11 donation page examples + design tips for fundraisers

For many supporters, your nonprofit’s online donation page is their last point of engagement before they make a donation. It’s the foundation of your online fundraising strategy, so it must make a strong, positive impression to inspire contributions. If the page is disjointed or difficult to navigate, you could lose out on critical revenue for your cause.

To help you create an easy-to-use, compelling donation page that converts, we’ll explore the best examples of nonprofit donation pages and walk through our top tips for effective donation page design.

Why optimize your donation page?

Your donation page is the most important page on your nonprofit’s website, serving as the final touchpoint that convinces supporters to give. Regular, thoughtful optimization helps ensure this page is as strong as possible, resulting in higher conversion rates, lower bounce rates, and more fundraising revenue.

Beyond boosting donor acquisition and retention for online fundraising campaigns, an optimized donation page also supports:

• Event fundraising
• Awareness campaigns
• Giving days or months
• End-of-year giving
• GivingTuesday campaigns

Must-have elements of a high-converting donation page

Before we dive into our donation page examples, let’s review the core elements that make an online donation page successful:

• Branded design: Your brand speaks to your nonprofit’s identity and allows you to effectively introduce yourself to prospective supporters. Ensure your donation page’s color scheme, fonts, logo, imagery, and tone of voice all align with your brand.
• Impactful visuals: Encapsulate your mission with one or two strong visuals, such as pictures of your beneficiaries, videos of your nonprofit’s staff in action, or photos from past fundraising events.
• Call to action: When a supporter lands on your donation page, make sure you clearly define the step you want them to take with a high-contrast call to action (CTA), like “Make a Donation Now to Support Families in Need.”
• User-friendly experience: For today’s donors, it’s all about convenience and optionality. Provide flexibility during the giving process to provide more donation opportunities and appeal to a wider donor base.
• Recurring giving options: Give donors the option to support your mission year-round with recurring giving. Offer custom giving amounts based on donors’ desired giving levels, and allow them to customize whether the donation is annual, monthly, or weekly.
• Impact statements: Suggested donation amounts paired with impact statements are powerful tools to motivate donors to give. For example, specify that $75 will feed a local family of four for a week.
• Secure payment processing: An effective payment processor is integral to the success of your organization and the safety of your supporters. Verify that every fundraising solution you use is PCI-compliant to protect donor information.

11 standout donation page examples

1. Champaign County Humane Society

Champaign County Humane Society (CCHS) is on a mission to give homeless pets the best chance for adoption. But sometimes that requires expensive, specialty veterinary care. To cover the upcoming medical needs of their current residents, CCHS created this donation page for their Help Them Heal campaign:

Top features of this donation page

• Impactful imagery: The image of Rocco, who’s recovering from a hind-leg amputation with the help of his new foster family, is a perfect representation of CCHS’s mission. It grabs visitors’ attention and tugs at their heartstrings.
• Matching gift highlight: To double their impact, CCHS launched a matching gift campaign, which is prominently featured throughout their donation page.
• Powerful storytelling: CCHS brought personalization to their donation page by sharing the stories of Bessie, Bitsy, and Brynn, animals who have either had successful medical procedures thanks to the generous donations of the CCHS supporter base or are still in need of care.

2. Believe Ranch & Rescue

The team at Believe Ranch & Rescue saves horses from abuse and neglect and provides them with medical attention, training, and love. Believe Ranch & Rescue raises funds to provide their horses with the care they need for a chance at a brighter, happier future. Here’s a strong donation page example from their GivingTuesday campaign:

Why this donation page stands out

• Fundraising thermometer: A visual thermometer shows the organization’s progress toward its $50,000 fundraising goal, giving supporters a tangible look at how their donations advance the nonprofit’s mission.
• Impact statements: A powerful component of this donation page example is the impact statements that feature images of the horses that Believe Ranch & Rescue serves. Donors want to know exactly how their donation will impact the mission, and this is the perfect way to showcase it.
• Donor and matcher recognition: Every time someone gives, their name (and the name of the person matching their gift) is featured as a token of appreciation. This serves as instant donor recognition and inspires more visitors to donate.

3. Breast Cancer Action

Breast Cancer Action includes several useful features on its donation page. Together, these components help reassure donors that their individual gifts are valuable to the organization and its cause:

Best features of this donation page example

• Suggested donation amounts: This donation page provides several suggested contribution amounts for both one-time and recurring donations, which speeds up the giving process and may inspire larger contributions.
• Donation FAQs: The basic form fields are supplemented by a side-by-side FAQ box that answers common questions from new and potential donors. By answering their questions instantly next to the donation form, BCA can keep more visitors on the page.
• Funding designations: This organization gives donors more control over their gifts by letting them choose a specific project to support. They can also dedicate contributions in honor or in memory of a loved one. 

