For many nonprofit organizations, donations are a crucial source of financial support. Donations are also a way for community members to get involved in your mission, even if they can’t volunteer or contribute to your work.
The key for nonprofits is to make it as easy as possible for supporters to donate. In the modern era, this generally means having easy online options for donating. Adding a “donate now” button to your website is a relatively easy way to maximize donations and ensure everyone who wants to contribute can do so.
Inclind works with nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. to help them build and maintain informative, user-friendly websites that effectively support their mission. We offer a range of website design and development services, from Drupal and WordPress websites to custom integration to accessibility audits. Reach out to learn more about how our team can help your nonprofit thrive.
Why Your Website Needs a Donate Button
In 2023, Americans will be online more than ever before. According to research from the Pew Research Center, 93% of American adults use the internet. Having a solid, well-designed website is important if you want to reach as many potential supporters and clients as possible.
One way Americans use the internet is to donate to their favorite charitable organizations. 12% of all nonprofit donations come from online giving. This number is even higher - 17.8% - for smaller nonprofits (with budgets of $1,000,000 or less).
As a nonprofit organization, one of your goals should be to set up your website to attract supporters - including donors. One of the easiest ways to do this is by setting up an online donation option on your website. Adding a “donate now” button to your website is a great way to prompt users to donate.
A donate now button functions like a call to action (CTA). Think of it this way: when you put content on your site that explains your mission or highlights your work, having a donate now button on that page is a simple way to encourage people to support you.
When clicked, the donate now button will take supporters to a donation page or form to make a one-time or recurring donation to your organization. It is a straightforward way for nonprofits to ask website visitors for financial support. Instead of users going through several pages to find the donate now button, they can simply click and go directly to the donation page.
The button should stand out from other elements on the page to be effective. For example, if your website primarily uses black text on a white screen, a bold red or orange donate now button is easy to spot. Ideally, the button should remain at the top of the page while visitors scroll through the site. You can also put a donate button on pages where it makes sense to do so, such as at the end of a blog post that describes the challenges that you are facing.
Donate now buttons can also be added to emails, social media channels, and YouTube. In this way, you can increase the visibility of your donation page - and the odds that people will donate to support your organization.
How to Add a Donate Button to Your Site
Adding a “donate now” button to your site is relatively simple. The most challenging part is often setting up a payment gateway that can be integrated with your website. Ideally, you will want to use a payment processor that does not direct users away from your site to complete the transaction.
Sign Up With A Fundraising Software Provider
The exact process for adding a donate now button will vary slightly based on the content management system (CMS) that you use. Generally, you will need to start by setting up fundraising software, such as Donor Perfect, if you don’t already have a system for tracking and managing donations. Fundraising software will allow your organization to collect, organize, and use donor data. It is like customer relationship management (CRM) software but with the additional capacity to manage donations.
Select A Payment Gateway
If you don’t already have a payment gateway, you will need to sign up for an account with a company. Be sure to carefully examine fees and data security when deciding. Popular payment processors for nonprofits include Stripe, PayPal, Fundly, Braintree, and Authorize.net.
Set Up Your Donation Form
The next step is to set up a donation form with your fundraising software. Generally, you will want to collect basic information, such as name and address, the donation amount, and payment information. You can also add other features, like an option to search for their employer to see if they offer matching gifts or a box to check to request a tax receipt. Be sure to add a thank you that will pop up once a donor has made their gift.
Add The Form To The Site
Before you make the form live on your website, do a test run to ensure it works as you expect. There can often be issues with the payment processing or the fundraising software integration, so it’s important to double-check before moving forward. Once you’re sure that the form is ready, you can publish it to your site. Fundraising software like Donor Perfect will often provide you with embed code you can copy and paste on your site to put your donation form on your website.
Add Buttons Throughout The Site That Go To The Donate Form
The final step is to add a button to your site that links to your form. The exact process will vary based on your CMS, but generally, you should have the option to add elements and then customize them. On WordPress, for example, you can click on the “+” icon in the top left corner of the editor for Gutenberg. Choose “button,” then enter your donation form's websiteaddress. You can then add a button text and customize the color and other features.
Best Practices for Donation Buttons
While the process of adding a donate button is relatively simple, there are things that you should do to make sure that the button has the biggest possible impact. First, you should use one of your brand’s bright colors that contrast with the rest of the site to stand out. Using a color that is part of your branding will ensure your website looks consistent.
Second, you should make sure that the donate button is in a place that does not change as a user navigates your website. For example, put the donate button at the top right corner of your screen and set it up so that it stays in that position as a user scrolls. While you can add a donate now button to other places on your website, it must stay in the same place, so users always know where to click.
Third, consider adding pre-filled donation amounts or options. For example, when a person clicks the donation button, there may be an option to donate $25, $50, $100, or a custom amount. This may increase the amount of money you raise through online donations.
Fourth, make sure that your call to action is effective. While you can use the phrase “donate now,” there are many other phrases that may work for your organization, such as “take action,” “join the fight,” or “stop injustice.” Try to use active verbs and add an element of urgency (such as “now” or “today”) to encourage visitors to act.
Fifth, make sure that your donation button is mobile-friendly. Studies show that many people access websites via their phones or tablets. Optimizing your donation button for mobile will allow people to donate no matter what type of device they are using.
Sixth, make your donate now button visible using white space and element size. The donate button should also be large enough so that people can see it easily. It should also have enough white space around it to stand out from other elements on the page.
Integrate Donate Forms & More With The Help Of Our Developers
A donate now button is a critical element that should be a part of every nonprofit’s website. One of the best ways to convert supporters into donors is to meet them where they are. In 2023, that means making it as easy as possible to donate through your website by using a button that takes users directly to your donation form.
At Inclind, we understand nonprofits' and other organizations' challenges in breaking through the noise to reach potential supporters. We aim to help clients achieve their goals through beautifully designed, highly effective websites. Our team of award-winning website designers and developers can work with you to help you design and develop a nonprofit website that truly reflects your mission and that supports your work. We also offer website support and maintenance plans to help you make changes to your existing website.
We're available to talk if you’d like to learn more about our web services. You can fill out our online contact form or hit the live chat button to talk to one of our experts about your website.