There are 4 regular donation form types as well as new Securities and Cryptocurrency Donation Forms. You may create any of the following donation forms depending on how you would like the form to look or whether you want to prioritize tribute giving.

• Full Form: This form displays the entire process on one page and requires the fewest clicks from donors to complete the donation.
• Multi-Step Form: This breaks down the form into 3 short steps (Donation Details, Donor & Tax Receipt Information, Payment Information). This can be a great form to use if you would like to feature a background image or include more information on the page about the campaign.
• Pop-Up Form: Create a form and link it to your website with a stylish button. You can add this Call-To-Action to multiple pages so that visitors can donate from any part of your website without leaving the page.
• Tribute First Form: This builds on the full form but puts dedication information at the forefront to encourage tribute giving. Tribute gifts account for 8% of donations made through CanadaHelps and are a popular reason for giving. You can add your own eCard options to be sent, or use default options from our library.

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Bonus! Securities and Cryptocurrencies:

Ways of giving are constantly evolving, from a physical donation basket passed around the pews to online giving; as giving evolves, we work hard to ensure charities of all sizes can adapt. CanadaHelps has launched two new forms to help charities accept securities and cryptocurrencies.

• Securities allows donors to donate gifts of stocks or mutual funds to your charity. This way of giving can be extremely beneficial to both your charity and donors looking for tax incentives. Learn more about securities giving here.
• Cryptocurrency is gaining traction as a way to give, particularly among younger donors. Start accepting bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) with CanadaHelps today. You can learn more about cryptocurrency giving here.

Customizable Donation Forms allow donors to donate easily and securely to your charity online. Setting up a secure way for donors to donate online can take a lot of work - with our customizable donation forms, we do the heavy lifting for you and ensure you don’t leave money on the table by not providing an online option.

Our solution offers:

• A customizable branded experience
• Ecommerce best practices, with regular A/B testing
• Secure and robust donation processing
• Low transaction fees for donations
• A variety of donation form types
• Instant access to donor and donation information
• No coding knowledge required
• Mobile optimized forms

With our live preview editor, creating your customizable donation form is easier than ever before.

Login to your Charity Account and click on the “Donation Forms” tab

You’ll have three options to work on a donation form.

• To start from scratch click the “Create new form” button at the top right.
• To work from a previous form you’ve already customized, click on the “Copy” symbol on the form you’d like to copy
• To continue working on a previous form click on the ‘Edit’ pencil icon

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You’ll see an editor with the navigation panel on the left and a live preview on the right.

• Toggle between a desktop or mobile view by clicking on the desktop or mobile icons.
• Toggle between the linked form or the embeddable form (the main difference is that the embeddable form removes the logo and charity name as the donor is already on your site).
• The live preview will jump to the appropriate section of the form.

Continue managing your Donation Forms. You can see how your form looks, edit, grab the URL for sharing or the code to embed it directly into your website. Check out the new “Copy” function so that you can work off a template. Hover over the three dots to find other options to share your donation forms such as QR Code or Pop-up (only available for multi-step forms).

Tip #1 Create as many Customizable Donation Forms as You Need

Our data shows that charities with at least 2 active donation forms earn 2.5x more revenue annually than charities with 1 active form. The more active forms you have, the more you raise!

You may be wondering what you might need all those forms for. When people visit your site to donate they are looking for a way to give that best fits their needs. Being able to create multiple customizable forms means that you can provide them with the best option and timely ask as well as a more specific thank you message.

• Give them the option to give one-time, monthly, tribute gifts, securities or cryptocurrency
• Invite them to give to a program-specific campaign
• Create creative campaigns for holidays

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Tip #2 Make it easy to find your donation form throughout your site

If someone is interested in giving, make it easy for them! By having a donate button always on your site, even those that are not looking to donate right now will have it top of mind.

Common practice is to add a “Donate” or “Donate Now” button to the top right of your site, inside the navbar, as this is where the most important call to action is usually placed. Add additional links to “Donate” in context wherever it makes sense. For example, if you are sharing the successes of one of your programs, add a link to your donation form for those who are inspired to support your work with a donation.

Also, include a prominent link to your “Ways to Give” page for more giving options. Include a link to your donation form, along with any other ways donors can support you (volunteering, gifts of securities, in-kind donations, etc.).

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BONUS TIP: Include a link to donate in the header or footer of every email you send to supporters.

Tip #3 Use Compelling Images On Your Donation Page

A picture speaks a thousand words. People donate for many reasons but donating to a cause is typically motivated by an emotional connection. If a donor has reached your donation page, they are almost ready to make a donation. While explaining your cause and mission in words can be compelling, you can combine this with an image to showcase the impact of their donation.