A strong donation page can be the difference between an inspired gift and a missed opportunity. With donors expecting a fast, trustworthy experience, the design and strategy of your giving page matter more than ever.

In this article you’ll find best-in-class donation page examples from schools, universities, and nonprofits, as well as actionable takeaways to help your institution inspire more gifts.

Why Your Donation Page Matters More Than You Think

• Online giving keeps growing - Blackbaud’s 2024 Charitable Giving Report shows overall online giving rose 2.2% in 2024, setting a new record after pandemic-era peaks, and education-related nonprofits saw a 10% jump in online gifts.
• Convenience counts - Shorter forms are more likely to increase donations, so it’s in your nonprofit’s best interest to keep them concise and to the point.
• Your donation page is the closer - It’s the moment where trust, emotion, and ease must meet to convert intent into action.

💡If you want a page that inspires giving and syncs seamlessly with your donor database, check out Almabase’s Giving Module. 

Donation Page Examples from Educational Institutions

1. Punahou School – Heritage Meets Historic Success

Punahou leveraged their 175th anniversary celebration to create their most successful fundraising campaign in school history. The Ku'u Punahou campaign raised over $176 million from more than 12,800 donors with 40,000 individual gifts. The campaign effectively connected historical legacy with future vision, emphasizing how gifts would support cutting-edge learning environments, expand need-based financial aid, and inspire students to "pursue lives of purpose".

Why it works: Their donation platform provides clear funding priorities including the Punahou Fund for current needs, PunsUnited for student financial aid, and specific capital projects, while offering multiple giving vehicles from cryptocurrency to IRA distributions.

Takeaway: Tie major fundraising campaigns to significant institutional milestones while providing clear, varied pathways for different donor interests and capacities.

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2. University of Cambridge – Multiple Causes & International-Friendly Design

Why it works: The platform supports over 150 academic departments, faculties, and research institutes, offering donors a comprehensive range of causes from student support (including scholarships and bursaries) to cutting-edge research spanning climate change to cancer research, plus historic preservation and global outreach programs.

The platform is genuinely international-friendly, supporting multiple currencies and UK Gift Aid (adding 25% to donations). It uses various payment methods including international bank transfers, and provides tax-efficient giving structures through partnerships like Cambridge in America and Transatlantic Giving Circle, making it accessible to donors from the US, Europe, India, and beyond.

Key feature: Comprehensive cause selection across all academic disciplines combined with seamless international giving infrastructure.

Takeaway: Offering diverse funding priorities while optimizing for global accessibility significantly expands both donor engagement and gift potential.

3. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – Community-Centered Giving

UCLA’s donation page emphasizes the collective impact of gifts of all sizes, framing every donation as a valuable contribution to a larger circle of support. The page spotlights the university’s multi-year fundraising drive, presenting goals and clear priorities such as student scholarships, faculty research, and campus initiatives. Donors can choose from a wide range of designations: schools, departments, or specific programs, and the form makes it easy to give once or set up a recurring pledge. Campaign progress updates and donor stories reinforce momentum, while the blue-and-gold branding keeps the experience unmistakably UCLA.

Why it works: By reinforcing that every gift counts and supports a shared mission, UCLA creates an inclusive and motivating environment for donors at all capacity levels. This sense of community nurtures donor loyalty and encourages repeat giving, from modest contributions to major philanthropic commitments.

Key feature: Messaging that connects individual gifts to a broad, impactful community mission.

Takeaway: Position donations as part of a collective effort that transcends the institution, inspiring donors with a compelling sense of shared purpose.

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – Impact-Centered Storytelling

MIT’s donation page uses an interactive grid of impact cards instead of a traditional banner. Each card highlights a key funding priority—such as “Approximately 40% of MIT’s operating budget relies on unrestricted dollars,” and “Over 25% of first-year graduate students are supported by fellowships.” Donors can hover over each card to reveal concise impact statements and click “Learn More” to dive deeper or give directly to that area.

