One of the easiest ways to stand out is to simplify the donation process, making it less time-consuming. That\u2019s where online forms can do the trick for you. Today, we\u2019ll discuss potential challenges you can face when raising funds and how online forms<\/a> can help you bridge the gap between the non-profit organization and the donor.<\/p>\n Before talking about how online forms can make the donor\u2019s experience smoother<\/a>, let\u2019s consider potential challenges that you, as a non-profit organization owner, might face with the traditional method.<\/p>\n Finding the physical forms of donors in the piles of paper and manually entering the potential donors\u2019 details yourself can be extremely time-consuming. And, to make things worse, this manual process is prone to error. According to a study, data entry mistakes can occur in 25%<\/a> of cases. All these issues combined can do nothing but lose donors to other non-profit organizations.<\/p>\n Do you only want donors who can physically visit your office, get details, fill in a form, and perform other responsibilities? Or do you want to expand your donor base in different cities or even countries? By having a physical procedure, you\u2019re only limited to local and limited donors. If we look at the numbers, there was an 11% increase in revenue<\/a> for organizations using online methods.<\/p>\n With the world getting busier, even those willing to donate may not have the time to visit the office and go through extensive processes. As per the recent trends, 50% of the people prefer making online donations<\/a>, while according to a report in 2021<\/a>, 42% of the total donations in the past three years have been online. Seeing these numbers, many initially hesitated non-profit organizations have started adopting digital technology to raise funds.<\/p>\n Now, let\u2019s look at how online forms can be beneficial for raising funds.<\/p>\n Instead of making the extra effort of coming to your office, imagine if people could donate with a couple of touches on their phones. Around 57% of the non-profit website traffic<\/a> comes from mobile and tablets. That\u2019s where they can access your online form, fill in their details, and get the donation instructions.<\/p>\n No need to have a team of people recording each and every detail, including the amount donated by the donor. Forms usually have their own databases, which save all the information for whenever you want to access it.<\/p>\n Want to strengthen the brand identity<\/a> of your non-profit organization? You can do that by personalizing your online form by adding logos, using fonts, and applying other branding materials to build authenticity with the donors.<\/p>\n Pro Tips: Want to plan an event? Here are the steps to conduct a survey<\/a> to ensure it goes smoothly.<\/strong><\/p>\n When you\u2019re opting for an online form to raise funds, here are a few things you need to ensure.<\/p>\n Remember, even if people trust you, they may hesitate to donate to an unfamiliar payment gateway. That\u2019s why make sure to use reliable methods to accept donations. Some of the payment gateways most people trust include Stripe, PayPal, and Google Pay. Cryptocurrency channels are another way to accept donations, as donors show faith in them. In 2024, over a billion dollars\u2019 worth of donations<\/a> have come through these crypto channels.<\/p>\n Yes, we\u2019ve already discussed that a great number of the nonprofit organization’s website traffic comes from mobile devices. What that number doesn\u2019t tell us is the type of device the donors would be using. You may have potential donors accessing the online form through various devices. While some may use an Android phone, others might open the online form on their iPhones or iPads.<\/p>\n After a person donates through the online form, your affiliation with them doesn\u2019t have to end. You have found someone with the passion and resources to give to those in need. You\u2019d ideally want to retain them for future donations, and these efforts should start when they\u2019ve filled out the form.<\/p>\n At the end of the form, you can include a personalized message, thanking them for donating, giving them a receipt, or encouraging them to make future donations. This can be anything to help them keep your non-profit organization in mind the next time they\u2019re looking to donate.<\/p>\n Also explore: To understand your donors better, create and conduct an online survey<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n After looking at the features that can make your online form successful, here\u2019s what exactly needs to be inside it.<\/p>\n When creating questions and adding details on the online form, remember that your donor will probably be busy with their day-to-day activities. So, instead of having a long and extensive form (that can deter donors), only have essential questions.<\/p>\n You can also use the \u201crequired field\u201d option, where donors can skip the optional information, which can be collected later. This will give the donors the impression that you value their time instead of asking unnecessary questions that can be skipped.<\/p>\n To ensure the donors\u2019 smooth journey, there should be clear calls to action about what they need to do. Start with clear placeholder text that tells the donors what to enter. Whether it\u2019s the input formats or giving examples of the required information, these placeholders can make it easier for donors to fill out the form quickly.<\/p>\n Once the donor has filled in all the necessary information and details, add a call to action text on the submit button that\u2019s direct and engaging. You can go for something like Donate Now or Join the Cause. These action-focused calls to action can be much better than the generic Click Here or Submit.<\/p>\n Unlike businesses, which do persona research on potential consumer behaviors<\/a>, your donors can be in different parts of the world with different preferences. That\u2019s why it\u2019s essential to test the responses by designing online forms with various layouts, color schemes, button text, number of fields, and more. By making the tweaks and adjustments, you\u2019ll eventually find the right recipe that suits your donors.<\/p>\n Apart from all the good things that can be done with online forms, here are some risks donors are wary of when filling an online form.<\/p>\n With the amount of traffic on social media, many fake non-profit organizations ask people to donate money. Some even pretend to be reputable non-profit organizations to get money from the pockets of people who think they\u2019re donating to the cause. As per reports by the FTC, Americans lost $12.5 billion<\/a> because of scams.<\/p>\nThe Challenges of Traditional Fundraising Methods<\/h2>\n
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1. Manual Processes and Administrative Overhead<\/h3>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Data](\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/data-entry-errors.png\" "\\"Nonprofit")
\nManual data entry has a 25% chance of error, risking the donors’ trust<\/p>\n\n
2. Limited Donor Reach<\/h3>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Physical](\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/sticking-to-physical-methods.png\" "\\"Online")
\nUsing online tools have boosted the revenues of non profits by 11%<\/p>\nThe Rise of Online Fundraising Tools<\/h2>\n
Benefits of Using Online Forms in Fundraising<\/h2>\n
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1. Easy Donor Experience<\/h3>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Mobile](\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/non-profit-organization.png\" "\\"Majority")
\n57% of the people looking for non-profit organizations come from a mobile phone<\/p>\n\n
2. Real\u2011Time Data Collection<\/h3>\n<\/ul>\n
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3. Enhanced Customization and Branding<\/h3>\n<\/ul>\n
Key Features to Look for in Fundraising Forms<\/h2>\n
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1. Secure Payment Integration<\/h3>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"$1](\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/nonprofits-received-donations.png\" "\\"Nonprofits")
\nIn 2024, $1 billion was donated to nonprofits through crypto channels<\/p>\n\n
2. Mobile Responsiveness<\/h3>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Benefits](\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/mobile-first-form-design-boost-engagement.png\" "\\"Mobile-first")
\nMobile-first forms can boost engagement by 31% and reduce errors by 24%<\/p>\n\n
3. Automated Messages and Receipts<\/h3>\n<\/ul>\n
What Should My Online Form Have?<\/h2>\n
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1. Keep It Simple and Focused<\/h3>\n<\/ul>\n
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2. Use Clear Calls\u2011to\u2011Action and Placeholders<\/h3>\n<\/ul>\n
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3. Test and Optimize Regularly<\/h3>\n<\/ul>\n
Risks and How to Avoid Them<\/h2>\n
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1. Scams<\/h3>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"SSL](\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/things-to-have-on-your-website.png\" "\\"Essential")