Receiving website donations is easier than ever before. There are multiple website platforms that offer several ways people can give and set up recurring donations. As a result, online giving grew by 12.1% last year.
Despite this increase, nonprofits of all shapes and sizes still miss out on a lot of potential revenue. Is your nonprofit one of them?
Here are 7 easy ways to bring more online donations through your website:
1. Share Your Mission
Every organization needs a mission statement—a reason why they exist. Your mission statement is your nonprofit’s emotional hook. It helps your readers understand your goal and compel them to support you. It should also be one of the first things they read.
For example, This Saves Lives’ mission statement is, “to end severe acute malnutrition.” Their mission statement appears above the fold of their home page, and it’s paired with an image of bowls of food. Right away, you know what This Saves Lives does, and you’re compelled to learn more.
If your mission is unclear or hard to find, your audience will be weary of donating to your cause.
2. Ask for Website Donations
Nonprofits raise funds to do good. If you’re not being open about asking for money, your organization may not get the support it needs. People donate to charity for many reasons, but mostly because it makes them feel good. Ask for donations at the top of your homepage and anywhere you’re highlighting the awesome work you do.
Do you have a section that talks about how donations can impact the lives of someone less fortunate? Include a compelling call-to-action with a “donate” button.
Is there a section where you’re highlighting a fundraising campaign? Invite them to participate.
Are you competing with or alongside another organization, and you’re trying to outraise them? Speak to your donors’ competitive nature.
There are countless ways to ask your audience to donate to your cause, but if you’re not asking, they might not contribute.
3. Make Website Donations Easy
Online donations must be user-friendly. The fewer clicks required, the more likely someone will contribute. If your donation page is hidden in the bowels of your website, or if your donors are taken to another website where they have to fill out an extensive form, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table.
Your donation buttons should stand out. If your website is black and white, make them red. If other buttons are medium-sized, make them large.
4. Offer Multiple Donation Options
Donations should be as flexible as they are easy to find. If you require someone to donate a minimum of $50, you’ll risk missing out on donors who would gladly donate $20, but can’t afford more. If your maximum is $100, you can miss out on donors willing to give $500 or more.
Also, offer multiple payment options. If your website only accepts PayPal donations, you could be missing out on people who use Google Pay, Apple Pay, or prefer to pay with a credit card.
To increase your chances of getting higher donations, tell your donors what their donations could be used for.
5. Make Recurring Donations Possible
Invite your donors to set up recurring donations. On average, recurring donors give 42% more in one year than one-time donors.
It makes sense if you think about it. What are you more likely to do: donate $100 one time, or $10 a month? Most people choose the latter.
6. Design Donor-Specific Landing Pages
Your donor base likely consists of people of all ages, nationalities, and giving abilities. Segment your audience into groups based on the data you’ve collected, and create landing pages specifically for those groups. Not only will this compel your audience to donate, but in some cases, they may also donate more.
For example, if your nonprofit’s mission is to combat climate change, you can create several landing pages segmented by geographic location. Then, talk about how your audiences’ donations can improve their region.
7. Have a Well-Designed Website
The more professional your site looks, the more likely you are to get donations. You need a website that inspires your audience, emboldens your sponsors, and boosts your impact.
At Butterflyly, that’s exactly what we do. Whether you want guidance while creating your own site, or want one created for you based on your specifications, we can help increase your website donations so you can focus on other aspects of your organization.
Build a new website or upgrade your existing one today!
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