Your supporters are ready to give, but you lose them at the final hurdle.
On average, between half to two-thirds of people who click "Donate" end up abandoning the process without completing their gift. In other words, a huge portion of willing donors never actually donate, often due to small friction points or unclear messaging on the donation page.
The good news is that small changes can have a big impact. You can turn more of those good intentions into actual donations for your cause.
Reduce Friction in the Donation Process
One of the quickest wins is to make donating as easy as possible. Every extra step or confusing field in your donation process is an opportunity for donors to give up. According to WPForms, “more than 67% of site visitors will abandon your forms forever if they encounter any complications.” Lengthy forms alone account for ~27% of abandonments. For nonprofits, this means that even supporters who truly want to donate might quit if the process becomes a hassle.
How do you reduce friction?
Start by streamlining your online donation process. Make your forms as simple as possible. Only ask for information you genuinely need. If you can, limit your form to a single page or a few intuitive steps. Avoid redundant or optional questions (you likely don’t need someone’s title or fax number to process a donation). Each additional field or page can have a significant impact over time. Create a smooth path to completion. The goal is a donation process that feels almost effortless, even for a busy, first-time donor.
If you do need multiple steps (for example, personal info, then payment details), indicate progress with a clear step indicator so donors know it’s not an endless form. Also, eliminate distractions on the donation page: this isn’t the place for extra navigation menus or unrelated links. It should be focused on completing the donation. By reducing friction and focusing the user, you respect your donors’ time and intent – making it far more likely they’ll follow through with their gift.
Optimise for Mobile Giving
These days, people are more likely to encounter your donation page on a smartphone than on a desktop. Mobile optimisation is no longer optional – it’s essential. However, mobile users historically convert at lower rates than desktop users, which suggests many donation pages aren’t delivering a great experience on smaller screens.
To optimise for mobile, make sure your donation page is responsive and touch-friendly. This means the page and form should automatically adjust to different screen sizes, buttons should be large enough to tap easily, and text should be readable without pinching and zooming. Check that your entire donation flow (including any pop-ups or payment widgets) works smoothly on common mobile devices. It’s worth testing the process on your own phone: how many times do you have to scroll or tap? Is anything hard to press or read?
Speed is especially critical on mobile. Mobile users are often on the go and have little patience for slow pages. If your donation page takes too long to load on a phone, donors may not wait around. (3 seconds maximum is your target) We’ll talk more about fast load times later, but for mobile it’s doubly important – don’t make people wait.
Read more about optimising your website for Google.
Use Clear and Compelling Calls-to-Action
Your donation page should have one primary goal: getting the user to complete a donation. The call-to-action (CTA) is the bridge to that goal. It needs to be crystal clear and compelling. In practice, this means your donate button (or link) should stand out visually and use concise, encouraging text. A good CTA leaves no ambiguity about what the donor should do next.
Make the donate button prominent with a contrasting colour that draws the eye. The text on the button should be action-oriented and specific – for example, “Donate Now” or “Give Today to Help”, rather than a vague “Submit”. Place the main CTA in a spot that’s immediately visible when someone lands on the page (often near the top) so users don’t have to hunt for it. If your donation form is embedded on the page, consider repeating the donate button or making the form itself clearly a call-to-action area.
It also helps to frame the CTA in terms of impact or urgency, if appropriate. For instance, instead of a button that just says "Donate", a phrase like "Donate Now to Feed a Child" connects the action to a real outcome, which can motivate more effectively. Keep the language uplifting and clear. You're looking to inspire the donor with the difference they can make by clicking that button, not pressure them.
For example, when Studio Tigris redesigned the website for The King’s Children’s Home (a non-profit orphanage), two key improvements was (1) adding a bold, easy-to-find donate call-to-action, and (2) simplifying the donation page as much as possible. Now, the new site features a prominent “Donate” button on every page, guiding visitors toward giving and has increased the donations the organisation receives. There is also a page that allows the user to give towards a specific need, be it sponsoring a caretaker, or purchasing supplies. The goal is a clear ask, presented confidently but kindly, that will significantly boost the chances that someone who cares about your cause will take the next step and give.
