How to Set Up a Nonprofit Donation Form the Easy Way (2024)

In the ever-evolving landscape of online fundraising, well-crafted donation forms are an important way for nonprofits to maximize their fundraising efforts. Seamless, engaging nonprofit donation forms make it easier to donate, encourage higher donation amounts, and encourage donors to keep returning. But not all forms are created equal – let’s go over the basic types of forms you may need, then review best practices for how to set them up. 

Types of Donation Forms for Nonprofit Organizations

The standard nonprofit donation request form is probably the first form that comes to mind: It has form fields for the amount, plus other basic information like name, email address, and payment method. But there are plenty of ways you can customize your donation forms to serve more purposes.  

Recurring Donations

With recurring donations, donors commit to a consistent, scheduled contribution, usually on a monthly basis. Recurring donation forms should be straightforward, and you can add this option to many standard donation forms, like Donately, with a simple button the donor can click to make their donation monthly. By providing a seamless setup process and illustrating how regular contributions can make a lasting impact, this type of nonprofit donation form can help you build a stable financial base.

Anonymous Donations

Anonymous donation forms cater to donors who prefer to keep their contributions private. While simplicity is key, you also need to balance anonymity with the need for basic transactional information. These forms should minimize mandatory fields, only requiring essential payment details, and should clearly indicate how donor data will be used. Offering an anonymity option respects donor privacy and can encourage larger donations from those who might shy away from public acknowledgment.

Embedded Donation Forms

Embedded donation forms are integrated directly into your website, providing a seamless donation experience without redirecting donors to a separate page. Crafting an embedded form requires attention to design, ensuring it complements the website's aesthetic while being highly functional. An effective embedded nonprofit donation form is both inviting and straightforward, making the donation process as intuitive as possible and keeping potential donors engaged with your website.

Mobile-Optimized Donation Forms

Modern donors want to be able to donate on-the-go, so mobile-responsive forms are essential. These forms are designed so donors can easily complete them on smartphones or tablets, featuring responsive design, large form fields, and minimal text entry. They work hand-in-hand with text message donations: You send each donor a short donation text message with a link to your mobile-friendly nonprofit donation form. By accommodating the growing segment of users who prefer to donate via mobile, you can increase your donation conversion rate. 

Newsletters with Donation Forms

Newsletters allow you to share stories, updates, and calls to action and directly engage with your community. By seamlessly integrating nonprofit donation forms into regular communications, you can remind supporters of your needs and goals, inspiring them to take action and then making it easy for them to make a donation right from the newsletter. Like embedded and mobile-optimized forms, donation forms within your newsletter can help you turn volunteers into donors.

Receipt of Donation Forms for Nonprofits

Another important nonprofit donation form comes after the donation has been made: Organizations are required to provide a receipt for gifts worth more than $250. (Many organizations always provide receipts, regardless of value.) These forms should automatically generate a detailed donation receipt letter, including your organization’s name, the donation amount, and the donation date. Making it easy for donors to fill out nonprofit donation tax forms like Form 8283 will keep them loyal to your organization. 

Donation Form Design Best Practices

The best donation form templates for nonprofits don’t just tell you what to write – they give you the ability to customize your form. As you fill out any template, keep these best practices in mind. 

Suggest Donation Amounts

Putting suggested amounts at the top of your nonprofit donation form can significantly increase the size of contributions. However, you don’t want to put amounts that are too high for most donors to contribute or too low to make a difference for your cause. How do you choose? Dig into your donor data and find the most common amounts people donate, then add five or ten dollars on top. Include a variety of amounts to accommodate different giving capacities, and you should always still allow donors to enter custom amounts.

Include Recurring Donations

Recurring donation programs are incredibly important for many nonprofits. On your form, highlight the option to make a donation recur and explain the impact that will have, like providing 10 meals a month for local children. Make the process to select recurring donations just as intuitive as selecting a one-time gift, and provide specifics to motivate donors to commit to a longer-term contribution. 

Keep It Quick

A streamlined form that requests only essential information can minimize the chances of donor abandonment. For example, for digital donations, you probably don’t need the donor’s address, phone number, and so on. Donately’s donation form templates for nonprofits include the donation amount (with the option to round up to cover fees), any preset amounts you choose, a simple button to opt into recurring donations, payment method information, and the donor’s first name, last name, and email address. Short nonprofit donation forms are also more mobile-friendly. 

Customize It to Your Brand

Customizing your donation form to match your nonprofit’s branding reinforces your identity and builds trust with donors. A form that seamlessly integrates with your website and marketing materials presents a professional image and assures donors they’re contributing directly to your cause. Donately customizable forms let you choose your form fields, buttons, brand colors, and more. 

Discover Easy Donation Form Templates for Nonprofits

With so many donations now being made online, the world of nonprofit donation forms is changing. While you might still need printable nonprofit donation form templates for things like live events, chances are that most of your donations happen digitally. And with Donately’s form builder, you don’t need a template at all. You just create a free account and start building using a simple interface that allows you to easily add the fields you want and customize your form. Sign up for free today and start building your perfect form.