Why it Works: The card-based layout engages donors by inviting exploration and discovery, turning passive scrolling into active interaction. By surfacing bite-sized data points about financial aid, unrestricted funding, and fellowship support, MIT appeals to diverse donor motivations, whether they value student support, institutional flexibility, or graduate research. The clear, quantifiable facts build credibility, while the hover-to-reveal design keeps the page visually clean yet informative.

Key feature: Interactive impact cards with hover-revealed data points tying gift options to specific institutional needs.

Takeaway: Use interactive, data-driven elements to educate donors about multiple priorities, letting them choose what resonates most while maintaining a clean, engaging design.

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5. University of Texas at Austin – Multi-Channel Giving Options

UT Austin’s “Ways to Give” page offers a comprehensive menu of 14 distinct giving channels, from traditional methods like mail-in gifts and wire transfers to strategic options such as matching gifts, appreciated securities, endowments, and estate/planned gifts. They also feature specialized pathways for UT employees (payroll deduction), international donors, and industry or foundation partnerships. Each option includes a brief description of benefits, such as tax advantages for securities gifts or legacy impact for endowed funds, guiding donors to the method that best aligns with their needs and goals.

Why it works: By presenting diverse giving vehicles in a single, clearly structured page, UT Austin accommodates donors at every level and life stage. This breadth of options signals inclusivity and respect for individual donor circumstances, strengthening trust and inspiring larger, more strategic commitments.

Key feature: Detailed, side-by-side descriptions of multiple giving vehicles tailored to varied donor profiles.

Takeaway: Empower donors by offering clear, well-explained giving channels that match diverse preferences, maximizing both participation and gift size.

6. Stanford University – Comprehensive Giving Hub

What they did: Stanford’s Giving site serves as a one-stop destination for every type of donor. “How to Make a Gift” section organizes every giving method into three clear columns: Give Now, Give Over Time, and Plan Your Gift. Under “Give Now,” donors can contribute online, by phone or mail, through stocks or wire transfers, or via memorial, matching, or international gifts. “Give Over Time” highlights new pledges, pledge payments, and recurring gifts, while “Plan Your Gift” details options like bequests, life-income gifts, donor-advised funds, and other asset-based contributions. Each link opens concise guidance so donors immediately understand requirements and benefits such as tax advantages or long-term impact.

Why it works: This tiered layout simplifies a complex set of choices. Donors can instantly self-select whether they want to give immediately, spread payments over time, or create a legacy gift, without wading through multiple pages. By presenting planned giving alongside quick online options, Stanford invites both spontaneous and strategic donors, signaling professionalism and respect for different financial circumstances.

Key feature: Three-column structure, “Give Now,” “Give Over Time,” and “Plan Your Gift”, that clarifies intent and shortens the path to the right giving vehicle.

Takeaway: Grouping donation methods by timing and complexity helps donors quickly find an approach that fits their goals, increasing both participation and the likelihood of larger, long-term commitments.

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Donation Page Examples from Nonprofits

7. Charity: Water – Transparency Through the 100% Model

Charity: water did something exemplary with online giving through their “100% Model”, ensuring every public donation funds clean water projects, while operational costs come from private supporters. Their donation page appeals to donors of all levels, highlighting that just $40 can bring one person reliable access to clean water. The giving form encourages small, meaningful gifts, reinforced by clear, low-pressure messaging and a welcoming design. Donors can also give in honor of someone special, adding a personal touch that widens participation.

Why it works: The low-barrier entry point clearly states the tangible impact of every dollar, making action feel accessible to all. This transparent, approachable style removes hesitation from new and returning donors alike.

Key feature: Transparent cost-of-impact messaging (“$40 brings clean water to 1 person”) and personalized giving options.

Takeaway: A combination of radical transparency and inclusive, low-pressure donation options makes every supporter feel valued, lowering the barrier for action and building long-term loyalty.

