Two Must-Know Metrics to Supercharge Your Donation Forms
In the competitive world of online fundraising, your donation form is your gateway to success. With countless nonprofits vying for donors’ contributions, it’s crucial to understand how your donation form stacks up against industry standards. In particular, you need to track two essential statistics that will help you set a baseline to boost your fundraising efforts: form conversion rate and average gift amount.
1. Form Conversion Rate: Turning Visitors into Donors
The conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who complete their donation on your form. According to a M+R benchmark report, the average conversion rate for nonprofit donation forms was 11% for donors on a desktop and 8% for mobile donors in 2025. This means that out of every 100 desktop visitors, 11 will donate, while 89 will leave your donation page without contributing—leaving you with missed opportunities and lost revenue for your mission.
Conversion rates tend to be higher for targeted donor campaigns and lower for your main giving page. Typically, conversion rates are calculated based on visitors landing on your donation form, but they can also be measured from the moment a donor starts interacting with the form. Once donors begin entering their information, conversion rates can soar to more than 50%.
How to Find Your Conversion Rate
- Identify the donation form you want to evaluate.
- Use Google Analytics or another website analytics tool to measure traffic to your donation form.
- Set a timeframe that makes sense for your organization (typically annually).
- In Google Analytics, check the user count for your donation form page during this period.
- Pull a report on the number of donations made through this form during the same timeframe. If you don’t have Google Analytics, manually count the online donations from your fundraising database.
- Calculate your conversion rate: (Number of Donations / Users) x 100 = Conversion Rate.
- Note: If you use Blackbaud’s Standard or Optimized Donation Forms, conversion rate will be calculated for you and displayed on each donation form’s performance page.
2. Average Gift Amount: Maximizing Donor Contributions
According to the Blackbaud Institute, the average gift amount for online donations is $197. This figure may vary for your organization, so it’s essential to know your donors and your own specific average gift amount.
There are three key average gift amount metrics to track:
- One-time average gift amount
- Recurring/sustaining gift average amount
- Blended average gift amount for both one-time and recurring gifts
How to Find Your Average Gift Amount
- Use your fundraising software to pull all gift amounts from your donation forms over the past year.
- Divide the total amount by the number of gifts to get your blended average.
- Repeat the process for one-time gifts only.
- Repeat the process for recurring/sustaining gifts only.
- Note: If you use Blackbaud’s Standard or Optimized Donation Forms, total amount and number of gifts is displayed on each donation form’s performance page for each calculation of the average.
Increasing your average gift amounts boosts your overall revenue, making it worthwhile to encourage donors to give more. With these statistics in hand, you can compare your performance to industry averages and identify areas for improvement.
Why These Stats Matter
Knowing your form conversion rate and average gift amount isn’t just about numbers. It’s about unlocking the full potential of your fundraising strategy. These metrics provide a clear picture of how effectively your donation form is performing and where there are opportunities for growth.
Actionable Insights for Improvement
Armed with this knowledge, you can take targeted actions to enhance your donation form’s performance:
- Optimize your form design. Simplify the donation process by reducing the number of fields and making the form mobile-friendly. A streamlined, user-friendly design can significantly boost your conversion rate, especially for new donors who may be hesitant to provide personal information.
- Communicate impact. Clearly communicate how donations will be used and the impact they will have. Donors are more likely to give—and give more—when they understand the tangible difference their contributions will make.
- Review your ask ladder. In general, nonprofits tend to skew the ask ladder too low on your online forms. Use your average gift size to tailor the ask ladder amounts. Or use different forms to modify the ask ladder to different groups of donors. Higher ask amounts can encourage donors to give more.
- Test and iterate. Continuously test different elements of your donation form, such as the ask ladder amounts, fields included, call-to-action, images, and layout. A/B testing can help you identify what resonates most with your donors and helps you refine your approach.
The Bigger Picture
Improving your donation form is just one piece of the puzzle. By focusing on these key metrics, though, you’re not only well on your way to enhancing your online fundraising efforts, but you’re also building stronger relationships with your donors. A higher conversion rate and increased average gift amount mean more resources to support your mission and drive meaningful change.
Looking for more easy tips? Check out 5 Big Ideas for Online Giving
Your Path to Success
Remember, every improvement, no matter how small, can lead to significant gains over time. Regular monitoring and optimization of your donation form can help you achieve your fundraising goals and contribute to significant results for your organization. So, take these insights, put them into action, and watch your fundraising soar! Your mission deserves it, and your donors will appreciate the seamless, impactful giving experience you provide.