Build Trust with Transparency and Security
Donating is a personal act of trust. To click that donate button, a supporter must trust your organisation – trust that their money will be used wisely, and trust that their payment information will be handled safely. If your donation page raises any red flags about credibility or security, donors will hesitate or abandon the process. Concerns about security are one of the top reasons people abandon online forms, so building trust on your donation page is absolutely vital.
How can you quickly build trust with donors online?
Start by being transparent about your mission and the use of funds. A short sentence near the donation form about how donations are used (for example, "Your donation will directly support X program" or "Every £1 feeds 2 people in need") can reassure donors that their gift has meaningful impact. If possible, include a link to learn more about your programs or your financial accountability, so those who want details can get them.
Incorporate trust signals on the page, especially around the payment area. This can include small but important cues like a lock icon and “Secure Donation” text indicating that the form is encrypted. If you have third-party security badges (for example, SSL certificates, Charity Navigator ratings, or accreditation logos), display them where appropriate. Social proof is another trust builder – consider featuring a brief testimonial or thank-you quote from a donor or beneficiary.
Donor trust is reinforced through design, so ensure your branding is consistent and professional on the donation page. It should look legitimate and linked to the rest of your website. Any major disconnect or a poorly designed form could raise doubts. Transparency about costs is key as well – avoid surprising donors with extra fees or required sign-ups at the last second, as that can erode trust quickly.
Suggest Donation Amounts and Show Impact
Often, donors arrive at your page ready to give but unsure about how much to donate. Suggested donation amounts remove this ambiguity and guide supporters toward common giving levels. By presenting a few predefined options (for example, £20, £50, £100, £250), you make the decision easier – the donor can simply click an amount rather than type in a figure from scratch. This not only reduces friction, but also serves as gentle encouragement. Donors may give a bit more when they see a higher suggested amount that comes with context. For example, see how we incorporated this for Unseen Pursuit.
The best practice is to pair suggested amounts with a brief description of what that donation will accomplish. This is known as impact framing, and it’s incredibly effective. For instance, next to the £50 option we wrote, "for one child to go to preschool for a term." By showcasing the tangible outcome of each suggested amount, you help donors visualise the real-world impact of their contribution. This makes the act of giving more meaningful – it helps shift the focus from "I'm spending money" to "this is the good that this money will do."
When implementing this, choose 3-4 suggested amounts that correspond to typical donation sizes for your organisation. You could include an "Other" field as well so those who want to give a different amount (higher or lower) can do so. The goal is to provide helpful benchmarks without limiting generosity. You might be surprised how many people select the middle option when given a range.
It’s a well-known effect in fundraising that a thoughtful set of choices can gently anchor donation sizes at a higher level than if the donor was left completely on their own.
Beyond amounts, consider highlighting the option of a recurring donation (e.g., "Make this a monthly gift"). Many donors are willing to give smaller amounts on a regular basis. A simple checkbox or toggle can convert a one-time donor into a recurring supporter, which significantly increases lifetime value for your nonprofit. If you emphasize impact, let them know the ongoing benefit (e.g., "£20 monthly provides continuous support for..."). Make sure it’s just as easy to choose recurring as one-time.
Streamline Forms and Offer Multiple Payment Options
A well-optimised donation page isn’t just about what the donor sees, it’s also about what they have to do. Beyond keeping the form short, consider the overall user experience of filling in details and making the payment. Can a donor complete their gift in just a minute or two? They should be able to.
Ensure your form fields are clear and easy to fill out. Use plain language labels (e.g., "Email Address" instead of "Electronic Contact") and provide helpful micro-copy or placeholders if any field might be confusing. Mark required fields clearly, and don’t mark something required if it truly isn’t. If you require information like a phone number or mailing address, ask yourself if it’s critical for the donation or if you could make it optional (or collect it later in a follow-up). Every extra requirement is a potential drop-off point.
Wherever possible, let donors give without having to jump through extra hoops.
