If your nonprofit relies on donations, your website should make it easy for people to give — right now, from wherever they are.
A lot of organizations we talk to assume online giving requires expensive software or a complicated setup. It doesn't. Here's what you actually need.
Choose a Giving Platform That Fits Your Size
You don't need a custom-built payment system. There are several platforms built specifically for nonprofits that handle the hard parts for you:
- PayPal Giving Fund — Free for registered nonprofits, familiar to donors, low barrier to start
- Stripe — Flexible and developer-friendly; works well if your site is custom-built
- Donorbox — Built for nonprofits, embeds easily, supports recurring giving
- Give Lively — Free for nonprofits, includes fundraising pages and text-to-give
Each has trade-offs around fees, features, and ease of setup. The right choice depends on your size and how your site is built.
Make the Donate Button Obvious
This sounds simple, but it's easy to get wrong. Your donate button should be in the navigation and visible without scrolling. Don't hide it at the bottom of an "About" page.
Donors who want to give should never have to search for the way to do it.
Tell People Where Their Money Goes
Trust is the biggest factor in online giving. When someone lands on your donation page, they should immediately understand what their gift makes possible.
A single line like "Your donation provides meals for 10 families this week" does more than any design element to convert a visitor into a donor.
Enable Recurring Giving
One-time donations are great. Recurring donors are better.
Most giving platforms allow you to offer a monthly giving option right on the donation form. Make it the default selection, not a hidden checkbox. Many donors give more over time when they set it and forget it.
Keep the Form Short
Name, email, amount. That's it for most organizations. Every additional field you ask for is a reason for someone to abandon the form.
If you need more information for major gifts or grant reporting, collect it after the donation — not during.
Setting up online giving is one of the highest-impact things a nonprofit can do for long-term sustainability. It doesn't have to be a big project.
If you're not sure where to start, or if your current donation experience feels clunky, we'd love to help you get it right. Reach out to us and let's talk.