Most major gifts are given after a deep relationship is made between the donor, the development officer, and the organization. This relationship is developed through continued engagement throughout the donor’s lifetime and is built on trust and connection.
Throughout this relationship-building process, many major donors do research on their own. You should review all of your donor communications regularly, such as your website, Form 990, and remit envelope, to ensure accurate and compelling information. You never know what avenue of communication your donor will use to connect with you or research!
In this article, we explain why it is important to optimize your website for major giving, share six ways your website is hurting your major giving program, and how to fix them.
Why is it important to optimize your website for major giving?
It’s no secret that nearly every person uses the internet as a research tool. In today’s age, your website is the first place a donor will go if they are curious to learn more. Twenty years ago, a nonprofit could get by without having a website. Now, it is necessary not only to have a website but to have it optimized, have a fast load time, and make it easy to navigate.
Some donors will come to your website not knowing what they are looking for exactly. They may be just getting to know you or were referred by a friend. One of your website’s jobs is to educate the donor on what impact your organization makes and how they can help. These donors often don’t know the different ways there are to support your mission. Spell it out and allow them to make the decision that works best for their lifestyle. When you meet the donor where they are, there is a greater likelihood they will give a larger gift!
There will also be some donors who come to your website who are familiar with your organization but looking to dig deeper. These donors are the people itching to make a big impact but want to make sure they choose the right nonprofit. Your website should match the vision and personality of your organization. By sharing impactful stories and up-to-date information on your programs, you increase the connection donors have with your nonprofit. By making it easy and enticing to donate, you will increase donation conversion rates.
6 ways your website is hurting your major giving program
A poorly designed or complicated website can lead to frustrated donors and decreased donation rates. To maximize major giving, make sure your website isn’t making any of these mistakes.
1. Your website is out of alignment or out of date
First impressions matter, and many donors are checking out your website before they even connect with you. Make sure your website matches the personality and vision of your organization. Take a look at your website as if you were looking at it for the first time: Does it give an accurate representation of what your organization does? Does it entice people to get involved?
In addition to having the correct branding and tone, your website should have up-to-date information. It can be easy for that fundraiser to pass without taking it off the homepage or forgetting to upload the last year (or three) of Form 990s. But these updates show current and future donors you are active and currently making an impact. Make sure you are using statistics from current programs and regularly adding impact statements and stories.
Tip: We know the content creation hamster wheel can be daunting. But you don’t have to create ideas for your website from scratch! You can repurpose social media posts as roundups, use segments from your annual report (or post the whole thing), add email newsletter stories as blog posts, etc. Use stories that you share in other areas to create an updated and engaging website.
2. You only have one donate page
Personalized communications have been shown to increase conversions. The ability to create custom landing pages and track engagement is a great way to engage with donors in a more intimate way. If you only have one donation page, you aren’t able to speak to that specific donor’s needs. In addition to your general donate page, you should have a dedicated Major Giving landing page. This page should be focused on the impact major giving has on your mission, the different ways a donor can give, and a list of easy steps a donor can take to make a major gift.
It’s important to highlight different ways a donor can support your organization, so list them out. Many donors don’t know all the unique ways to give, like donating stocks or naming your nonprofit as a life insurance beneficiary. You can even suggest a recurring gift from their Donor Advised Fund! You can tailor the tone of voice on this page to a familiar donor who most likely has donated to your cause before. Talk to them as a friend and celebrate the impact they have the ability to make.
Don’t forget the most important part: the call to action! The goal of this landing page should be to educate the donor on major giving and to collect the donor’s contact information. Once submitted, you can use this information to engage with and convert them into a major donor.
You can refer donors to this landing page through segmented email campaigns, targeted Facebook ads (see below for more), with QR codes on major giving brochures and mailings, etc. You should also have a link to this landing page on your general donate page. Have a tagline that alerts donors, “If you would like to learn more about making a donation of stock, planned gift, or other unique donation, click here!” Always give them the option in case they want to give more!
Don’t know how to accept a donation of stock or need help creating processes for donations of other non-cash assets? The nonprofit financial advisors at Carnegie Investment can help. Contact Carnegie today to speak with an advisor about your organization's investing and endowment management needs.
Tip: Optimize your landing page for mobile! Many emails and websites are accessed on phones, and you’ll miss your chance if it doesn’t convert correctly or quickly.
3. You don’t mention major giving anywhere other than the donate page
If a donor doesn’t know it’s possible, they can never take action! It is important to showcase major gifts that come to your nonprofit and the impact they make on the mission you serve. People need to hear an idea multiple times to remember it and classify it as familiar. By showcasing stories made possible through major gifts, you plant the seed in their mind.
Identify a few stories that wouldn’t have been possible without funding through a major gift or your endowment. Highlight how the gift helped the mission you serve triumph over adversity and celebrate your organization’s work. Social proof is one of the best ways to encourage others to give, so show them what is possible!
