September 6, 2011; Source: Blackbaud | Steve McLaughlin of Blackbaud has a post on his Nonprofit Trends blog listing five things you can do on an online giving form that are unproductive and might drive potential donors away. Here are his thoughts. Do you have anything to add to this list?
Sign up for our free newsletters
Subscribe to NPQ's newsletters to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.
- Using Only One Donation Form. McLaughlin says you should always be testing forms and also have one that is more general and a few that are more specific.
- Using Only an Empty Box for Giving Amounts. “If you don’t give donors suggested gift amounts, then you’re doing it wrong,” McLaughlin says. “Testing has shown that donation forms with clear ask strings perform better than those without any.”
- Requiring Website Visitors to Register in Order to Donate. Come on folks, does McLaughlin really need to tell you why this might be a teeny bit silly? If so, look for other work.
- Using a Donation Form that Scrolls and Scrolls and Scrolls and Scrolls. Don’t get so long-winded that the potential donor just wanders off—keep the list short and clear.
- Not Having a Mobile-Friendly Donation Form. Again, if we have to tell you why…
—Ruth McCambridge
