Why the donation page matters most
By the time someone reaches your donation page, the hard work is done: they have decided to give. What happens next is about friction. Every slow load, extra field or confusing choice is a moment where a supporter can stop, and many do. These twelve fixes are the ones we make most often.
1. Load fast on a phone
Most donors arrive on a phone, often from social media, sometimes on a weak connection. Aim for the form to be usable within two seconds. Remove heavy sliders, autoplay video and third-party scripts the page doesn’t need.
2. Give the page one job
Take away the main navigation, the newsletter sign-up and the links to other appeals. A donation page should have one thing to do.
3. Make suggested amounts say what they do
“£30 provides clean water for a family for a month” gives a reason to choose. Three or four amounts are enough, with the middle one pre-selected and an “other amount” field always visible.
4. Offer monthly giving clearly
Regular gifts are worth far more over a year. Offer monthly giving first or side by side with one-off, explain why it matters, and never make one-off giving hard to find.
5. Put wallets first
Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal let a donor give without typing card details. Show them above the card form, not hidden below it.
6. Ask only what you need
Every field costs gifts. Ask for the address only when you need it for Gift Aid or a receipt, and use address look-up to make it quick.
7. Make Gift Aid one tick
In the UK, Gift Aid adds 25% to eligible gifts at no cost to the donor. Use the correct declaration wording, keep it to one clear tick box, and explain the benefit in a single line.
8. Show trust where the doubt is
Put your charity number, secure-payment marks and a short line on where the money goes right next to the form, where the hesitation happens, not in the footer.
9. Make errors helpful
Tell people exactly what went wrong and how to fix it, next to the field, without clearing what they already typed.
10. Make the thank-you page do something
Thank donors warmly, tell them what happens next, and offer one simple next step: share the appeal, or turn a one-off gift into a monthly one.
11. Make it accessible to everyone
Build the form to WCAG 2.2 AA: labels on every field, visible focus, enough contrast and full keyboard use. Accessible forms are easier for everyone, not only for disabled donors.
12. Measure gifts, and test one thing at a time
Track completed gifts and average gift, not clicks. Change one thing at a time, such as the amounts, the order of payment options or the headline, and give each test enough traffic to be sure.
Where to start
Open your own donation page on a phone, on mobile data, and give £5. Write down every moment you hesitate. That list is your first round of fixes. If you would like a second pair of eyes, our donation page service starts with exactly this kind of review.
Need a hand?
Many gifts are lost on the donation page itself. We design and fix the last few taps between a supporter and their gift.
Donation pages