Your nonprofit’s website is often the first place a potential donor will go after learning about your work. In many cases, it is also where they will decide whether or not to give. Yet, even small friction points can cause people to abandon a donation. With year-round giving at stake, optimizing your nonprofit’s website for donations is one of the most important investments you can make.
1. Make the donation button impossible to miss
Your “Donate” button should be visible on every page, placed in the top right corner of your navigation bar, and in a contrasting colour that draws the eye. Repeating it at the bottom of pages, in sidebars, and even within content can give donors multiple opportunities to act.
Example: Many successful charities use a bold colour for their donate button that does not appear anywhere else on the site. This visual cue makes the action stand out instantly.
2. Keep the donation process short
Each extra click or form field increases the chance a donor will abandon the process. Aim for no more than three steps from the homepage to a completed donation. Avoid requiring account creation. Collect only the information you need for processing and receipting.
Tip: Test your own form regularly from a donor’s perspective to spot unnecessary steps or confusing language.
3. Offer multiple giving options
Donors have different preferences. Providing options for one-time gifts, monthly giving, tribute donations, and alternative formats such as securities, mutual funds, life insurance, or e-transfers can increase conversion. Highlighting monthly giving can also help grow recurring revenue. For higher-value donors, accepting gifts of stocks, publicly traded funds, or Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) contributions can open new revenue streams while offering them significant tax benefits.
Data point: Monthly giving continues to grow in Canada, with online monthly gifts increasing year-over-year according to the 2025 CanadaHelps Giving Report (CanadaHelps, 2025).
4. Build trust with transparency
Donors give when they feel confident their money will be used wisely. Include impact statistics, stories, and financial reports to show results. Make sure your Canada Revenue Agency charitable registration number is visible. Adding recognizable security badges to your donation page also reassures donors that their information is safe.
5. Optimize for mobile
More than half of Canadian website traffic now comes from mobile devices (Statista, 2025). If your donation form is not mobile-friendly, you are likely losing gifts. Test the form on different devices and ensure text, buttons, and fields resize appropriately.
6. Use compelling visuals and copy
Pair your donation form with images that evoke emotion and connect directly to your mission. Your headline should tell donors exactly what their gift will do, such as “Your gift today provides safe shelter for a family.” Keep copy concise and benefit-focused.
7. Test and improve continuously
Use tools like Google Analytics or Meta Pixel to track donation page performance. Test different headlines, images, button colours, and suggested gift amounts to see what leads to higher conversion rates. Even small adjustments can make a measurable difference.
The takeaway
Your nonprofit’s website is one of your most powerful fundraising tools, but it only works if donors find it easy, trustworthy, and inspiring to give. By removing friction, offering flexible giving options, and showing impact, you create an online experience that turns interest into action.
If you are ready to make your website a stronger driver of donations, Anchor Marketing can help you audit your current setup, identify missed opportunities, and design changes that lead to measurable results.