Donors want to know whom they are donating to and how the donated funds will be used, and this investigation usually starts with your website. Where do you start and what should be on your website -- and in particular the donations page?
Here are some ideas and strategies you can implement to encourage more donations:
Tell your story
Be sure to have pages that introduce the organisation, providing the history and aim behind the organisation, the vision and mission and the people. Share poignant, emotional and exciting stories highlighting the impact your organisation has on the beneficiaries.
Use Imagery and Video
Visual content carries a strong emotional impact. Make use of high-quality images and videos that showcase your organisation’s work, the beneficiaries it serves, and the outcomes achieved. Use a mix of text, images or videos to engage the readers emotionally and inspire empathy.
Include Testimonials and success stories
Authentic voices validate your organisation’s impact, inspiring trust in potential donors. Share testimonials from your beneficiaries, supporters and volunteers. Create a blog or vlog to do this with a signup option to keep donors up to date on initiatives and the outcomes.
Recognise donors
Consider creating a recognition page or section, acknowledging and thanking your supporters, possibly listing major donors, showcasing major events involving said donors, or creating a donor wall.
Include reports
Update your site regularly with reports, feedback, financial summaries and success stories. Sharing this kind of information will improve the SEO of the site, drive traffic to give the organisation more exposure, and improve website rankings on search engines such as Google. And, they demonstrate how and where donations have made an impact, which boosts donor confidence.
Try to be mobile friendly
Ensure your website is both responsive and optimised for mobile devices, as many donors browse and donate using tablets or smartphones.
Include contact information
Clearly indicate where the “Contact Us” page is and provide accurate contact information, with a contact form or providing email addresses, WhatsApp or telephone numbers. This will build trust and enable the organisation to address any queries or assist where needed.
The key page within any PBO’s website is the “Donate Page”: it is the call-to-action. Some elements to boost its effectiveness are:
Transparency
Building trust with donors is critical to ensure ongoing support. Display how donations are used, detailing the percentage allocations to actual programmes versus the costs.
Progress tracking
If there are specific fundraising goals or campaigns, use a progress bar to show how close the organisation is to achieving its financial goals. This can create a sense of urgency for donors to contribute.
“Donate Now”
Have a clear call to action and place a prominent and visually appealing “Donate Now” button at the top of the page and throughout the content. Share what a donation amount will enable the organisation to do, for example, an amount of R175 helps to feed, care for and cover medical costs for a dog for a week. For example:
Repeat donations
Encourage donors to set up repeat donations highlighting the benefits of regular giving such as the donor being able to claim a tax deduction up to a certain limit and the ongoing sustainability of the organisation’s work.
Making use of the Donation widget on your donations page will assist in issuing section 18A certificates to donors. Visit https://portal.thedonation.org.za/register and register to gain access to our widget which you can place on your “donate now” page or anywhere suitable on your website.
Remember that to optimise the various pages' effectiveness over time, regularly test and refine your donations page based on user and analytics feedback. The effort taken to do so will improve engagement, strengthen trust and hopefully inspire visitors to contribute to your cause.
