The donation experience audit: a nonprofit check-up

Just like getting an annual physical, your donation experience benefits from a regular check-up. A focused audit before you start sending emails or posting to social can save you from discovering a broken form or an outdated thank-you email in the middle of your busiest giving days.

This is your annual donation experience audit. Work through it before fundraising season hits full swing and you’ll head in with confidence.

When was the last time you made a donation to your own organization?

It’s time to do a little acting. To pretend you are a first-time donor. All you will need is a unique email address that hasn’t been used to make a donation with before. Then, go all the way through and make a donation or two.

Tip! If you use Google Workspace as your organization’s email provider it is really easy to create a unique email address to test with. Let’s say your email address is me@​example.​org. You can create a unique email using the + convention, something like me+​test@​example.​org. This will be treated as unique but Google will deliver it to your main inbox. Easy. If for some reason it does not work, your platform may not support + addresses. In that case, you’ll need a regular email address.

Go through the full experience: the form, the confirmation page, the receipt email, and any follow-up that comes after. Take notes as you go.

Here are a few specific things to look out for while you are in there:

• Form fields: Are you asking for more information than you actually use? Every extra field can add friction.
• Fee coverage opt-in/out: Is the setting clearly explained? Does it work the way you expect?
• Image and content: If your form includes an image or copy, do they reflect the theme or story of your upcoming campaign?
• Suggested amounts: Do they still reflect your typical donor and your current goals?
• Confirmation page: Does it feel warm and intentional, or generic?
• Receipt email: Is the copy current? Does it reflect your brand? Is the logo up to date?
• Stewardship follow-up: If you have automated emails that go out after a gift, read through them. Are they still telling the right story?

Also test your recurring giving flow if monthly donors are a priority. If your site has a partnership contact form or other giving paths, walk through those too.

What is your fundraising platform capable of that you aren’t using?

Modern donation platforms are always evolving. There may be something new worth enabling, or something that’s been available that’s not in use but could make a difference. Both are worth looking for.

During a check-in with one of our nonprofit partners, we noticed their platform had a pop-up feature they hadn’t set up. It seemed worth a shot. They added a clear image and a campaign message, and over $4,000 in donations came through that pop-up. One was a notably large gift. A small change, already available to them, made it easier for people who came to the site ready to give.

Pop-ups, embedded forms, recurring giving prompts and tribute gifts are types of opportunities are often available. These are features many modern fundraising platforms already offer.

Check recent product announcements or reach out to your account contact or support team. Specifically, look for:

• New payment methods: If you don’t already offer Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Venmo, that’s worth exploring. More options means less friction for donors who want to give the way that’s most convenient for them.
• Form or checkout improvements: Platforms update their checkout flows. Is there a way to better emphasize monthly giving? New abandoned gift features? A way to describe giving levels and make them more compelling?
• Promotion features you haven’t tried: Pop-ups, sticky buttons, giving calculators, embedded forms. Pick one to explore. You might be surprised what a small change can do.

Are your key website pages telling the right story?

Your homepage, donate page, and about page are common destinations of prospective donors. Make sure those pages are doing their job.

• Are you communicating your story well? Are you writing for your key target audiences?
• Is your donate button easy to find? Hopefully you have one in the upper right as part of your navigation.
• More than one call to action can help a potential donor find the right next step without having to scroll or search. Where else on your site are you inviting people to give?
• Is the content current? Old event dates, outdated impact numbers, or staff photos of people who have moved on can quietly undermine trust.

If you’ve done any rebranding or refreshed your messaging recently, do a pass to make sure everything is consistent.

What is the donation experience of your peers like?

Will Guidara, author of Unreasonable Hospitality and former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park*, regularly had meals at other restaurants. Not just to enjoy them, but to study them. How did they communicate? What did the service feel like? What small details stood out?

He brought those observations back to his own restaurant to inform what he wanted his guests to experience.

You can do the same thing. Make a small donation to a few nonprofits you admire, or organizations that are likely reaching some of the same donors you are. Pay attention to the full experience: the form, the confirmation, the follow-up.

• What feels good?
• What looks good?
• What falls flat?
• Is there anything you’d want to bring back to your own process?

You won’t always find something new. But sometimes you will spot a small idea that’s worth trying, and your platform or your team may already be able to make it happen.

Are your fundraising materials showcasing the quality of your work?

While you are in audit mode, put on your visual brand steward hat (or glasses) and look at everything connected to your fundraising:

• Email templates: Do your donation receipt and stewardship emails reflect your current brand? Is there a logo or color that’s out of date? Are they visually cluttered or hard to read?
• Social assets or templates: Are they consistent and polished? Sometimes just adding a little space, using headers, or reducing copy can make a big difference in readability.
• Campaign materials: If you use templates for appeals, event invites, or partner asks, make sure they’re current and consistent with each other.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s confidence. When everything looks and sounds like it came from the same place, donors feel it.

Something to try: start small and keep improving

You don’t have to fix everything before the campaign starts. Each time you run through this audit, you’ll find something new to improve.

Come back to these five questions:

• When did someone on your team last make a donation to your own organization?
• What is your fundraising platform capable of that you aren’t using?
• Are your key website pages telling the right story?
• What is the donation experience of your peers like?
• Do your fundraising materials look as good as the work you do?

If you’d like a second set of eyes on your donation experience or website, get in touch. It’s one of our favorite things to dig into.