In charity fundraising, acquiring a first-time donor is just the beginning. The real challenge—and opportunity—lies in transforming that initial gift into a long-term relationship. Donor loyalty doesn’t happen by chance; it’s cultivated through thoughtful engagement, streamlined giving experiences, and strategic communication.
The end-of-year giving season is the perfect time to explore tactics that encourage donors to upgrade their contributions and stay committed for the long term.
In this article, we share practical strategies you can apply to your online fundraising tools to raise more money, especially by increasing the average donation amount and improving conversion rates.
Step 1: Creating a seamless first donation experience in online fundraising
Step 2: Guide donors toward the right donation upgrade
Step 3: Strengthen engagement to drive online charity fundraising results
Step 4: Test, learn, and optimise
Step 5: Turn one-time donors into lifelong supporters by upgrading their giving
Securing lasting donor relationships in online fundraising
Step 1: Creating a seamless first donation experience in online fundraising
The donor journey begins with the first gift, and first impressions matter. To make every first experience seamless, focus on optimising your online donation form:
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Use one-step donation forms, so donors can complete their gift on a single page without unnecessary clicks or distractions. You can also embed native donation forms directly into your pages to reduce friction, avoid extra redirects, and keep supporters within a seamless giving experience.
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Enable pre-filling and autocompletion, to make the donation process faster and reduce typing errors.
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Activate one-click donation options: especially for mobile users, through secure payment methods like PayPal or Apple Pay.
A smooth, frictionless online giving experience is the foundation for strong online donation conversion rates and future upgrades.
Step 2: Guide donors toward the right donation upgrade
Once donors are comfortable, it’s time to encourage them to give more. This can be achieved through subtle design and messaging cues on your donation grid, such as:
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Customisable donation amounts: suggest multiple giving options that align with your online fundraising goals. This way, you guide donors’ decisions by providing clear choices while subtly encouraging higher contributions.
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A free amount field: enable an open donation field so donors can enter their own preferred amount. Giving supporters the freedom to go beyond predefined options helps increase average gift size and fosters stronger engagement.
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Dynamic equivalences showing impact: illustrate what each amount achieves (“€50 funds 50 nutrition kits”) by combining visuals and text to strengthen the emotional connection.
For example, an A/B test run by CCFD-Terre Solidaire (France) showed that presenting donation equivalences increased the conversion rate by 0.65 points and improved visitor engagement by 17%.
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The most popular amount: suggest a recommended donation amount that nudges donors toward higher support. Highlighting the option most frequently chosen by other donors creates social proof and builds confidence in their giving decision.
An A/B test run by Société Protectrice des Animaux (France) showed that highlighting the most popular donation amount led to a +27% higher average gift among prospects.
Step 3: Strengthen engagement to drive online charity fundraising results
Creating loyal donors isn’t just about securing a gift, it’s about creating meaningful connections throughout the donor journey. Thoughtful engagement at every step helps strengthen relationships and motivates supporters to give again. To help you foster lasting donor relationships, we suggest:
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Send automated branded emails: thank donors, remind them about renewals, or update them on the impact of their gifts. Personalised messaging helps supporters feel recognised and valued.
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Show social proof: use a “latest donors banner” to display recent contributions in real time, inspiring visitors and building trust.
See it in action! Fondation Vaincre Alzheimer uses this feature on their donation form to show the most recent gifts. Visitors can see real-time support from other donors, encouraging them to contribute to improve the lives of people affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
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Visualise progress: set a campaign goal with a progress bar so donors can see the collective impact of their contributions.
The Daily Appeal (UK) features a progress bar on their donation form, to raise funds for healthcare programs supporting people with cancer, heart disease, and dementia. Donors can see how their contributions move the initiative closer to its goal, increasing engagement and motivating higher giving.
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Leverage video and streaming content: integrate videos or live streams to connect emotionally with donors. For inspiration, check out our article: Stream for Humanity: Breaking Charity Fundraising Records for Médecins Sans Frontières, where a Twitch event raised significant funds online for MSF France.
Step 4: Test, learn, and optimise
Not every approach works the same way for every audience. That’s why A/B testing is an essential tool for your digital fundraising strategy. We recommend the following practical steps to get the most from your tests:
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Experiment with donation form elements: try different templates, suggested amounts, imagery, content, and payment methods to see what resonates best with your audience.
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Measure results: track how each variation impacts conversion rates, average gift, and overall engagement.
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Apply insights across campaigns: use what you learn to continuously improve your forms, pages, and fundraising pages for future donors.
Many charities have achieved remarkable results by applying A/B testing to their online fundraising efforts. Some increased their average gift by up to 60% using QR codes, while others boosted donation form click-through rates by 5% through pre-form optimisation.
These examples show how testing can drive real impact. Explore our guide, 11 A/B tests to boost your online fundraising, for easy-to-implement ideas and actionable insights to replicate these successes.
Step 5: Turn one-time donors into lifelong supporters by upgrading their giving
The final step is about nurturing long-term relationships—building trust, showing impact, and keeping donors engaged throughout their giving journey. Try these strategies to turn first-time donors into long-term supporters:
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Leverage your data: Use insights from your CRM and fundraising platforms to personalise future asks and make every interaction relevant.
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Encourage recurring support: Converting one-time gifts to recurring donations is one of the most effective ways to upgrade donor contributions. We recommend you to promote monthly donations, to build sustainable engagement and strengthen donor loyalty over time.
Get inspired: Amnesty International France uses iRaiser’s innovation to turn one-time donations into recurring contributions directly on their donation form. When a one-time gift is selected, a pop-up appears inviting donors to convert their donation into a recurring one — for example, by dividing the original amount by 10 or 12.
Click here to try it yourself on their donation form: Select “I donate once”, choose €100, click on one of the fields and watch the pop-up appear.
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Celebrate and recognise: Mark milestones, anniversaries, and key achievements to show donors the real impact of their generosity.
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Demonstrate tangible results: Regularly show how donations make a difference. When donors see the real results of their support and feel appreciated, they are more likely to give again and become loyal supporters.
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Empower peer-to-peer fundraising: Encourage your most engaged supporters to launch peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns and inspire their friends and family to contribute. This approach not only expands your reach but also creates a sense of shared purpose within your community.
Securing lasting donor relationships in online fundraising
Turning a first-time donation into lifelong support takes work. By optimising donation pages, offering upgrade options, engaging donors thoughtfully, and continuously testing what works, nonprofits can increase impact and build lasting loyalty.
The end-of-year giving season is the perfect opportunity to put these strategies into practice. Every donation becomes more than a gift, it’s a chance to strengthen relationships, inspire generosity, and transform one-time supporters into committed, long-term donors.
Want to explore even more ways to encourage donors to give more? Discover our article “6 ways to increase your average donation amount” for actionable tips on donation amounts, pre-filled forms, social proof, and other strategies to maximise generosity.