Equally important is offering donors their preferred payment methods. Donors have diverse preferences, so if you only accept one type of payment, you’re likely losing out on gifts from those who prefer another. The solution is to provide multiple secure payment options. Most online donation platforms will let you enable options like major credit cards, PayPal, and increasingly Apple Pay/Google Pay or other digital wallets. Make these options available to remove a needless barrier to completion.
Multiple payment options also build trust (as mentioned earlier) because donors can use methods they already trust themselves. A supporter who is hesitant to enter credit card details on yet another site might feel more comfortable using, say, PayPal or a saved Apple Pay account. Offering these choices says “We’ve made it easy for you to give in whatever way you prefer.”
Finally, test that your payment process works smoothly and quickly. If using third-party processors, ensure the handoff is seamless and styled to feel consistent with your brand. Nothing should feel jarringly different or sketchy during checkout. The ideal scenario is an integrated form right on your page. But even if it redirects to a secure gateway, make sure it’s fast and returns the donor to a friendly confirmation page on your site.
Ensure Fast Page Load Times
Have you ever clicked a “Donate” link and watched a blank screen…waiting…and waiting? It’s frustrating, and for nonprofits it can be a silent killer of donations. Page load time might seem technical, but it has a very human impact on user behaviour. if your donation page is slow, people will leave. They might intend to come back later, but often “later” never happens.
Studies have shown that even a one-second delay in page load can cause conversions to drop by about 7%. Longer than this, and your drop-off rate rising exponentially. A slow page could be costing you as much as half of your potential donations, simply because people aren’t willing to wait.
A fast page also conveys professionalism. It subconsciously tells the donor that your organisation is modern, efficient, and respects their time. Plus, search engines like Google reward faster sites, meaning a speedy donation page could be more likely to be discovered by new supporters. All in all, every second counts. Optimising for speed is one of those small changes that can lead to noticeably higher completion rates on your donations.
Thank Donors and Engage After the Donation
Optimising the donation page itself is crucial, but the donor’s journey doesn’t end at the moment they click “Donate.” What happens immediately after a donation can have a big impact on donor satisfaction and the likelihood of future support. This is where a thoughtful thank-you page and post-donation engagement strategy come in.
Always direct donors to a thank-you page once their gift is completed. It’s your first opportunity to acknowledge the donor’s generosity and make them feel appreciated. Even something simple can help affirm that they made the right choice. If possible, personalise the message with their name and the amount or the project they supported. The thank-you page can also recap important information like the transaction ID or an emailed receipt confirmation, to assure them everything went through successfully.
Beyond just thanking, think about how you can keep the donor engaged. A gentle next step could be: “Share our cause on social media” with a convenient share button, or “Join our newsletter for updates on the impact of your gift.” Another option is showcasing a short story or video on the thank-you page that reinforces the impact of their donation – leaving the donor with a positive emotional reinforcement. The goal is to leave them feeling happy and proud about contributing.
Post-donation, make sure to follow up with a thank-you email as well. Prompt, heartfelt thank-you communications are proven to boost donor retention. Donors are more likely to give again if they feel their contribution was noticed and valued.
Lastly, consider continuing engagement: perhaps invite them to follow your work on social channels, or send a report later on showing what their donation helped achieve. The donation page is just one touchpoint in a larger relationship. By thinking beyond the transaction, you turn a simple donation into the start of an ongoing partnership with the supporter. In short, thank, reassure, and inspire your donors after they give – it sets the stage for future generosity.
Organisations that invest in better UX (user experience) for their donation process invariably see higher conversion rates and more loyal supporters.
Turn Good Intentions Into Great Outcomes
Now it’s your turn. Take a fresh look at your own donation page. Pretend to be a first-time visitor and go through the process yourself. Is anything confusing or frustrating? Are you inspired to give, or do you hesitate?
Use the tips from this guide to identify at least a few areas to improve, and take action. Even implementing one or two changes can start to lift your conversion rates and bring in more vital funds for your mission. Keep testing, refining, and listening to your donors. Over time, you can craft an online giving experience that maximises donations and makes your supporters feel truly connected to your cause.