Is Your Donation Thank-You Page Enough?

Keys to Maximize and Amplify Every Donation

Congratulations, you have a new donor! You’ve worked hard to get your message, programs and missions out there, broke through the noise, and someone has taken up your call to action and donated. What happens next can make all the difference between a one-time transaction and a lifelong relationship.

Thanking Your Donors the Right Way

A “thank you” expresses your gratitude and tells your supporters that they are part of the impact that your organization is having. In this follow-up to our article, 10 Steps to Maximize Your Donation Page, we’re sharing a few ideas to help make sure your thank you page is maximizing impact and to help you convert more donations down the line.

Maximizing Your Thank-You Page

Provide Positive Reinforcement
Your donors made an emotional decision to give to your cause. Now is the time to reward and reinforce that decision with another shot of dopamine from a sincere and happy “Thank You” message. Thank donors genuinely by name if you can, or include a video or image that relays your gratitude.
Ask for More
Ask them for one more thing that could increase the impact of their donation without costing them an extra cent. Ask them to share that they donated with friends on social media, and provide buttons that make it easy to do so. This allows donors to feel good about their donation and share it publicly. “Likes” and “shares” on social media are easily seen by donors’ friends and family, which is great for fostering additional connections and extending your nonprofit’s reach.
Give Them More
Link to any additional content—such as events or articles—that might interest your donors to keep them engaged with your site and your mission. If you have exclusive content for donors, share it here and in the email follow-up (see Amplify section, below).
Be Accessible
Provide contact information for any questions donors might have about their donation. Be accessible and transparent to strengthen your relationship with donors, and make it as personal as possible.

Amplify Your Donations Further

A donation is just the start of (or the next step in) a relationship with your donors. Nurtured and cared for properly, that relationship can continue to grow and be mutually beneficial for many years to come. Your post-donation thank-you page is just the first step in nurturing that relationship and should be followed with an onboarding campaign.

To onboard and engage your supporters further, your donation form should have the option to automatically sign people up for your newsletter. A savvy follow-up email and/or phone campaign might include any combination of the following:

A personal introduction to the team or community that they are now a part of.
A question or short survey to gather feedback and continue fostering the relationship by learning more about your donor:
- Why did you choose to support us? — As much as you can, try to get the story of what led them to support your organization.
- Are you interested in additional opportunities to support our cause? — Ask how they want to be involved in furthering your mission. Whether it’s volunteering, hosting an event, launching their own fundraiser, etc., make it clear that you value everything they bring to the table, not just their wallets. See our interview with Lisa Greer, author of The Philanthropy Revolution, for a lot more on this subject.
A specific example (i.e., story) of the impact a donation like theirs has had, including:
- Where and how the donation is applied and how it’s helping.
- Whom, personally, the donation helps (with names and even photos of recipients, if possible) to foster a personal empathetic connection.
- How your organization helps their donations go even further.
Additional ways donors can help your cause or share your nonprofit’s message.

Effectively optimized, “Thank You” pages and follow-up campaigns can help spread your message, bring in new donors and build authentic relationships with your supporters.

And there’s no better time to ask than when you already have the attention and empathy of someone who just donated. Thank-you messages should be used as tools to inspire, to keep your organization relevant in the eyes of your donor, and to keep your donor feeling like a hero making a difference in the world.

How good is your Donation Page storytelling?

Download our Donation Page Storytelling Report Card template to discover ways you can improve your donation page conversions.

Please note: We’ll also add you to the dotOrgStrategy newsletter, in which we share strategies, tools and resources like this one, to help your nonprofit activate more heroes and increase you impact. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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