If you are a nonprofit, you might be considering whether to set up a donation page or simply embed a donation form to your website’s homepage. Given below is a guide to understand more about donation pages and donation forms.
Donation Pages
A donation page is a separate webpage where your website visitors are directed to when they click on the CTA or Donate button on your nonprofit’s homepage. It is always paired with an online fundraising platform provider. People can easily make donations online with the help of donation pages instead of sending them by mail or donating in person.
A good donation page usually consists of the following elements.
- A donation form – This is the most crucial element of a donation page. The design of the form must be consistent with the design of the donation page.
- Mission statement – The mission statement is usually stated briefly on the donation page to allow donors to understand how their donations are going to be utilized.
- Image – A striking or compelling image is usually included in a donation page to provoke emotion and to show the donor what the nonprofit does or who they help.
Some optional elements which are found in donation pages include,
- Extra information about the organization – Some donation pages give extra information about the nonprofit along with the mission statement. For example, they might mention the number of people the nonprofit has helped so far. Some pages also let their visitors know if their donations are tax deductible or not.
- FAQ section – Some nonprofits include basic FAQs in their donation pages like ‘Is my donation secure?’ or ‘Is the donation tax deductible?’. This will help clarify the doubts of potential donors.
- Social media sharing buttons – This gives the donor an opportunity to share the nonprofit’s page on their social media.
Donation Forms
Donation forms are used to collect information from donors in order to process their donations. A donation form can either be an element in your donation page or seamlessly embedded to a nonprofit’s homepage. It can also be used as a pop-up widget.
Given below are the features of a good donation form,
- It should have options for multiple currencies, languages and payment methods.
- It should be designed according to the overall look and feel of the nonprofit’s website. The form should have a visually pleasing and coherent look without looking cluttered or disorganized.
- The form should be easily accessible from all devices.
- Only necessary fields should be included. Long forms asking for unnecessary details and requiring a lot of clicks are likely to turn off the visitor.
- Options for recurring donations and pre-set donation amounts. This allows the user to select the amount they are comfortable with.
Advantages Of Donation Pages
Given below are some advantages of donation pages over donation forms,
- Extra information – Donation pages help the visitor understand more about the nonprofit compared to forms which are very straightforward. They include more information like the mission statement of the nonprofit, the importance of the mission and how the donations are going to be utilized for the mission. This can compel the visitor to take action.
- Customization options – Donation pages have more customizable options and you can include many elements compared to donation forms which tend to have only information fields. You can include images, FAQ sections and social media sharing options in donation pages.
- More engagement – Donation pages are a great way to engage your visitors. Social media handles and newsletter options help the donor to stay in touch with the nonprofit.
Advantages Of Donation Forms
Given below are some advantages of donation forms over donation pages,
- Saves time – Donation forms save the visitor’s time since they are more straightforward than donation pages. They require you to simply enter your information and make the payment. If the donation form is directly embedded to the homepage, visitors don’t have to wait for a separate webpage to load.
- Less distractions – Some donation pages can include too many images or unnecessary information which the visitor might not be interested in. The presence of too many external links in donation pages can overwhelm the visitor.
- Easier setup – Donation forms are easier to set up compared to donation pages.
Conclusion
If you want something which is simple and straightforward, donation forms should be your pick. On the other hand if you want to create a more engaging experience for your donor, a well designed donation page can do the trick.