The ultimate donation page checklist
Before publishing your next donation page, check it against our ultimate checklist. Based on data from thousands of nonprofit websites and A/B testing, these recommendations show what truly converts.
Use this interactive checklist to ensure you create a high-converting page every time:
User experience and integrations:
Over half (53%) of people now prefer digital wallets over traditional payment methods, making it crucial to ensure your landing page is mobile-friendly and supports these payment experiences. Classy platform data shows donations are up to 50% faster and gift amounts are up to 64% higher when these options are available.
To prevent losing visitors, an optimized web page should load within 2.5 seconds, as 40% will abandon a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds. Each additional second of load time decreases conversion rates by an average of 4% within the first five seconds.
Minimizing the steps needed to donate can increase conversion rates by as much as 2.4 times. Classy Studio’s dedicated checkout streamlines this process, automatically prefilling addresses, billing, and contact information for mobile wallet donations. For other payment methods, Google Maps’ search and autocomplete features reduce friction.
If your donation form isn’t embedded or using a dedicated, tested checkout experience, the next best action is to reduce the number of steps and information required to complete a donation.
To effectively utilize donor information and nurture supporters, your CRM should be integrated and tested to ensure automatic and seamless data transfer from your landing page. Classy’s API and CRM integrations facilitate this process, allowing you to segment and engage donors for future marketing, stewardship, and fundraising campaigns.
Displaying security symbols like SSL certificates reassures visitors that their data is safe and secure, enhancing trust and credibility. A recent test from the Cro Metrics testing bank showed that displaying these certifications increased the average donation by 5%.
Optimizing your landing page with relevant keywords in H1 titles, meta descriptions, alt text, and body copy can increase your brand’s presence and improve search engine rankings. While time-based campaigns may have less impact on organic search, proper optimization can enhance your quality score, affecting ad costs and placement.
Ensuring your page is accessible by using image alt text, accessible contrast ratios, and video captions makes it inclusive for all potential donors. This approach not only complies with accessibility standards but also broadens your reach to a diverse audience.
Donation UI:
Generic ask amounts can alienate donors, deterring particular cohorts with a one-size-fits-all approach. To tailor your appeals to each donor’s unique giving history and characteristics, keep Intelligent Ask Amounts enabled to provide a real-time, personalized ask amount for every donor who arrives on your donation forms. Classy and Cro Metrics A/B tests have shown an 11% increase in donation revenue when using this feature.
A confusing or cluttered landing page can frustrate potential donors and hinder their giving process. Streamlining your donation page can significantly improve conversion rates, which is why embedding a donation form on your website or publishing a landing page solely dedicated to giving is our recommended best practice. Ensure your landing page structure is intuitive and clear and keeps people focused on your goal—donating. Remove navigation and other external links if possible.
Classy’s internal data shows that recurring donors are nine times more valuable than one-time donors. Including a simple checkbox for recurring donations during checkout can significantly boost recurring donor acquisition and increase overall contributions. This feature allows supporters to consistently support your cause without repeatedly entering their information, creating a sustained and reliable funding stream for your organization.
Value proposition and content:
Your page’s goal should be immediately clear to visitors. The hero section must have a strong, engaging headline that captures attention within seconds and directs users toward the primary objective of the page. This clarity helps drive conversions and keeps the audience focused on your main objective.
Ensure your CTAs are action-oriented, with at least one above the fold. Classy Studio offers prebuilt layouts, including a “Donation form above the fold” option, to support high-converting pages and make it easier for visitors to take immediate action.
Classy and Cro Metrics have consistently found that cohesion from acquisition to donation significantly improves conversion rates and enhances brand awareness.
If someone skims your landing page and does not clearly understand the impact and value of their donation, they will likely bounce. Ensure your benefits are clearly communicated and reinforced throughout the page.
Potential donors should feel secure and confident in their decision to contribute. By prominently showcasing testimonials and other trust signals on your page, you build credibility and reassure donors of your organization’s legitimacy and impact.
Engaging storytelling can deeply connect with potential donors, making your cause more relatable and compelling. By integrating narratives that showcase the real-world impact of your nonprofit’s work, you can evoke emotions and drive action. This strategy helps donors see the tangible difference their contributions make, fostering a stronger connection and encouraging generosity.
Displaying recent donations and acknowledging donors by name, similar to trust signals and testimonials, fosters a sense of community and confidence. This transparency and recognition can significantly boost donation rates. Alternatively, respect donors’ preferences by offering an option for anonymous donations, which won’t display their names in the activity feed.
By incorporating progress metrics, highlighting matching gifts, and setting clear deadlines, you motivate potential donors to act quickly. This urgency can drive higher engagement and quicker responses, ensuring your campaign meets its goals within the set timeframe.
