Try These 4 Embedded Giving Methods to Activate Support and Increase Donations

First impressions are everything, and standing out is becoming increasingly challenging for nonprofits as people’s ability to engage with anyone, anywhere, instantly, grows. 

Despite such intense digital saturation, nonprofits’ websites influence donors’ perceptions of an organization. So, today, you’ll get inspiration for effective ways to present your website in the format donors prefer, turning more visitors into loyal donors for your cause.

Classy’s Why America Gives report found that donating through a simple donation page on an organization’s website is how 57% of donors prefer to build relationships. You have an opportunity to deliver on that sentiment with a donation form that’s embeddable anywhere on your website or campaigns, ensuring first-time and returning supporters are greeted with a stand-out experience every time they engage with your organization.  

If you’re curious about what embedded donation forms are, what they look like on a nonprofit’s website, and how real organizations use them creatively to see results, you came to the right place. Below, you’ll see visual examples of four unique ways nonprofits took their donation experience to the next level with embedded giving. Plus, get the complete breakdown of how you can follow their lead.

How Embedded Giving Reflects Modern Online Shopping 

The best online donation experience reflects strong nonprofit branding, requires minimal steps, and flows smoothly. For-profit and nonprofit organizations recognize that if something is even the slightest bit difficult, people won’t do it. 

That’s why adding a condensed, yet intuitive donation form that you can embed into your existing website is so impactful. You may be looking at the difference between a potential donor who feels motivated to give in the moment because of the ease of the process, and someone closing the tab to return later (if they remember).

Embedded donation forms help you put your best foot forward and present the easiest way to donate without leaving the page. Taking away the need to bounce around through several tabs and pages resulted in higher conversion rates for many Classy customers that adopted embedded giving in the last year. Those same customers have seen up to a 28% increase in revenue per site visitor. 

Here are a few examples of embedded giving success stories:

• 43% conversion rate for embedded donation forms at Feed My Starving Children
• $269 average donation size on embedded donation forms at Kesem
• 37% YoY increase in new recurring donations on Giving Tuesday 2022 alone with an embedded donation form at V Foundation

Embedded Giving Examples to Inspire You

1. Feed More’s Donation Button Pop-Up

Feed More made it easy for anyone visiting their homepage to donate with an embedded form. The form pops up as a smaller window that overlays the page the visitor was previously on when they clicked “Donate” in the main navigation. 

Donors can choose between a one-time or monthly donation, then select their donation amount from the suggested options or enter a custom gift size. The entire process can be completed in less than a minute without ever leaving the page. 

Once complete, donors have the ability to close the pop-up and return to the website to continue engaging. 

The Benefit: 

Feed More eliminates all barriers to giving, regardless of the type of device a donor uses. Their team understands the value of presenting multiple payment methods, recurring gift frequencies, and employee giving opportunities through company match incentives. 

Conversion matters, but Feed More also focuses on retention from the moment someone interacts with their embedded form. They capture contact information to continue sharing their story and build meaningful relationships that bring each individual back to give again. The solid first impression they create makes it easier to continue conversations about future campaigns and community-building.

2. Shriners Hospitals for Children’s Blog Post Appeal

Shriners Hospitals for Children turned things up by adding an embedded donation form to its highly-trafficked blog. Blog visitors can donate in minutes from any post on any device. 

This strategy includes finding the right placement for the embedded donation form to avoid distracting from the blog content, but remain visible to readers as they scroll. With so many people finding blog posts through social media or other mobile-first channels, it’s important that the form is displayed in a size and flow that feels natural on any screen. It includes payment options like Google Pay, Venmo, and PayPal, where many people store login information on their phones, to make the checkout process even easier. 

The Benefit: 

The nature of how blog posts are shared brings more visibility and a sense of togetherness to readers. When coupled with a direct giving option, the potential is limitless. This became evident when one of Shriners Hospitals for Children’s blog posts with an embedded donation form raised $90,000 for their cause. 

Shriners Hospitals for Children also thought about how embedded donation forms could fuel greater levels of recurring giving. They launched a thoughtful recurring giving appeal that invited one-time donors to upgrade their gifts to monthly subscriptions within a single embedded experience. 

Plus,  embedded donation forms are compatible with Google Tag Manager and Classy’s Google Analytics 4 integration, which means Shriners Hospitals for Children can easily track visitor engagement and learn how to grow their strategy for the future with more clarity.

3. Brooklyn Public Library’s In-line Campaign Donation Form

Brooklyn Public Library brought the embedded donation experience into a campaign overview page with an in-line donation form. Visitors can act the moment inspiration strikes as they read about the Booked Unbanned campaign and how it supports the rights of teens nationwide to read what they like, discover themselves, and form their own opinions. 

Immediately following an overview of the campaign’s goals and the reasons behind them, people are invited to make a donation without leaving the page. Each donor then sees a donation confirmation window, summarizing their gift and offering an opportunity to share their charitable contribution with friends and family on social media or other engagement platforms.

The Benefit: 

People who come to the Booked Unbanned campaign page are greeted with a seamless opportunity to make an impact. Brooklyn Public Library also includes suggested donation amounts to remove an element of decision-making for donors and simplify the process even further. This helps supporters see how particular gift sizes match the program’s needs. They even include frequently asked questions within the embedded form to keep people informed and confident about their decision to contribute.

Brooklyn Public Library’s Fundraising Success

4. Karam’s Embedded Form over a Video 

Karam added a powerful video onto its homepage, demonstrating the organization’s work with young Syrian refugees. Layered on top, donors see an embedded donation form with one-time and monthly gift options.  Visitors are immediately greeted with the simplest way to contribute a monetary donation while simultaneously seeing how the organization’s work is changing lives.

The Benefit: 

In seconds, Karam created an emotional appeal and showcased the simplest way for anyone to get involved. Their team put time and effort into creating a unique brand, and embedded forms help maintain that look and feel. With control of things like colors and logos, Karam created a cohesive visual experience for donors. 

The placement of this embedded donation form invites people into Karam’s story. The humanistic feel of seeing who your gift supports plays a powerful role in building lifetime loyalty. 

While the primary intent of the donation form is to capture gifts, it also gives people a choice to opt into updates from Karam. Together, these simple elements form a connection with donors at any interest level. They meet eager donors with a quick giving experience and offer those who want more information with an entire website to explore, knowing exactly where to go when they’re ready to donate.

Increase Generosity with Embedded Giving

At Classy, we’re committed to innovation that helps you do what you do best. Our embedded donation forms provide a foundation to build on with creativity, visuals, and storytelling in a way that donors respond to in a big way. It’s all part of our focus on offering the best donor experiences so organizations like yours can raise more.

If you’re ready to make an impactful change to your website without the time-consuming and complex development process, our team is ready to help. For existing Classy customers, sign up for an embedded giving workshop to create your form with hands-on coaching. Classy experts are standing by to offer step-by-step support. 

For organizations curious about how Classy’s fundraising platform can help you reach your goals, we encourage you to request a demo of our product suite.