A donation page is like your nonprofit’s digital giving hub—it’s the place where supporters can easily contribute and feel connected to your mission. Having a dedicated donation page ensures that giving is simple, accessible, and distraction-free.
In this article we will go through 7 easy steps on how to create a donation page for free, ways to optimize your page for conversions, and tips to promote your donation page to maximize contributions.
Choosing the Right Platform
Creating a donation page from scratch on your website can be a hassle. You’d need to handle design, coding, payment processing, and security—all on your own. A free fundraising platform takes care of all that for you, so you can focus on what matters most: connecting with donors and raising funds.
When choosing a platform, it’s important to consider key features like transaction fees, customization options, and integrations with your CRM or email marketing tools. The right platform should give you flexibility while keeping as much of each donation in your hands as possible. Platforms like CauseVox are built specifically for nonprofits, with features designed to make your donation page as effective as possible.
Clean Water For The World uses a donate button on their website to take you to their hosted donation page (shown below).
Clean Water For The World’s optimized donation page hosted on their website with CauseVox.
From optimized layouts to mobile wallets, CauseVox helps you create a professional and seamless giving experience in just minutes—no tech skills required!
You can choose to embed your donation form directly on your website or create a hosted donation page for even more customization and storytelling. Both options make giving quick and easy, so you can find the best fit for your nonprofit’s needs. Plus, with CauseVox, it’s completely free to set up your page!
In this article, we’ll go over the basic steps to create a donation page for free; we also recommend you download our free guide below to get a more detailed overview.
Download the Complete Guide to Building Your Donation Page:
Step-by-Step Guide to Create a Donation Page for Free
1. Customize Your Donation Page With Your Brand
Your donation page should feel like an extension of your nonprofits brand, not just a generic form. In fact, we found that 75% of donors are more likely to donate to a branded donation page than a generic design.
Marquis Studios used CauseVox to create a donation page for free that allowed them to customize and brand their campaign as desired.
Start by adding your logo and using your brand colors so supporters instantly recognize they’re in the right place. Then, consider including a short mission statement or tagline that reminds donors why their gift matters. A branded page builds trust and keeps your nonprofit top of mind, making people more likely to complete their donation. With CauseVox, customization is super easy—no coding needed, just simple tweaks to make your page feel like home!
2. Create Different Giving Intervals
Giving looks different for everyone, so it’s important to offer flexible donation options that fit your supporters’ generosity. Some people prefer a one-time gift, while others like to set up a recurring donation to make an impact every month without having to think about it.
Alameda Point Collaborative offers donors the option of one-time or recurring donations on their donation page, hosted by CauseVox.
You can also offer a pledge option, where donors commit to giving a larger amount over time. With CauseVox, you can set up automatic payments in installments like 12 or 24 months.
Using CauseVox to create a donation page for free, Meat Fight offers a pledge option to their donors.
By giving people choices, you make it easier for them to support your cause in a way that works for them—plus, recurring and pledge gifts help create steady, reliable funding for your nonprofit!
3. Create Suggested Donation Amounts
People love to know exactly how their donation will make a difference. That’s where suggested donation amounts come in! Instead of leaving it open-ended, set up donation tiers that show the impact of each gift.
Use descriptive donation tiers to showcase how your supporter’s gift is making an impact.
Pulling from the example above, $20 could provide transportation, $50 funds a storytelling session and $100 could support mental health and educational workshops. These clear, tangible examples help donors feel more connected to their giving—and often encourage them to give more! Plus, it takes the guesswork out of donating, making the whole process easier and more meaningful.
4. Set up Diverse Giving Options
Not everyone donates the same way, so offering a variety of ways to give makes it easier for more people to give. Some donors prefer using a credit card, while others love the convenience of mobile wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay for a speedy donation.
CauseVox makes it easy to offer multiple ways to give on your donation page.
If you want to encourage larger gifts, adding ACH (bank transfers) is a great option since it allows donors to give big without hefty credit card fees. CauseVox found that 81% of high-income donors prioritize a quick donation process, so the easier you make it for people to give, the more likely they are to complete their donation—and maybe even give more!
5. Customize the Information Fields
When it comes to collecting donor info, less is more! Stick to the essentials—name, payment details, email, and maybe an address—to keep the process quick and frustration-free. A long, complicated form can lead to drop-offs, and the last thing you want is for someone to abandon their donation because it felt like too much work. In fact, 75% of donors are more likely to make a donation if the giving process is easy. You can always follow up later to learn more about your donors and build a deeper relationship over time. The key is making it as easy as possible for them to say “yes” to giving!
6. Make It Even Better!
When you create a donation page it isn’t just about collecting gifts—it’s about inspiring generosity. Adding images and videos that showcase your mission in action can make a huge difference. People connect with stories, so use real moments and voices to bring your cause to life.
Rez Refuge tells a powerful story using quotes from beneficiaries on their donation page, made on CauseVox.
You can also offer tribute donations, where people give in honor of a loved one—this adds a personal touch and can make the donation even more meaningful. The more engaging your page, the more likely people are to give (and give big!).
Montana Food Bank Network offers tribute dedications on their donation page, made with CauseVox.
7. Test Your Page
Before you launch, take a few minutes to test your donation page on both desktop and mobile. Is it easy to navigate? Do the images load quickly? Is the donation process smooth and frustration-free? Most donors will be giving from their phones, so making sure everything works seamlessly on mobile is a must; luckily CauseVox automatically optimizes your page for mobile.A little testing now can prevent lost donations later—so give it a quick run-through and make sure your donors have the best giving experience possible.
Promoting Your Donation Page
Once you create a donation page and make it live, make sure it’s easy to find on your website—add it to your homepage or navigation menu so it’s just a click away. Then, spread the word!
Share the link on your social media with engaging posts and updates to keep your followers excited and informed. Don’t forget to include the link in your email newsletters, too, so your existing supporters have an easy way to contribute.
The more visible and accessible your page is, the more likely people are to donate and share it with others!
Tracking Performance And Improving Your Page
Once your donation page is up and running, it’s time to track your performance. Keep an eye on metrics like conversion rates, the average donation size, and the number of recurring donors to see what’s working. You can also try A/B testing to tweak things like headlines, images, and calls to action (CTA’s) to see what resonates best with your audience.
Don’t forget to update your page regularly—whether it’s adding new donation tiers or showcasing the latest program updates, keeping your page fresh helps maintain donor interest and engagement.
Use CauseVox to Create A Donation Page for Free
CauseVox makes it incredibly easy to create a donation page for free. With features designed to maximize donor engagement, like flexible giving options, branded customization, and seamless mobile access, CauseVox helps you create a donation page that’s both impactful and user-friendly. Ready to get started? Create a donation page for free today and watch your fundraising efforts take off!
