What should a nonprofit donation page explain before asking someone to give?

A donation page should help a visitor understand whom your organization helps, what contributions support, and what happens when they choose to give. Start by checking whether your existing words answer those questions. A redesign can wait until you know which information is missing.

This checklist is a public-content review you can do with a simple worksheet. Its recommendations are editorial judgments informed by the sources below, not proven predictors of donation growth. It cannot establish why visitors leave or whether your payment system works.

**Choose one journey first.** For a donation review, follow the public route from your homepage or campaign page toward giving. For a volunteer review, follow the route toward role information and an application or inquiry. Keep the findings separate so that each suggested change serves a specific visitor goal.

**1. Explain what contributions support.**

Read the main appeal without relying on your own knowledge of the organization. Can you identify the people or cause served, the activity being funded, and whether the appeal concerns a specific program or general support? Write down the exact sentence that answers each question. An answer that exists only in a staff member’s memory is still missing from the page.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s Standard 15 calls for accurate appeals with a clear explanation of the programs for which funds are requested. It also addresses whether an organization can substantiate the use and timing implied by its appeals. This supports a practical check for clarity and accuracy; it does not establish that a particular sentence increases donations. BBB Standards for Charity Accountability (accessed 2026-10-19).

For an original, hypothetical example, imagine a community reading program whose page says only, “Help create brighter futures.” A more informative draft might be: “Support our after-school reading sessions for local children.” Use that wording only if it accurately describes the program and the use of gifts. Do not add a claim such as a fixed number of sessions funded per donation unless your organization can substantiate it.

**2. Make the next step understandable.**

List the labels of the links a potential donor encounters. Beside each label, record its destination and whether it leads to information, a gift form, or another choice. “Support us” may be understandable in context, but it leaves more room for interpretation than a label that describes the actual destination.

W3C’s explanation of link purpose says visitors should be able to determine a link’s purpose from its text or its programmatically associated context. It recommends meaningful link wording wherever possible. This establishes an accessibility principle, not a conversion forecast. W3C: Link Purpose in Context (accessed 2026-10-19).

For example, “Ways to give” fits a page explaining several giving options. “Donate” fits a link leading to a donation step. If a link instead opens program information, label it accordingly. Avoid treating every vague phrase as a confirmed accessibility failure: the surrounding context and implementation matter.

**3. Check the expectations around the gift.**

Compare the appeal’s promises with the public information around the donation step. Does the wording describe one-time giving, recurring support, or both? Does it suggest that a donor can select a program? Record what is actually stated and mark anything unresolved for verification.

Do not infer payment settings from promotional copy. If the page says “Give monthly,” someone responsible for the donation platform should verify that the destination supports that choice and that its wording agrees with the appeal. Similarly, do not add statements about fees, receipts, cancellation or security without confirming the relevant process.

Where a form is publicly visible, review whether the text explains required fields and any requested format. W3C’s forms tutorial recommends clear instructions and explains that placeholder text is not a substitute for labels. A content pass can flag unclear instructions, but checking technical accessibility requires additional testing. W3C: Form Instructions (accessed 2026-10-19).

**4. Explain the handoff to another website.**

A donation link may take the visitor to a separate provider. Record the destination hostname—the domain portion of the address—and note whether it changes. Where the provider relationship is verified, a short explanation beside the link can set expectations about the next page. This is an editorial recommendation, not evidence of improved donation completion.

Separate two questions in your worksheet: “Does our page explain where this link leads?” and “Does the destination work correctly?” Public copy can help answer the first. It cannot prove payment processing, receipt delivery or recurring-gift behavior.

This distinction also matters when purchasing a review. The website audit described below covers pages on one exact hostname. A donation provider’s separate hostname, including a different subdomain, falls outside that scope. The review can assess your public wording leading to the handoff.

**5. Make organizational information easy to locate.**

Look for your organization’s identity, contact information and available reporting. Record the actual links and the periods covered by reports. A link titled “Annual report” needs a destination that helps a reader identify which year it describes.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s Standards 16 and 17 describe annual-report information and website disclosures, including mission, activities, governance and financial information. These are the evaluator’s standards; listing a few documents does not demonstrate accreditation or complete compliance. They provide a useful reference for deciding which organizational information to make findable. BBB Standards for Charity Accountability (accessed 2026-10-19).

Start with accurate information you already publish. If a document or claim needs updating, record who must verify it before you revise the page.

**6. Give prospective volunteers a clear alternative.**

If your organization also recruits volunteers, review that route separately. Can a visitor identify the role, location, expected time commitment, any stated prerequisites and the next step? These are suggested editorial checks, not universal requirements for every volunteer program.

An original hypothetical example: “Join our team” might lead to a page describing both employment and volunteering. “Explore volunteer roles” is more specific if the destination actually lists those roles. If there are no current openings, describe the available next step accurately rather than implying immediate placement.

**Turn observations into a small action plan.**

Use one row per issue. Preserve the page URL and exact wording so someone else can verify the finding. The examples below are fictional and illustrate the method.

| Page or location | Observed wording | Unanswered question | Proposed change | Verification needed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Donation introduction | “Make a difference” | What activity does a gift support? | Add a specific description of the funded work | Confirm program and gift-use wording |
| Giving link | “Learn more” | Does this open information or a donation form? | Use a label matching the destination | Check the destination |
| Volunteer page | “Get involved” | What commitment is being requested? | Describe the role and expected commitment | Confirm current opportunities |

Prioritize contradictions and missing next-step information first. Then address supporting details that are difficult to find. Leave stylistic preferences until the essential questions are answered. This is a suggested editorial ordering, not a numerical estimate of business impact.

For each change, set a completion check that you can actually observe: the program description is present, the link label matches its destination, or the report link identifies its year. Whether donations or volunteer inquiries subsequently improve is a separate measurement question. This worksheet alone cannot establish causation.

**When a paid content review may help.**

Use the worksheet yourself if the gaps are clear and you can resolve them. A bounded review may be useful when your team wants evidence-linked observations and a prioritized list across several public pages.

The **Website conversion and content audit costs $59 USD** and covers one public website, with up to five pages on its exact hostname. It reviews message clarity, calls to action, navigation, trust information and conversion friction against your stated goal. You receive **8–12 prioritized recommendations in Markdown and a CSV action plan within 120 hours**, after independent automated quality review, plus one factual correction.

Provide your public HTTPS website address, a public description of your nonprofit and audience, and one primary website goal. No donor records or login credentials are needed.

This is a public-content audit. It does not include analytics, browser or device testing, performance measurement, implementation, accessibility certification or donation-processing tests. It does not guarantee conversion improvement. Pages on an external donation hostname are excluded.

If that scope fits your needs, choose the website conversion and content audit for a prioritized review of your public donation or volunteer messaging.