Soapbox Engage Blog

Donate buttons are one of the most direct ways to start fundraising online. They're effective whether you're an organization or an individual raising money for a project, campaign, or general support.

With social distancing guidelines in place, the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for everyone, particularly for organizations. In-person fundraising events are longer an option for many, making it difficult to secure revenue and sustain operations. But you need to stay connected with donors to maintain your relationships!

Virtual fundraising is the answer. Many nonprofits, schools, churches, and others are turning to donation buttons and online campaigns for the first time.

At Soapbox Engage, we design donation and donor engagement tools to help get organizations up and running online quickly. In this guide, we'll review all the essentials and best practices you'll need to start using donation buttons to raise money. Here's what we'll cover:

• Donate Buttons: The Basics
• Picking the Right Donate Button
• Top Donation Buttons for Nonprofits
• Donate Button Best Practices

Use the list above to jump to a specific section, or follow along with us from the top. You'll be raising more in no time!

Donate Buttons: The Basics

If you're new to online or virtual fundraising, you might have a few questions about how to accept donations online. These are the most commonly asked questions about donation buttons:

What is a donate button?

• A donate button is a part of your website that links donors directly to your donation page or giving form. It's the primary way that visitors on your site make donations to your organization, project, or virtual event.

Where do I put a donate button?

• Anywhere you want to collect donations! Your website, emails, and social media profiles are typical places to put a donation button. Make sure to place it prominently, like on the running header of your website or centered at the end of your emails.

How do I get a donate button for my organization?

• You can get a donate button for your organization's website by working with online donation software. There's a wide range of options out there, so it can be tricky choosing a donate button provider if you're new to online fundraising. We'll review how to pick an effective donate button below.

What should my donate button say?

• The words, or call-to-action (CTA), on your donate button should be direct and clear. We'll cover more best practices for donation CTA text in a section below.

As the primary way in which donors will access your donation form, it pays to put some thought into your donate button, whether you're including it on your website, emails, or social media profiles! Picking the right donation software provider and optimizing your donate button for performance will be essential.

Picking the Right Donate Button

Choosing an effective donate button and the online fundraising software to back it up is the first step in raising money online. There are a number of important features to look for in online giving software, including:

• Nonprofit-specificity. If you're raising money for your nonprofit, school, or church, a donate button and software designed specifically to fulfill the needs of organizations will be the smartest move. A nonprofit will benefit from more options, customization features, and scalable support than an individual fundraising for a single project.
• Support. Look for a donate button and giving software that offers dedicated support. After all, this is how you'll be raising money to fund your mission, so don't get left on your own! Support will also be essential in helping you get set up to receive funds online.
• Customization. You'll definitely want to customize the look of your donation button and your donation page. Without a customized appearance that matches your brand, it's very difficult to catch the attention of your online audience and potential donors.
• Scalability as you grow. A simple, free donate button might work if you're an individual or very small organization, but your donation processing needs will grow along with your mission! Flexible features designed for organizations will be the best choice.
• Control over the donation experience. Once a donor clicks your donate button, you should have some level of control over the user experience (UX) during the process. The process should be streamlined, secure, and clearly related to your organization.
• Payment processing features. Your donate button's underlying donation software will process payments via a payment processing service. Look for a donation tool that lets you pick the processor that fits your needs. Check out our guide to payment processing to learn more.
• Data reporting. Make sure your donate button and donation software give you access to your fundraising data. Names, amounts, and other details will be important for logistical, record-keeping purposes. Data will also be invaluable when strengthening your fundraising strategies in the future.

A donate button and online donation software that includes each of these features or capabilities will provide you with a solid foundation for online fundraising. 

Top Donation Buttons for Nonprofits

To help kickstart your search, here are a few top donation buttons for nonprofits. These are reliable providers, each of which is well-suited to supporting nonprofit fundraising in various ways.

• Soapbox Engage: Best for Long-Term Success. Our full suite of donate button, fundraising, and engagement apps can take your organization's campaigns to the next level. Designed to help growing nonprofits get up and running quickly, our tools are flexible, easy-to-use, and come with complete support.
• Facebook Social Good: Best for Social Media. Facebook's built-in donate button is ideal for nonprofits looking to boost the impact of their social media efforts. These buttons make it easy for followers to give a gift right within the platform itself.
• Google: Best for Quick Donations. A Google donate button allows donors to give straight from the information panel that comes up when they search your organization's name. This is an ideal way to capture quick donations when a donor feels a strong impulse to support your work.
• GuideStar: Best for Transparent Giving. GuideStar is all about transparency, and with a donate button right on your organization's GuideStar profile, you can make it easier and faster for donors interested in your operations to make a donation.
• PayPal: Best for Small Orgs and Individuals. PayPal's donate button is a great starting point for very small organizations or individuals just getting started with online fundraising. It's a basic tool that donors already trust, so it can be a smart choice for immediate functionality.

