The Impact of User-Friendly Donation Forms

If online giving is part of your organization’s fundraising strategy, user-friendly donation forms are essential for maximizing donor engagement, conversion rates, and donation amounts. Let’s explore the impact of well-designed donation forms and best practices to help you leverage these tools for greater fundraising success.

Best Practices for Creating Effective Donation Forms

To simplify the donor experience and encourage giving, focus on a few essential practices when evaluating donation form tools:

Make Giving Easy on the Go: Mobile-Optimized Donation Forms

Many donors prefer the convenience of giving directly from mobile devices, so it’s crucial that your forms are easy to find, navigate, and complete on smartphones and tablets.

Keep Donors Focused: Simplify Donation Form Design

Minimize distractions on your donation forms to keep donors focused on completing their transactions. This includes removing unnecessary fields and adopting a purposeful, simple design.

Boost Giving with Suggested Ask Amounts

Providing suggested amounts can lead to higher average gifts. Forms that allow nonprofits to set predefined ask amounts make it easier for donors to choose a level of support that fits their budget. With features like Blackbaud’s Intelligent Ask, you can go a step further by using AI to personalize the ask ladder for each donor. This tool analyzes contextual data (such as device type and browser behavior) to recommend the amounts a donor is most likely to give, even overriding default ask amounts when appropriate.

Turn One-Time Gifts into Long-Term Support

While recurring donations can boost long-term funding, encouraging donors to opt in requires a strategic and thoughtful approach. Effective forms offer tailored recurring gift options that reflect typical donor behavior. Consider creating separate ask ladders for recurring donations and clearly communicating the long-term impact of sustained giving.

Personalized Giving Experiences that Build Trust

Every interaction should reflect your mission. Customized branding, messaging, and imagery can create a stronger connection with donors and build confidence in the transaction. For example, pairing a donation form with an email appeal that features a specific fund, campaign story, or impact photo can create a more emotionally resonant and mission-aligned experience.

Build Donation Forms Without the Tech Headache

Look for a tool that makes it easy to create, customize, and publish your donation forms. A user-friendly platform and seamless website integration helps you focus on your organization’s mission without getting bogged down by technical challenges.

Secure Giving: Protect Donor Data with Confidence

Protecting donor information is critical for their peace of mind and for your organization’s reputation. Ensure the tool you use for donation forms is secure and compliant with industry standards.

How User-Friendly Forms Drive Nonprofit Success

“My biggest complaint in the past was how cumbersome online giving looked from the donor side. With Blackbaud’s Donation Forms the interface is much more user-friendly and we’re able to capture the information we need without the donor having to go through a bunch of fields just to make a donation. The easier it is to make the donation, the more likely it is to happen.”

Sharon Sandberg, Associate for Donor Relations, Austin Seminary

Blackbaud Donation Forms consistently surpass industry standards, achieving higher conversion rates, larger recurring gifts, and greater average donation amounts. In fact, nonprofits using these forms have experienced a significant boost in their fundraising activities. The Optimized Form goes even further by providing the simplest donor experience, making it easier than ever for donors to act on their generosity by removing barriers to giving.

• Make giving easy: With a streamlined design, mobile adaptability, and integrated payment options, giving becomes easier—and conversion rates rise.
• Boost donation amounts: Donors tend to give more when presented with user-friendly forms. Suggested amounts, diverse payment methods, and prompts for covering processing fees help supporters maximize their impact easily.
• Inspire recurring donations: Securing ongoing donations is essential for sustainable nonprofit funding. Blackbaud Donation Forms allow donors an easy opt-in process for recurring contributions.

Common Questions About Donation Forms

What information should I include in my donation form to avoid being too vague?

Keep it mission-focused and impact-driven. Clearly state the purpose of the donation, include suggested gift amounts, and explain how the funds will be used. Highlighting the tangible impact of a donor’s gift—such as feeding a family, funding a scholarship, or preserving a habitat—helps donors feel confident that their contribution will make a meaningful difference.

How can I reduce distractions on my donation form to increase conversions?

Use a simple, visually appealing design with minimal fields. Highlight the call-to-action and make it easy for donors to complete their transactions quickly without having to make a lot of decisions along the way.

How can I turn one-time donors into recurring supporters?

Transforming one-time donors into repeat supporters ensures sustained funding while building lasting donor relationships. Consider using a donation form tailored specifically for recurring giving, with language and suggested amounts that reflect the nature of sustained support. Pairing these forms with targeted appeals or campaigns focused on monthly giving can increase conversion and deepen donor commitment. Inspire your donors to keep giving by:

• Highlighting the benefits of ongoing support: Communicate the value of regular donations clearly via your website and communications.
• Automating reminders: Use automated systems to send reminders and thank-you messages to foster a sense of ongoing partnership.

How can I make my donation form mobile-friendly?

To make your donation form mobile-friendly, use responsive design techniques so forms adjust smoothly across different screens like phones or tablets. Testing your form across devices guarantees ease of use everywhere.

How can I ensure my donation form is secure?

Make sure your donation form uses SSL encryption to protect donor data, and that your organization follows best practices for data security. The good news is that when you use a trusted donation form provider, many of these protections like encryption, PCI compliance, and regular security updates are built in. This allows your team to focus on fundraising, knowing that donor information is being handled securely.

Enhance Your Fundraising Strategy

Well-designed donation forms play a crucial role in elevating your fundraising outcomes. By focusing on user-friendly design, mobile optimization, personalization, and robust security measures, nonprofits can significantly enhance donor engagement and increase conversion rates.

Ready to elevate your fundraising strategy? Blackbaud Donation Forms are designed to increase conversion rates, enhance donor experiences, and ultimately raise more funds for your mission. These impactful forms are connected to Blackbaud products like Raiser’s Edge NXT, Blackbaud CRM, and Blackbaud Altru, so you can streamline your fundraising efforts and achieve greater success with just a few clicks.

Getting started is simple: create your Blackbaud Donation Form and empower more supporters to give with ease.