{"id":54155,"date":"2025-04-15T10:56:35","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T14:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/?p=54155"},"modified":"2025-06-11T12:51:40","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T16:51:40","slug":"4-critical-elements-to-get-your-site-ready-to-accept-donations1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/en\/charity-life\/fundraising-2\/4-critical-elements-to-get-your-site-ready-to-accept-donations1\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Critical Steps to Get Your Website Ready to Accept Online Donations"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you aren\u2019t yet investing time and energy into fundraising online, this is the time to start. For charities who are already doing so, now is the time to double down on your online fundraising activities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Giving Report 2020<\/a>\u00a0found that online giving was already growing three times as fast as offline giving. But with the advent of COVID-19, and the associated social distancing measures, we have seen that many people are moving more of their lives online. Those who were previously hesitant to FaceTime with family, order groceries or clothing online, or attend religious services virtually have done so now. After social distancing measures lessened, many people developed new habits and newfound comfort with conducting transactions online.<\/p>\n

Although there are many advantages to fundraising online, you have to adjust to different expectations; attention spans can be relatively short, competition can be fierce, and anyone transacting online expects the process to be seamless and easy.<\/p>\n

In this article, I cover four critical steps you can take to ensure your website is ready to accept online donations, and ensure that you\u2019re prepared to convert website visitors into online donors. In my next article,\u00a02 Important Ways to Drive Supporters To Your Site<\/a>, I offer two critical ways to drive existing and potential supporters to your website.<\/p>\n

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1. Embed a customizable donation form on your website<\/strong><\/h2>\n

First and foremost, choose an\u00a0online fundraising solution<\/a>\u00a0that allows you to\u00a0embed your form on your own website<\/strong>. Existing donors have a relationship with your charity and trust\u00a0you<\/em>, rather than a third-party organization. Potential supporters may not be entirely convinced to donate, so never link them to another website where they might be distracted or find a different charity to give to.<\/p>\n

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2. Optimize your donation form<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A major benefit to embedding your form is you tend to have more control and can do more to optimize a potential donor\u2019s experience.<\/p>\n

Four easy steps to help you raise more with your donation form:<\/h3>\n