Use the features listed above to guide your search, being sure to prioritize your particular needs. Nonprofit fundraising, for instance, requires many more customization and data reporting options than simpler fundraising for an individual project. These recommended providers will also be a great starting point to find the donate buttons that will work best for your website, social media profiles, and more.

Donate Button Best Practices

Once you've found the right donate button and donation software for your organization or project, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with some best practices for making the most of your tools. These tips will help you optimize your donate button to start delivering as many donations as possible.

Donate Button Design

The visual design of your donate button can play an important role in how effectively it generates donations for your cause. Consider these best practices:

• Simple design. Keep the design of your donate button simple. Don't use complicated graphics or icons.
• Clear text. Ensure your text is clear and easy-to-read. Exclude unnecessary words or fonts when plain text will suffice.
• Color contrast. The text of your button should clearly contrast with the color under it. Color contrast is a crucial part of nonprofit web accessibility compliance. 
• Prominent placement. Place your donate button prominently wherever you use it. For instance, the running header on your website is an ideal place.
• Mobile-responsiveness. Make sure your donate button adapts to screens of different sizes. Don't lose out on donations from mobile users!

Example Donate Button Images

These example donate button png images make use of the design best practices listed above, like simple design, clear text, and proper color contrast:

Feel free to save and reference these images as you fine-tune the design of your own donate button!

Donation CTA Text

The call-to-action (CTA) or the word(s) on your donate button must motivate donors to give without distracting them or slowing them down.

Some donate buttons, like a simple one on your website's header that links to your central donation page, might only have one or two words. "Donate" or "Give Now" are common examples. However, being more specific is never a bad idea when it comes to motivating donors. Especially for specific campaigns or campaign-specific donation pages, you'll want to be more specific with the CTA language on your donate button or leading up to your donate button. Here are a few tips for writing a strong donation CTA:

• Be concise but specific. Cut any unnecessary words to maintain speed, but be specific with the impact a donation will make during your campaign or project. 
• Use active language. Besides specifically using active voice versus passive voice, make sure the words themselves imply action. "Change," "act," or "transform" are good examples.
• Reiterate your mission and urgency. Your mission is what motivates donors, so emphasize it. Added urgency with words like "today" and "now" can be highly motivating, too.
• Get emotional. Sometimes, tapping into emotion is the most powerful motivator for donors. "Help the children today" is much more appealing than "donate now".

These best practices all relate to nonprofit storytelling, the idea that stories about your impact and community are the most effective way to get donors emotionally invested in your work. Explore our guide to nonprofit storytelling for more insights on strengthening the text appeals on your donate buttons, donation page, website, and more.

Donate Button Tech

As discussed above, the underlying technology of your donate button will play a critical role in whether you're able to maximize donations and keep raising more in the future.

Look for plenty of customization options, dedicated support, and data features in your donation app. Ideally, your donation software should integrate with your database or CRM as you grow, as well. These kinds of features and capabilities will ensure that you're constantly learning from your data and can refine your fundraising efforts in real-time to raise more. 

For maximum long-term value, an integrated set of fundraising and engagement apps is the right move. Tools that work seamlessly with one another and give you more access to your data is what can turn a small organization into a growing, thriving nonprofit.

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Wrapping Up

Your donate button is the crucial link between potential donors and secured support for your organization or project. It definitely pays to put some thought into your donate button, especially if you're new to online or virtual fundraising. 

As you get started, keep these best practices about choosing and optimizing your donate button in mind. You'll be raising more for your mission in no time.

For more information and fundraising insights, keep researching with these additional resources from Soapbox Engage:

• Best Nonprofit Fundraising Software: Top Tools. Ready to start building your online fundraising toolkit? Check out these top picks.
• Write A Fundraising Plan That Converts More Donors. For a full fundraising campaign, you'll need a concrete strategy in place. Use this guide to get started.
• 5 Simple Tips to Improve Donor Relations. Once a donor clicks your donate button, keep them involved for the long haul! Steward their support effectively to keep growing your mission.