In the intro and conclusion to the story post on your website, mention the specific gift that helped give the story a positive ending, praise the donor for taking action, and link to your landing page. Share these stories on your website in a section designated for success and celebration. You can link to these stories on your major giving landing page, in social media, and in email newsletters.
Tip: Make it pretty! Our short attention spans and the plethora of notifications we get make it difficult to read lengthy articles. This is good news for you: you don’t have to write a book! Make it easily digestible and easy to read by breaking up short paragraphs of text with impactful photos, infographics, or even a video.
4. It is difficult to make a donation
One of the most important aspects of your website is its ease of use. A donor should be able to make a donation easily from any page of your website. Make sure your donate button is clearly defined, in a bold color, and stays on every page while you scroll.
As a test, have a friend or colleague who isn’t familiar with your website try to navigate it. Ask them how easy it was to make a donation, to find out what your mission is, and to feel the impact a donation to your organization would have. If they cannot easily answer these questions, neither will your donors.
Because most major gifts won’t be sent via your website, it’s important to show the donor how easy it will be to make a major gift to your organization. This does not mean listing out every step that needs to be taken.
This is an example of overly complicated instructions:
- You (donor) fill out major gift inquiry form
- Development Officer reaches out to find out more information
- Development Officer sends stock donation packet
- You fill out Stock Donation Form and submit to investment advisor
- Investment Advisor contacts Development Officer with information
- Etc.
Here is an example of easy to follow instructions:
- You fill out our major gift inquiry form
- You meet with a Development Officer to answer any questions
- Your gift provides meals for homeless veterans so they don’t go hungry tonight
Remember, the goal is to get the donor’s contact information so you can further engage with them. Show them how easy it is for them to make a difference on the mission you serve, and give them the tools they need to take action.
It isn’t necessary to lay out every little step, especially because major gifts are unique and often require specialized care. If you need guidance with your investments or donations of non-cash assets, the advisors at Carnegie Investment can help. Contact Carnegie today to speak with an advisor.
5. You don’t have your CRM connected
If you do not have your Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM) connected to your website, you are missing out on segmenting opportunities. By connecting your CRM to your donate and landing pages, you can personalize what your visitors see, depending on the capabilities of your CRM.
Many CRMs have the ability to customize the suggested donation amounts based on the donor’s giving history. For example, when a donor visits your donate page, the CRM can recognize them based on their previously used IP address or email attached to their donor profile.
If they have donated $250 every year for the past five years, the CRM will automatically choose “$100, $250, $500, $1,000” as prefilled options.
However, if the donor has donated $5,000 for the last five years, the options will read “$1,000, $2,500, $5,000, $10,000.”
This gives suggestions in line with the donor’s giving level and can encourage a slightly higher donation without any extra effort on your part.
Some CRMs have the ability to target Facebook ads to segments of donors. You can use this feature to your advantage by promoting the success stories you published about major giving or even your major giving landing page. You can also retarget individuals who have visited your major giving landing page but have not made a donation. To learn more about how to do this, contact your CRM software team.
6. You don’t have a unique “Thank You” landing page
After a donor makes a donation on their website, most organizations have a pop-up window that says, “Thank you for your donation!”. Did you know you can redirect them to a landing page instead? Rather than a small box they click out of immediately, why not send them to an enticing site that engages them and makes them even happier they donated?
Even if you send a thank you email, you should still redirect the donor to a thank you landing page. A donor who has just made a donation has a heightened connection to your organization. Capitalize on that! That feeling may have decreased when they read your email in three days.
On this page, you can:
- Share other ways they can donate (non-cash assets, major giving landing page, etc.)
- Make sure they are signed up for your email newsletter
- Let them know about your next fundraising event
- Share another story that highlights the amazing work your organization does
- Provide education on your mission
- Educate on volunteer opportunities
- Give them the option to contact you easily
- Provide outreach information
- Refer to your peer-to-peer fundraising platform
A few more minutes of engagement will go a long way to deepening your relationship. Remember to continue fostering that relationship to increase the likelihood of a future gift!
Optimizing your website to make major gifts easy
It is important to optimize your website to make major giving easy. By highlighting unique ways to donate, sharing impactful stories, and creating a great experience, you can attract more major gifts to your nonprofit.
A financial advisor at Carnegie Investment Counsel can help lighten your workload by being a financial and investment guide to your organization when these major gifts and non-cash assets come in. We'll guide you through each step and be a resource for you and the donor. Contact Carnegie today to speak with an advisor about your organization's investing and endowment management needs.
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This blog is for informational purposes only and is not meant as financial, legal, or tax advice. Please seek professional advice from qualified tax, legal, and/or financial professionals before making any financial decisions.
Carnegie Investment Counsel (“Carnegie”) is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. For a more detailed discussion about Carnegie’s investment advisory services and fees, please view our Form ADV and Form CRS by visiting: https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/150488.
