopping to reach for a wallet and a physical card every time a transaction happens are over. Sure, some people carry their cards and checks on them at all times, but as we move towards primarily contactless payments it's important to have all options available for your donors.

Offer multiple payment methods like credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and even checks, so donors can choose the best option. The smoother you make the payment process, the more likely people will complete their donation.

Especially when it comes to the way you accept donations with mobile payment options, you are far more likely to keep the attention of donors who have login information loaded onto their devices and can complete a donation in seconds rather than minutes (because we know non one has time these days!)

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5. Keep your donation form short and sweet

Simplicity is key when it comes to donation forms. Keep things intuitive and easy to navigate so donors can quickly contribute without frustration. 

And don’t forget to optimize your form for all devices and browsers—everyone wants to donate on their terms, whether on a phone, tablet, or desktop. When you’re looking at a donation page on a mobile device, typical paragraphs of text can take several scrolls to get through before a donor reaches the area where they submit their information.that 

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‍Here are a few ways to communicate impact without getting overly wordy:

• Use bullet points wherever you can to break up text

• Utilize headings and bolded text to separate thoughts

• Lean on imagery (that can also have text!) and automatically optimize to the screen they’re being viewed on

• Pay attention to font size and styling 

• Communicate the most important points on your donation form, leaving links to learn more in related blogs, web pages, and videos

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6. Use social proof and testimonials

People trust people, so let your past donors do the talking. Adding testimonials or stories from previous supporters can help visitors feel aligned and connected to your cause. It’s a great way to show that there is a large community you’ve built of others who fiercely believe in your mission and experienced the impact firsthand.

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As you think about asking for testimonials, consider questions or prompts that can help you make the most of the opportunity to bring authentic voices to your mission. These might include:

• What inspired you to support our cause?

• Can you describe how our work has impacted you or your community?

• What made you choose to donate to us over other organizations?

• How does knowing your donation is making a difference feel?

• What would you tell someone who is considering supporting our cause?

• Why do you believe our mission is important?

• How has your experience with our organization influenced your ongoing support?

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You can also get creative about the format for your testimonials. Consider asking a few donors to provide videos which you can then use to repurpose into audio content for social media, graphic posts, and written testimonials based on what you need and when.

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7. Optimize your donation form for mobile giving

More and more people donate from their phones, so make sure your forms not only look great on smaller screens, but its possible to see all buttons and functionality needed to submit the form. A mobile-optimized online donation page is easier to navigate and makes the donation process quick and straightforward for donors on the go.

You’ll want to test out your form on different devices and browsers to catch any friction points that might drive your donors away.

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Here’s what to look for:

• Responsive design: Your experience adjusts automatically to fit any device, whether you're on your phone, tablet, or desktop, so it’s always easy to navigate.

• Simplified layout: We’ve kept things simple, showing only the essential fields to make your donation process quick and stress-free.

• Large, clickable buttons: All buttons, like donation amounts and the "Donate" button, are designed to be easy to tap, minimizing errors.

• Autofill capabilities: When possible, we’ll fill in your details like name and address for you, so you don’t have to type as much, speeding up the process.

• Easy-to-read buttons: The text and buttons are big enough to read without having to zoom, making it super easy to use on smaller screens.

• Quick load time: We’ve made sure the page loads quickly, so you don’t have to wait, even if your internet’s a bit slower.

• One-page donation flow: You won’t need to scroll or switch between pages—it’s all streamlined into one easy-to-follow page.

• Instant confirmation: Once you donate, you’ll see a thank-you message right away to let you know your gift has been received.

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8. Send automatic thank you emails and updates

We’re preparing for an influx of donation traffic, so there will come a point when even the most thoughtful nonprofit teams won’t be able to keep up with manually writing and remembering to send a thank you or update every donor promptly. 

Everyone likes to feel appreciated. After a donation, make sure your online forms are synced up to send an instant thank-you email automatically after a donation. 

