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During a redesign, teams often ask for their donation experience to live on their website. But the platform, not the website, decides what’s possible.
A donation checkout that lives on your website builds trust, cuts friction, and keeps your brand front and center. That’s the goal. Usability research points the same way. When Nielsen Norman Group tested nonprofit donation experiences, donors moved through checkout with little trouble, except on sites that sent them to third-party payment services, which “stumped some users.”
The problem: by the time a redesign starts, that decision has often already been made. Your donation platform determines your website integration options. No amount of website work can change that.
This guide covers what actually shapes how well a platform works with your website. Use it to help you assess the integration options of a new platform if you decide to switch.
Not all donation platforms offer the same website integration options, and the difference impacts what your website can do.
These options can generally be set up by adding small snippets of code to your website. They require minimal effort and little to no developer support.
Custom-coded integrations are the most demanding option, built through an API (application programming interface: a way for one piece of software to talk to another). For the small nonprofit teams we work with, this is generally not viable. The cost to build and maintain a custom solution outweighs the benefit for most organizations.
Ask: Does the checkout live on your website or redirect donors to a third-party page? What integration options are available? Do any of these require custom code or developer support?
This is an example of a donation pop-up (modal) opened on top of an organization’s website. This one is powered by Fundraise Up. They offer robust website integration opportunities with very little to no website coding needed.
No matter where your donation experience lives, whether it’s fully integrated on your website, on a hosted page, or some mix of both, it needs to look like you.
Don’t discount the aesthetic of your donation experience. An antiquated, untidy, or unpolished donation design reflects those same qualities back on your organization. It’s often the last impression a donor has before they give, and the first impression they carry into this critical point of your relationship with them.
Your colors, typography, imagery, and voice should be present throughout the giving experience, not replaced by a generic platform interface or, worse, the platform’s branding.
Some platforms give you significant control over the look and feel of the checkout. Others offer little to none. A beautifully designed website paired with a dated or generic checkout creates a jarring experience for donors at the most important moment.
Ask: How much control do you have over the look and feel of the checkout? Can you add your own images and messaging? Will the checkout feel like an extension of your site, or an interruption of it?
As you explore how well your donation platform can integrate with your website, there are some additional considerations beyond the widgets, links, or buttons. You want to know how it performs on mobile, how accessible it is, and how well it connects to your other tools. These are often details we are asked about more generally when it comes to website redesign work that overlaps with your donor tools.
Your donation checkout needs to meet the standard of delivering a great mobile experience. A checkout that performs well on desktop but breaks down on a phone undermines the rest of your website’s work.
Look and feel on mobile, ease of completing the form, and navigating between any steps all impact the quality of the experience. Features like supporting various mobile pay options like Apple and Google Pay also dramatically improve the mobile experience.
Ask: Are the checkout form and any related widgets mobile responsive? How easy is it to complete the form and move between steps on a phone? Does it support mobile pay options like Apple Pay and Google Pay?
Donation forms and checkout widgets are part of your website’s accessibility footprint. Any embedded or pop-up checkout should be compliant with appropriate WCAG guidelines.
Every supporter should be able to make a donation, whether they use a mouse, a keyboard, a screen reader, or other assistive technologies. This is both a legal consideration and a values one, and it should be part of how you evaluate any platform you use on your site.
Ask: What WCAG guidelines does the donation checkout meet, and is it fully or partially conformant? Has it been tested with screen readers and keyboard navigation?
A donation that isn’t connected to your other tools creates work for someone on your team, missed opportunities, or a gap in your reporting.
Your donation data needs to get to your CRM and email platform. Whether that happens through a direct integration, a Zapier connection, or an API is a question for the platform. Knowing the answer helps everyone plan better.
Tracking metrics is one integration feature that is a website issue. It is ideal to be able to track donations made through your website in your Google or other analytics tool. This is useful for understanding whether your website and marketing through it are actually performing well, with a donation counted as a conversion.
Ask: What integrations does the platform support with your CRM and email tools? Is there a direct integration, a Zapier connection, or does it require a fully custom integration through an API? Does the platform support Google Analytics for donation conversion tracking?
We’re not fundraising consultants, but we’ve built alongside enough client sites on Fundraise Up and Givebutter to know how each handles this stuff.
Fundraise Up is built around the core donation experience. It integrates directly into your website with pop-ups, sticky buttons, embedded flows, abandoned checkout recovery, and much more, all without custom code. They are research-based and value deeply integrated donation experiences. For lean teams that want a serious, low-maintenance donation experience on their website, it’s worth evaluating.
Givebutter takes a broader approach, combining fundraising, events, online auctions, email, and basic donor management in one platform. If your team wants more tools in one place and is willing to trade some depth for that convenience, it’s worth exploring.
We came to know both platforms through our client partners and the work we do alongside their teams. If you’re evaluating options and want a perspective, we’re happy to share what we know.
All the questions from this guide, gathered here in one place to use when comparing platforms or talking to a platform representative.
Website integration
Brand and design
Accessibility
Mobile
Tool connections
Before you commit to a platform, ask the questions that are most meaningful for you. Also, don’t forget to make a test donation through it. If they don’t have a demo site, ask for an organization using their tool that you can try instead. Experience the checkout as a first-time donor would, and try it on a mobile device. It’s the fastest way to know whether it’s ready to be a real partner to your website.
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