The ultimate guide to high-converting donation forms

Your nonprofit website is the gateway to fundraising success. Every visitor counts, as does a seamless, embedded donation form that keeps them engaged and inspired to give.

Yet, many nonprofits don’t realize that friction and impersonal experiences on their current donation forms may limit their ability to convert more visitors into donors.

The good news is that the right donation form builder and functionality can get through this barrier, boost donor engagement, and help you raise more. In this guide, you’ll learn what makes a donation form effective at converting and how to access a well-designed form to help your nonprofit achieve your fundraising goals.

What makes a donation form effective?

Before we get into powerful tools to help build your donation forms, here are eight key functions of an effective nonprofit donation to keep in mind, regardless of your mission or cause.

User-friendly design

Studies show that simplifying forms can boost conversion rates, as the average online checkout asks for about 15 form fields.

However, research from the Baymard Institute shows a fully optimized flow can reduce that to as few as seven, a simplification that can lift conversions by more than 35% and support the case for an embedded donation flow as short as four steps.

Speed

Fast-loading pages ensure that donors don’t abandon their gifts out of frustration. Since a one-second delay in page load time can cut conversions by as much as 7%, every second between a click on “donate” and a completed gift matters.

Minimized distractions

A donation page should keep visitors focused on completing their gift. Remove global site navigation, sidebar links, and unrelated calls to action from the donation flow so nothing competes with the Donate button for attention.

The same goes for exit points: avoid autoplaying videos, pop-ups, or chat widgets that interrupt the process once a donor starts filling out the form. Every element on the page should either move the donor closer to completing their gift or get removed.

Mobile optimization

With mobile devices now driving over half of all website visits, a mobile-first design is crucial to converting that traffic into completed gifts.

Versatile payment options

Offering versatile payment options like credit cards, direct bank transfers (ACH), and digital wallets such as PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Venmo eliminates unnecessary friction. Meeting donors where they already shop and manage their finances ensures a smooth, familiar checkout process that makes completing a gift as effortless as possible.

Brand trust

According to research, 81% of donors say they need to trust a brand before giving money to it.

Aligning your donation form with your nonprofit’s branding creates a seamless, trustworthy experience. The personalized imagery and messaging that brought a donor to your page should carry through the entire process, helping inspire them to complete their gift.

Impactful prompts and giving nudges

According to GoFundMe Pro’s donation conversion research, recurring-gift nudges yield strong long-term retention: 81% of monthly donors continue giving after 7 months, and 71% remain active after a full year—far outperforming typical one-time donor retention rates.

Integrated across all pages

Embedding a donation form on your main Donate button is key, as it’s the most prominent spot. However, adding donation entry points in-line across various pages allows supporters to contribute when they’re most inspired, no matter where they are on the site.

Why nonprofits trust our donation forms

Here are some of the top reasons why nonprofits lean on and trust GoFundMe Pro donation forms to help them achieve their fundraising goals.

Robust set of features

Our donation forms provide a robust set of tools and features to enhance your donation experience. Here are a few:

• Flexible giving options allow donors to choose between one-time and recurring gifts
• Reordered checkout with express pay lets donors commit to their gift first, then pay in one tap via Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, or Venmo, with dedications, employer matching, and custom questions handled right after checkout
• Customizable input fields enable you to collect key donor details (like payment preferences and optional addresses) after the donation is complete, helping streamline checkout while keeping the process distraction-free
• Program designation and tribute donation options allow supporters to direct their gifts in meaningful ways, enhancing donor engagement
• Employer-matching capabilities amplify the impact of each dollar
• Personalized nudges, including prompts for donor-covered fees, help increase giving
• Social sharing capabilities empower donors to amplify their impact
• Expandable FAQ links keep supporters informed without leaving the checkout flow
• Behind-the-scenes analytics tools, like Google Analytics 4, provide valuable insights into donor behavior, enabling organizations to refine their fundraising strategies

Data-backed design

GoFundMe Pro donation forms use proven layouts and research-backed design elements to help maximize conversion rates. Our high-performing pop-up design keeps donors focused on giving, no matter the device. It maintains your branding, provides access to FAQs, and allows easy navigation, all without distracting from the primary goal: completing the donation.

Additionally, our testing reveals that a black Continue button enhances focus, seamlessly guiding supporters through the donation process. This design choice drives more gifts and ensures your forms meet the highest accessibility standards, although you may edit this color if you wish.

The donation form for the Foundation for Women’s Cancer incorporates these trusted design elements, providing donors with the most efficient and impactful donation experience.

Seamless integrations

Connected fundraising experiences are critical for nonprofits seeking to optimize their efforts. With our donation forms, nonprofits can effortlessly connect with essential tools that streamline operations and strengthen donation outcomes.

Whether your organization needs to track campaign performance, personalize the donor journey, or simplify the giving process, our donation forms deliver a robust, user-friendly solution:

• Compatibility with all website builders, and WordPress users can simplify setup even further with our dedicated plugin
• Customer relationship management integrations, like Salesforce, Omatic, and Virtuous
• Seamless connections to top payment processors for smooth transactions
• Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics 4 for tracking campaign performance
• Social share buttons to encourage donor engagement

No-code design

While a one-time code setup is necessary for the launch, once it’s in place, nonprofits can easily brand, design, and edit their donation forms without any technical expertise. This solution removes the barrier of relying on highly trained staff, enabling quick updates and adjustments without slowing down fundraising efforts. This flexibility also empowers your nonprofit to stay agile, ensuring your forms remain up to date and aligned with fundraising goals.

The Storehouse Community Center successfully branded its donation form using our no-code design tools by incorporating its colors, logos, and personalized text and images. This customization not only enhanced the donor experience but also ensured consistency with their overall brand. Additionally, the organization saved time and reduced costs associated with site updates, all while maintaining a seamless, user-friendly donation process.

Easy steps to get started

Now that you’ve seen what’s possible with our donation forms, we want to make the next steps as seamless as possible. To get started, customers can easily request a predesigned donation form template from our campaign catalog, which incorporates all our research and optimizations.

Transform your fundraising

A well-designed donation form is one of the most powerful tools nonprofits can use to drive gifts and increase donor engagement. With GoFundMe Pro donation forms, you get everything you need to create stunning, high-converting forms that make giving effortless.

Already a GoFundMe Pro customer? Attend one of our biweekly donation form training sessions for step-by-step guidance on designing your next standout form.

If you’re not yet a customer, request a demo or explore pricing packages as a first step to optimizing your nonprofit donation form with our donation forms.

Donation form FAQs

What is a donation button?

A donation button is the clickable element on your nonprofit’s website that takes a visitor directly to your donation form, letting them give in just a click or two. It’s typically the most prominent call to action on a page since it’s the doorway between visitor and donor.

Where should you place a donation button for the best conversion rate?

Place your donation button above the fold, where visitors see it without scrolling, and keep it visible as they move through your site. High-contrast colors and consistent placement across pages both help donors find it the moment they’re ready to give.

How can nonprofits get donations online?

Nonprofits typically get donations online through a branded donation form embedded on their own website, direct email asks, and social sharing that points supporters back to that page. A well-designed, on-brand donation form is usually the most reliable of the three since it’s the one channel entirely under your organization’s control.