In that thank you email, it’s also equally as essential to include a compliant tax receipt. Of course, you can add some personal touch to these messages (and you should!), but at the least you want to be sure that no individual is left wondering if you received their money or feeling like they never hear from you again.

This kind of genuine outreach helps build trust and can encourage future contributions. It also helps you stay at the top of your mind for supporters who you want to think about you when they’re ready to show generosity again.

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9. Create a sense of urgency or excitement on your donation page

Sometimes, it takes a little push to motivate someone to give on your donation form. Creating urgency can prompt action, whether a limited-time matching campaign or a countdown to your fundraising goal. When people feel their gift will significantly impact in a short window, they’re more likely to give.

Considering your donation form, it’s good to consider first-time visitors and return donors. You can continuously update your donation form with the latest impact your organization is making and offer a timely call to action to encourage donations whenever someone lands on it.

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Ideas to create urgency and excitement on your donation page over time include:

• Countdown timers: Add a ticking clock to your donation form to show how much time is left for a limited-time fundraising goal or matching gift challenge. It’s a great way to motivate everyone to give before time runs out.

• Goal progress updates: Keep everyone in the loop with real-time updates on how close you are to reaching your goal. A fundraising thermometer makes it fun to see how donations are adding up, and it inspires others to pitch in and help you hit those milestones.

• Matching gifts countdown: Let people know that their donation can go even further with matching gift opportunities. Show them how every gift gets doubled if donated within a specific time frame—it’s a win-win!

• Campaign milestones: Celebrate when you hit key milestones, like reaching 50% of your goal or getting 100 donors! It helps build excitement and gives supporters a sense of accomplishment as they see the progress.

• Flash donation events: Surprise your supporters with quick, 24-hour donation drives, and offer a special thank-you gift or recognition for anyone who donates within the time frame. It adds a little thrill to the campaign!

• Donor spotlights: Shine a light on top donors or recent contributors with a “Donor of the Day” feature or leaderboard. It creates a fun sense of friendly competition and shows people you really appreciate their support.

• Storytelling with impact: Keep donors updated with stories about how their contributions are making a difference. This can be especially helpful with increasing recurring donations.

10. Use data to optimize your campaign

You can learn so much about your fundraising strategy by looking at the numbers. After all, you want to know what’s working and what’s not in a clear-cut way. When you take some time to check out what exactly is driving donations, you can make changes that help you create a better donor experience and raise more in the future.

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Some standard metrics you can track on your online donation form include:

• Conversion rate: This shows what percentage of visitors follow through and make a donation after landing on your page. It’s a great way to see how well your form turns visitors into supporters.

• Average donation amount: This tracks the average size of donations you receive. It helps you understand donor behavior and gives you a sense of future donation goals.

• Donation frequency: This measures how often donors contribute—whether one-time or recurring donations. It gives you insight into how loyal your donors are and how you’re doing with donor retention.

• Donor demographics: This looks at donor information like age, location, and other details. Knowing these details helps you tailor your messaging and outreach to connect with them better.

• Mobile vs. desktop donations: This tracks whether people donate more from their phones or desktops. It helps you optimize the form, so it works great on mobile if that’s where most of your donations come from.

• Payment method preferences: This shows you which payment methods donors use most often— credit cards, PayPal, or Apple Pay. Knowing this helps you adjust your options to make it easier for donors to give the way they prefer.

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Build your online donation form for free with Zeffy

Your online donation form isn’t just a payment tool—it’s the key to growing your impact and making giving easy. A seamless, well-designed form builds trust and keeps donors coming back, and it shouldn’t require extra effort with the right partner on your side.

That’s why Zeffy’s 100% fee-free platform is a game-changer. No hidden costs, no transaction fees—just more money going directly to your mission. You can even check out our sample as a donation form template to make your own as you get started on Zeffy.

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Online donation process best practices: FAQs

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