How do you boost fundraising online?

The fundraising world changes quickly. One of the biggest fundraising challenge charities face is being able to keep up, with 39% of charities saying that keeping up with technological change is a concern in 2024.  

Even during a difficult economic climate, the charity sector has been able to innovate and find new ways of boosting fundraising income, reaching out to new donors and improving the experience of existing ones. But while the art of fundraising requires fresh new ideas to keep pace, it can also be difficult to keep track of the ones that are proven, the reliable foundations of the fundraising world that keep charities going.  

These foundations formed the basis of our recent webinar, in partnership with PIR.org, the organisation that powers the .org domain name. The webinar, Fundraising tips to boost donations, shared essential digital fundraising advice to help charities reach their full potential and drive better results for their communities. From email marketing tips to using your charity website to build trust, the webinar had plenty of helpful recommendations for charities to consider adding to their fundraising strategy, to build a loyal base of supporters and generate a reliable source of income.  

Below, we share just two of the key lessons from the webinar to help charities use their online presence to boost donations.  

Watch the full webinar here 

Trust boosts fundraising 

Trust forms the foundation of fundraising activity. By donating to your cause, supporters are investing their money in your cause. A report from the Charity Commission found that people are generally more loyal to causes than charities and there was a “a strong sense they owned their donation”. 

Fortunately, the Charity Commission also found that trust in charities is currently very stable, with 58% of people saying they have high trust in charities. The 2024 Summer Pulse report from Enthuse states that around three quarters (73%) of the public have either moderate or high trust in good causes – which correlates with the number of people who have given to charity in the last three months (75%).  

But while trust is likely to drive more funds, how charities fundraise also drives more trust. Donors want to understand the charitable impact of their donation. The Charity Commission’s research showed that “spending most of the money raised directly on the causes the charity supports” was important to 87% of respondents, with most respondents saying they wanted “a story they could connect with”. “Participants wanted to see the tangible difference charities were making, and stories were a good way to connect with the audience,” the Commission added.  

As our recent webinar pointed out, websites can be an excellent way of generating trust when used to tell those important stories. The Enthuse Summer 2024 Donor Pulse report revealed that 73% of people stating they have either moderate or high trust in what they hear directly from charities and their websites. They act as a voice for charities that speak directly to donors and are a vital communication tool, right down to their domain names themselves.  

Generally speaking, a clear, recognisable domain name reflects your brand. Like your organisation name, it creates a sense of trust and authority and adds credibility to your site. 

For example, visitors to charity websites recognise that when they are visiting a site with .org in the name or .org.uk, that they are visiting a charity. Straightaway, without even looking through your site, you have communicated who you are and that your services are existing for the benefit of the public good. It generates trust from the outset. 

Importantly, from a cyber security perspective, people should always look for the https:// to ensure sites they are visiting are secure. To ensure security for your website, PIR.org recommends checking out their list of accredited registrars for the domains .ORG, .CHARITY, .GIVING, and .FOUNDATION. 

Driving people to your website pays off 

The webinar also demonstrated the importance of a website in driving donations, as well as trust. Enthuse found that donations are 28% higher when made directly through a charity’s website. When people donate through a charity’s website, charities are better able to control the donation experience, from how the donation is taken to what happens next between the charity and the donor. 

The donors process should be flexible, offering donors the ability to change their donation amounts easily, and clear, prioritising convenience with multiple, recognisable payment options – such as Apple Pay as well as Direct Debit. To  minimise friction and the risk of donors dropping off, charities should ensure they ask for only as much data as they need – this will help reduce the number of steps involved in the donation process – and be clear about how it will be used.  

Fundraising platform iRaiser sums it up, saying: “People coming to your website for the first time will be much happier to donate higher amounts if their experience is good. That means no friction on pages, clear design and branding, strong value propositions and the preferred payment options, including ApplePay and American Express cards.”   

To find out more information on using your website to drive donations, and other key fundraising tips, check out the full webinar here.