As we approach the season of giving, charities across the country are bustling in preparation for the biggest month of the year. In case you missed it, our studies show that 34.4% of dollars donated through CanadaHelps are made in December alone. Now is a good time to ensure your charity’s online donation forms are persuasive, up-to-date, and easy to find. Here’s a short list of simple, yet effective ways optimize your pages for donors looking to make their year-end donations, plus a couple of great opportunities you don’t want to miss.

 

1. Adjust Your Donation Amounts

Donors are more persuaded to give when they know exactly how their gifts will be used to make a difference. We found another interesting trend: In December, the average donation amount increases by 65%. With this in mind, take some time to add suggested donation amounts to your donation forms that reflect your average gift size at the holidays, and specify the outcome of each amount. You can add up to four suggested donation amounts to your customizable donation forms and CanadaHelps charity profile. Get started by signing into your charity account and editing the “Donation Presets” section in your charity profile. Sign-in Now

 

2. Make Your Donate Now Button Easy to Spot

According to a study by Microsoft, the Canadian digital lifestyle is decreasing the ability for prolonged attention. An astounding 45% of Canadians easily get side-tracked from what they’re doing. That’s why it’s so important to ensure your Donate Now button is easy to spot on your website. Choose a colour that stands out from the rest of the page and place the button near the top so donors don’t have to scroll to find it. You can choose from a bold array of CanadaHelps Donate Now buttons for your site. Watch the short video to learn how. Watch Video

 

3. Embed Your Donation Page on Your Site

You’ve spent time and money creating a beautiful, engaging and persuasive website for your donors. You know how valuable your website traffic is – that each new visitor could mean another donation for your charity. So, why not keep your donors on your site when they’re ready to start the donation process? It’s the most critical step, after all. Integrate your charity’s customizable donation form from CanadaHelps into your website pages. It’s as easy as copy and paste!

And remember, even when you embed your page, you still want to prominently display your Donate Now button on each page of your site to direct traffic to your embedded donation form. Learn More

 

 

4. Get Your Free Tax-time Graphics and Donor Messaging

Should your charity launch a year-end appeal? When you consider that 10.6% of annual donations are made in the last three days of December, it’s clear that a final call for donations could provide big results for your charity. Ensure your supporters are aware of the government tax incentives available to them when they donate. When Canadians make a year-end donation, they can get up to 53% tax-back! To get you started, we’ve created a tax-time toolkit you can download for free. It includes sample messages and free graphics for your donor communications. Learn More

---

Updated on November 1, 2024