Post-donation:
Before launching any campaign, ensure you have a structured plan to thank donors and keep them involved. This not only fosters long-term relationships but also increases the likelihood of future donations.
While these checklist items are general nonprofit best practices, each audience segment may react differently. After launching a new landing page, implement a conversion rate optimization (CRO) roadmap to maximize donations and adapt to the changing donor landscape.
BONUS TEST IDEA: Test the impact of an immediate post-donation ask, as we’ve seen a 34% increase in donations when donors are presented with this supplementary giving opportunity.
You scored 0 out of 20!
We recommend revisiting your page before publishing or driving traffic to it.
Here are the key areas we recommend looking at:
- A fully customized donation page with a compelling appeal, strong visuals, and a branded call to action can be the difference between converting a visitor or losing a generous donation. Ensure your impact story comes to life through attention-grabbing visuals, concise copy, and fully personalized branding.
- Wallets: Reduce steps in the checkout process by enabling digital wallets, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and other preferred methods.
- Security: Integrate your security certifications and compliance on your website to ensure donors know how you protect their personal information. If your current platform’s security measures fall short, consider exploring alternatives using our evaluation checklist for guidance.
- Trust signals: Embrace the power of social proof by incorporating testimonials into your donation appeals, website, or other high-traffic pages. These seemingly small additions signal to donors that your organization is credible, trustworthy, and transparent.
- Intelligent Ask Amounts: Increase donation revenue by 11% on average with ask amounts tailored to donors’ unique giving history.
- Ease to donate: Guide donors down the path of least resistance with elegant, responsive, fully branded donation experiences optimized for peak performance.
Need 1:1 support? Contact Classy and Cro today to discuss creating a donation page optimized for peak performance.
You scored 0 out of 20!
We recommend revisiting your page before publishing or driving traffic to it.
Here are the key areas we recommend looking at:
- A fully customized donation page with a compelling appeal, strong visuals, and a branded call to action can be the difference between converting a visitor or losing a generous donation. Ensure your impact story comes to life through attention-grabbing visuals, concise copy, and fully personalized branding.
- Wallets: Reduce steps in the checkout process by enabling digital wallets, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and other preferred methods.
- Security: Integrate your security certifications and compliance on your website to ensure donors know how you protect their personal information. If your current platform’s security measures fall short, consider exploring alternatives using our evaluation checklist for guidance.
- Trust signals: Embrace the power of social proof by incorporating testimonials into your donation appeals, website, or other high-traffic pages. These seemingly small additions signal to donors that your organization is credible, trustworthy, and transparent.
- Intelligent Ask Amounts: Increase donation revenue by 11% on average with ask amounts tailored to donors’ unique giving history.
- Ease to donate: Guide donors down the path of least resistance with elegant, responsive, fully branded donation experiences optimized for peak performance.
Need 1:1 support? Contact Classy and Cro today to discuss creating a donation page optimized for peak performance.
You scored 0 out of 20!
Way to go! If your conversion rates are lower than expected, revisit this checklist and A/B test a page that scores 20/20.
You scored 0 out of 20!
Hit publish! Don’t forget to continue testing, optimizing, and evaluating your performance in the days and weeks ahead.
About Classy and Cro Metrics
Classy, an affiliate of GoFundMe and Public Benefit Corporation, creates meaningful connections through giving by empowering nonprofits to take advantage of every opportunity to connect with donors and build lasting relationships. By connecting motivated donors to the causes they care about most through powerful and flexible technology, Classy transforms giving intent into measurable impact. Classy's scalable technology provides better insights, faster engagement, and a superior giving experience. Since 2010, GoFundMe and Classy have helped individuals raise over $30 billion.
For over a decade, Cro Metrics has helped our clients drive success through experimentation. Often referred to as “Conversion Rate Optimization,” we believe experimentation goes well beyond that moniker, and much like the biggest companies on the planet (Amazon, Meta, Google, Netflix, Microsoft), experimentation is paramount to better understand their customers, mitigate risk, and scale their businesses. It is simply part of their DNA.
About Classy + Cro Metrics
At Classy, we're committed to continuous innovation and optimization to ensure customer success. To enhance our platform, we partner with Cro Metrics, a leader in experimentation and conversion rate optimization for over a decade. Cro Metrics helps top companies like Amazon, Meta, and Google better understand their customers, mitigate risk, and scale their businesses through rigorous A/B testing. By combining our expertise, we aim to drive higher conversion rates and revenue for your campaigns while providing ongoing proof of your investment in Classy's innovation and value.
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