Six Ways to Revamp Your Donation Site

​So you didn't quite hit the mark on your donation site... 

First of all, chin up! Take a breath and refocus on your next donation goal. Whether you are fundraising, selling property, or negotiating a salary, you will get the best results by asking for a little more than you’d like to realistically get. 

"But I really need to hit my mark!"

Ok! Don't sweat. You’ve got this! Unlike salaries and home-prices, donation campaigns have no finite ceiling. You've only "failed" to hit your mark when you give up trying new strategies. You can always change course and re-launch at any time. 

Here are 6 ways to revitalize your campaign for a re-launch

1. Try hosting an event or selling merchandise
Hosting an event is a great way to boost revenue for your donation but also to spread the message of your campaign by engaging the community. When people feel connected and involved they are more likely to donate since the cause now has a relevance to their lives. Also, sell merchandise both at the event and throughout the campaign. T-shirts, car-washes, and dinners are simple things that will have a big appeal with donors. With memberplanet customers can use our mobile app to purchase tickets and merchandise on the go! Worried about the payment logistics? We have templates that are already set up for this! Check out our template gallery here. ​

​2. Evaluate your campaign goal 
You want your goal to be realistic enough that your donors can already see the victory in sight. Set it too high and they will often get discouraged and put forth a lackluster effort. Also, when donors see you getting close to your goal they want to jump in and give more, don't miss out on that momentum! Stick with a reasonable (yet still ambitious!) goal. 

​3. Assess giving levels 
How much have donors been giving? You want to set giving levels that are both realistic and ambitious. If most of your donors are giving less than the lowest level, you should set your middle level a few dollars above that point. If most of your donors are giving more, set your levels higher. You want people to dig deep to give a few dollars more than their intended donation in order to hit the next level. 

*Also note, how do you create incentive for donors to reach levels? Promising shout-outs or recognition will make some donors excited to stand out! 

4. Spruce up your page!
You know that your cause is important, if your donors only knew how much their contribution would help they would be excited to give more! Including photo albums, videos and engaging and informative text that will give your donors the evidence they need to appreciate your cause. Leverage your donation site to sell your donors and appeal to their emotional side and establish a personal investment. Include photos of the people or animals being helped, tell donors exactly what their funds will be used for and how much each aspect will cost. Paint them a vivid picture of how their contribution will change someone's life. 

​5. Brand your payment form 
Keep your site branded, professional, and inspiring from beginning to end. When your donors choose to donate, they are directed to a payment form. If the form is bleak, they may lose their emotional momentum, resulting in a lower contribution or none at all. Include an inspiring and emotionally moving banner image on your form, as well as a gracious and personal thank-you message. 

6. Share. Share. Share 
The most important thing you can do to ensure a successful donation site is share your page link. Email your site, post it to your social networks like Facebook & Twitter, add your cause information to your email signature - the opportunities for spreading news online are endless! Once you get your page out there, your friends, family, and supporters will help you spread the word. Already done this? Try incentivizing donors to share the page on their Facebook! (ex: for every share, you will recognize or reward them in some cost-effective way) 

Bonus tip: Ask for help! 
The support team at memberplanet is always here for you. We have seen many campaigns, and we can give you ideas that will work for you. Visit our Support Site to browse our support library or to chat with us directly.

Ready to give it another shot? 

Start a New Donation Site

Updated from original posting on 6/6/16

About Eric Whittington

No spreadsheet is too complicated for our in-house Excel whiz. Aside from expertly helping admins organize their members, Eric also has a wealth of knowledge on event management, brand consistency, and effective communication for groups. He enjoys sloths and drinking LOTS of coffee.