4. Hastings Public Schools Foundation

The Hastings Public Schools Foundation (HPSF) has been increasing student learning opportunities, recognizing teacher excellence, and distributing scholarships since 1990. To improve the student experience at all 5 Hastings elementary schools, HPSF created this donation page for Project Playground, a campaign to raise $500,000 for new, safer, more accessible equipment:

Top features of this sample donation page

• Matching gift campaign: Donations to Project Playground can go twice as far with HPSF’s matching gift campaign. The organization does a nice job highlighting the matching gift opportunity with a custom-branded banner at the top of the page.
• Donations made in someone’s honor: As a school foundation, it was important for HPSF to allow supporters to give in honor of a student or faculty member.
• Clear call to action: The placement, wording, and design of this page’s CTAs inspire action. With multiple CTA buttons throughout the page, donors are more likely to provide their support.

5. World Wildlife Fund

The World Wildlife Fund supports animals and their natural habitats across the globe, protecting the world’s biodiversity and battling species extinction. This nonprofit’s donation page offers several successful elements to emulate:

Why this donation page stands out

• Standout visual: The most eye-catching element on the donation page is the large photo of the organization’s beneficiaries — in this case, a group of elephants.
• Cause-centered call to action: The large “Protect Nature, Donate to WWF” CTA is straightforward and compelling. In just a few words, the organization explains why supporters should give and what their contributions fund.
• Monthly giving highlight: This donation page automatically selects its monthly giving option and gives a quick explanation of why monthly gifts are so powerful, inspiring more people to commit to long-term support.

6. Community Christian School

Community Christian School cultivates student talent through a Christ-centered education. Grounded by their foundation of faith, the CCS team implemented a 24-hour Giving Day called “We Believe” to fund a new gymnasium. Here’s the school’s campaign-specific donation page:

Top features of this sample donation page

• Strong branding: The font, logos, colors, imagery, and storytelling all reflect the Community Christian School brand, instilling trust and professionalism.
• Designated gifts: When an individual makes a donation, they can designate it toward a specific initiative, such as a gymnasium sign or bleachers, in honor of their family or business.
• Wide range of support options: Whether a supporter makes a one-time $25 donation or receives a gymnasium plaque in their honor with a $20,000 donation, CSS offers a wide range of ways to support its mission.

7. Jimmy Carrol Foundation

The Jimmy Carrol Foundation’s donation page focuses on raising funds and awareness for emergency shelters and food for those affected by homelessness. This year-end giving page explains how the Jimmy Carroll Foundation is creating positive outreach in its community while spreading the word about its mission:

Highlights of this example donation page

• Recurring giving option: To drive more donations year-round, the Jimmy Carrol Foundation encourages supporters to set up automatic monthly donations.
• Personal fundraising pages: The foundation allows supporters to create their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages to share with their networks and raise funds.
• Clear call to action: With multiple calls to action spread throughout this donation page example, it’s easy to catch donors’ attention and compel them to give.

8. Charity: water

The charity: water donation page is a great example of a streamlined, mission-relevant donation page design. The organization highlights its work providing clean water to communities via text and imagery here:

Standout features of this sample donation page

• Donation transparency: The introductory sentence, “100% of your money brings clean water to people in need,” addresses supporters’ concerns about how nonprofits use online donations while still inspiring them to give. 
• Strategic layout: This donation page has a strategic layout that resizes effectively on mobile devices, ensuring supporters can give quickly and without hassle from any device.
• Sponsorship opportunity: The “Sponsor an entire water project” button lets donors know they can extend their support to help the organization achieve powerful results. 

9. United Cerebral Palsy Heartland

United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Heartland celebrated 70 years of creating meaningful impact in the lives of children and adults living with differing abilities through this special donation page. To support their worthy mission, the UCP Heartland team encouraged donors to show their support with a one-time or recurring donation:

Highlights of this donation page example

• Powerful storytelling: The page shares the story of a specific beneficiary named George, who made remarkable progress in his social and communication skills thanks to the nonprofit. By being specific and personal, the organization brings its mission to life and inspires donations to support more people like George.
• Impactful imagery: One of the most powerful elements of this donation page example is the imagery of the organization’s beneficiaries. A picture says a thousand words, and the right one can win over a donor.
• Donor recognition: UCP Heartland immediately recognizes contributions publicly by automatically displaying donors’ names and donation amounts on the right-hand side of their donation page.

10. Countryside Montessori Charter School

Countryside Montessori Charter School (CMCS) touts the Cougar Commitment on its donation page, which entails igniting a community of lifelong learners by guiding and nurturing each whole child. This donation page supports the school’s Annual Fund, which helps fill the $2,668 gap between what the State of Florida provides through public funding and what it takes to offer the kind of education CMCS gives each child:

Top features of this donation page

• Strong branding: CMCS’s Annual Fund donation page features strong, consistent branding. Their mission is front and center, coming alive through storytelling and impactful imagery.
• Impact statements: CMCS showcases how each suggested donation amount will be used to make an impact. By calling out specific amounts and associated beneficiaries, they make it clear to supporters where their proceeds will go.
• Clear call to action: Their “Donate Now” CTA is clear and prominent, taking the guesswork out of what is being asked of a supporter who visits their site.

