Quick Summary
- 50-70% of donors abandon donation pages before completing
- 60% of donations now happen on mobile devices
- Mobile-responsive pages increase donations by 126% on average
- 17% average conversion — there's room to improve
How to Use This Assessment
Work through each section, checking off items you have in place. Items you can't check off are opportunities for improvement. Prioritize CRITICAL items first, then IMPORTANT, then RECOMMENDED.
1. Donation Page Optimization
Your donation page is where the conversion happens. The average page loses 50-70% of potential donors. Optimizing here has the highest ROI.
Donation Page Checklist
All fields visible from start—no "Next" buttons. Multi-step forms cause 52% drop in donations.
Only essential fields: name, email, payment info. Streamlined forms boost conversions by 39%.
Pre-set amounts ($25, $50, $100, $250) with custom option. Reduces decision friction.
Tabbed "One-Time" and "Monthly" options increase donations by 15%. Pre-selecting monthly can increase recurring by 35%.
Show what each amount accomplishes: "$50 provides meals for five families for a week."
Padlock icon + "Your information is secure" near payment fields. Increases conversions by 20%.
Custom-branded pages raise 6x more than generic third-party pages.
Real photos showing impact (not stock photos). Connect donation to real outcomes.
2. Mobile Readiness
60% of donations now occur on mobile devices. If your donation experience isn't mobile-optimized, you're losing the majority of potential donors.
Mobile Readiness Checklist
Site automatically adjusts to any screen size without horizontal scrolling.
Form fields are large enough to tap, keyboard adapts to field type (numeric for amounts).
Minimum 44x44 pixel tap targets. Buttons not too close together.
Under 3 seconds. 53% of mobile visitors leave if page takes longer.
Minimum 16px font size for body text.
Apple Pay and Google Pay for one-tap donations on mobile.
Quick Mobile Test
Open your donation page on your phone (disconnected from WiFi to simulate real conditions). Can you complete a test donation in under 2 minutes without frustration? If not, your mobile experience needs work.
3. Payment Processing
Offering flexible, secure payment options empowers donors to give in the way that suits them best, driving higher conversion rates.
Payment Processing Checklist
Accept all major cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover).
Ability to process monthly/recurring donations automatically.
Many donors prefer PayPal for its familiarity and security.
One-tap mobile payments significantly reduce friction.
Lower processing fees for larger donations.
Automated system to recover failed recurring donation attempts.
4. Donor Experience & Follow-Up
The donation is just the beginning. What happens after determines whether they become a one-time giver or a lifetime supporter.
Donor Experience Checklist
Thank-you page confirming donation was successful with amount and receipt info.
Automated email with donation details sent immediately after gift.
Receipt includes your EIN, donation date, amount, and IRS-compliant language.
Separate from receipt—genuine gratitude email within 24 hours.
Automated 3-5 email sequence introducing your organization over 30-90 days.
Email 2-3 weeks after donation showing what their gift accomplished.
Self-service access to donation history, receipts, and recurring gift management.
5. Website Foundation
Your donation page doesn't exist in isolation. The overall website experience influences whether visitors make it to the donation page at all.
Website Foundation Checklist
Visible on every page, contrasting color, clear "Donate" label.
Visitors understand who you are and what you do within 5 seconds.
All pages load in under 3 seconds.
All internal and external links work properly.
Dedicated page showing your organization's impact with numbers and stories.
Who runs your organization, board members, staff bios.
Annual reports, Form 990, program vs. overhead breakdown.
6. Email Infrastructure
Email drives 28% of online nonprofit revenue. Your email infrastructure must be solid to nurture donors effectively.
Email Infrastructure Checklist
Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or similar for managing subscriber lists and campaigns.
New donors automatically added to email list.
Prominent email capture form for non-donors to subscribe.
Triggered automatically when donation is received.
Ability to segment by donor status, giving level, interests, etc.
Welcome series, lapsed donor reactivation, anniversary emails, etc.
7. Analytics & Tracking
You can't improve what you don't measure. Proper tracking reveals what's working and what needs optimization.
Analytics & Tracking Checklist
Track website traffic, user behavior, and traffic sources.
Track completed donations as conversions in GA4.
Monitor search performance and technical issues.
Track which campaigns, emails, and sources drive donations.
Track open rates, click rates, and conversions from email.
Centralized system tracking donor history, communications, and engagement.
8. Security & Compliance
Donors need to trust you with their financial information. Security isn't optional—it's foundational.
Security & Compliance Checklist
Entire site secured with HTTPS—no exceptions.
Payment processor meets PCI-DSS security standards.
Clear policy explaining how donor data is collected, used, and protected.
Working unsubscribe link in all marketing emails (CAN-SPAM compliance).
CMS, plugins, and themes kept up-to-date for security patches.
Automated backups of website and donor data.
9. Score Your Readiness
Count how many items you checked off in each priority level:
____ / 18
Must have all 18
____ / 18
Aim for 14+
____ / 10
Nice to have
What Your Score Means
Missing CRITICAL items?
Stop everything else and fix these first. These gaps are actively costing you donations and may create legal/security issues.
All CRITICAL done, but missing IMPORTANT items?
You have a functional foundation but significant optimization opportunities. Each IMPORTANT item you implement should measurably improve results.
All CRITICAL and most IMPORTANT done?
You're in great shape. Focus on RECOMMENDED items for competitive advantage and work on A/B testing to optimize what you have.
Need Help Improving Your Score?
Most nonprofits have gaps they don't have time or expertise to fix. We specialize in helping small nonprofits build optimized digital fundraising infrastructure—from donation pages to email automation.