11. Felix Y. Manalo Foundation Inc.

The Unite for Maui campaign, initiated by the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation, aimed to provide rapid relief and support to those impacted by the Maui brush fire. The foundation used this donation page to fund essential assistance, including shelter, food, medical care, and emotional support as they work toward recovery:

Why this sample donation page stands out

• Timely fund-a-need: This donation page example is especially impactful because of the campaign’s relevance and timeliness. While having a year-round donation page is important, creating donation pages in response to a need can spark even more engagement and revenue when done correctly.
• Powerful storytelling: The best stories appeal to supporters’ emotions and move them to action. That is exactly what the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation set out to achieve with the story on their donation page.
• Variety of payment options: The Unite for Maui donation page allows donors to give the way they want with multiple payment options, including credit, debit, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. After all, ease and convenience are key to converting and retaining donors.

Best practices from our sample donation pages

What can you learn from all of the above donation page examples? Here’s a recap of the best practices they used to convert donors.

Streamline the user experience

Donors are more likely to actually submit a donation form that is easy to navigate. Providing a positive user experience encourages donors to contribute now and return to your donation page in the future.

To increase completion rates, streamline your donation page by:

• Keeping the form simple. Collect only the information you need for that donation, like the donor’s contact details and payment method, to make giving online as quick and straightforward as possible.
• Making your submission button compelling. Use your submission button’s text as a second call to action (such as “Donate Now!”) and highlight it using a bold font and contrasting colors.
• Maintaining accessibility. Supporters of all abilities should be able to readily engage with your donation page. Follow accessibility best practices, like sufficient color contrast, alternative text for visuals, and avoiding flashing or strobing elements.
• Optimizing for mobile. Mobile-friendly donation pages yield 34% more donations. Supporters should be able to fill out the form and tap the submission button easily, regardless of whether they’re accessing it from a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
• Including suggested donation amounts. Donors may contribute more if you give them an idea of what size donation would be beneficial to your organization. This also allows them to fill out the form more quickly.

Ultimately, the easier it is for supporters to complete a donation, the more likely they are to do so. Find a fundraising solution like Bonterra that allows your organization to limit the number of prompts, set custom giving levels, optimize for mobile devices, and offer multiple payment options, including digital wallets. 

Bonterra’s nonprofit suite has everything you need to create streamlined, high-converting donation pages in no time. Contact our team to learn more.

Focus on your call to action

Grab your supporters’ attention with a strong headline and a clear description of why your organization is calling for donations. At the top of your donation page, write a strong call to action that inspires donors to act on behalf of your cause. 

Make your calls to action more effective with these tips:

• Use active verbs like “support,” “help,” or “change.”
• Keep it concise — it should fit on one line if possible.
• Address supporters directly by using the second person (you/your/yours).

Once you’ve gotten supporters’ attention, add a few sentences detailing exactly how they’ll help you further your purpose by donating online. Remember that supporters will only read this brief paragraph or scroll down to the donation form if your top-line call to action is compelling.

Incorporate your organization’s brand

A branded donation page helps establish credibility by reassuring donors that their gifts will go directly to your organization and further your cause. Brand the form to your nonprofit by incorporating your official colors, fonts, and design elements, and place your organization’s logo at the top of the page.

Also, include a photo of your nonprofit at work or of an individual who benefits from your organization’s services (with their permission, of course). Doing so will give donors a concrete idea of how their contributions make a difference and inspire support.

Make payment processing simple and secure

Donors will have a better online giving experience if they can select from several payment options, including all major credit cards, bank account transfers, and mobile payment services. They also need to know that your organization will keep their information safe.

When choosing a payment processor for your online donation page, make sure yours is PCI-compliant or PCI-certified to keep donors’ information as secure as possible. Many payment processors will also send an email or text message verification to donors for increased assurance.

Include storytelling and impact data

Your donation page should clearly remind donors why their gifts are so important. To accomplish this, leverage a compelling story of your nonprofit’s work. Use visuals and impactful copy just like the donation page examples above to inspire donors and encourage giving. 

Additionally, don’t forget to incorporate real impact data. Highlight the tangible impact of specific donation amounts so supporters understand the direct connection between their gifts and your organization’s outcomes. 

Build a better donation page with Bonterra

A well-designed donation page sets the tone for your nonprofit’s online presence and helps engage supporters to further your purpose. To optimize your donation page, look to other organizations for inspiration and invest in flexible fundraising software that maximizes your ability to collect donations online. 

When looking for a fundraising solution, finding easy-to-use software that empowers supporters to take an active role in your fundraising is a must. With Bonterra, you can provide a more personalized, frictionless giving experience that drives more support for your mission.