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8. American Red Cross – Trust Signals Front and Center

The American Red Cross places credibility and transparency at the forefront on their donation page by prominently displaying their 4-star Charity Navigator rating.
They provide donors clear choices to give toward specific disaster relief efforts (such as wildfire relief or hurricane response) or general emergency preparedness, ensuring funds are allocated to donor-intended uses. These trust badges and fund-designation options reassure potential donors about the responsible handling of contributions in times of crisis.

Why it works: In disaster fundraising, trust is paramount. The presence of third-party certifications and transparent fund allocation reduces donor skepticism and encourages first-time giving. Having clear, situational giving opportunities tied to recent emergencies increases relevance and urgency, motivating donors to act quickly.

Takeaway: Demonstrating strong third-party accountability and offering clear, cause-specific giving choices build donor confidence, especially important in emergency response fundraising.

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9. World Wildlife Fund (Canada/US) – Recurring Giving Emphasis

Why it works: WWF frames monthly giving as joining their "WWF Heroes" community, emphasizing how monthly donations provide "dependable support for global conservation efforts". Their donation pages offer membership benefits including quarterly World Wildlife magazine, annual calendars, and exclusive updates. They make monthly giving attractive by highlighting that 84% of spending goes directly to conservation and offering thank-you gifts for donations of $16+ per month.

Key feature: Monthly giving positioned as exclusive membership with tangible benefits.

Takeaway: Present recurring gifts as joining a special community with exclusive perks rather than just a payment method.

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What the Best Online Donation Pages Have in Common

The examples above show that high-performing giving pages share a core set of traits:

• Clear Pathways for Every Donor: From Stanford’s “Give Now/Give Over Time/Plan Your Gift” columns to UT Austin’s 14 giving channels, these top pages make it effortless for each donor to find the right option fast.‍
• Impact-Driven Storytelling: MIT’s interactive cards and Charity: Water’s $40-per-person promise do a great job at showing the journey from gifts to tangible change.‍
• Trust and Transparency Signals: From the American Red Cross’s Charity Navigator rating to Cambridge’s detailed tax-efficient giving info, visible assurances build donor confidence and encourage first-time gifts.‍
• Mobile-First, Streamlined Design: UCLA’s minimal required fields and WWF’s frictionless monthly sign-up demonstrate the importance of quick, mobile-friendly forms to reduce drop-offs.‍
• Strong Brand Integration: Pages like UCLA’s weave institutional colors, fonts, and imagery throughout, reinforcing institutional spirit and branding to their constituents to foster an emotional connection.‍
• Recurring Gift Emphasis: WWF’s “Heroes” program highlights recurring giving as the default, increasing donor lifetime value.‍
• Flexible Payment and Currency Options: Cambridge’s multi-currency support and Stanford’s stock or wire transfer options make giving accessible to international supporters and attract those with diverse assets.

These shared elements ensure donors can give with confidence, understand their impact, and complete a gift in minutes. These are key ingredients for sustainable, long-term fundraising success.

Common Donation Page Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcomplicating forms with too many fields: Long forms make people quit before they finish.
• Neglecting mobile optimization: If the page is clunky on a phone, you’ll lose a lot of gifts.
• Using generic, uninspiring asks: Vague language doesn’t show why a gift matters right now.
• Not tracking conversion drop-offs: Without data on where donors stop, problem-solving can get delayed.

How to Improve Your Own Donation Page

Use this short checklist when reviewing your site:

• Show real impact: Make it obvious how each gift will help: use clear numbers, stories, or visuals.
• Keep the process under two minutes: Limit fields and clicks so a donor can finish fast.
• Highlight recurring giving: Present monthly or yearly options up front as the easiest way to give.
• Connect with your CRM: Ensure gifts sync automatically so records stay accurate and follow-ups are easy.

💡Almabase’s Giving Module integrates directly with RE NXT to automate processing and personalize appeals. → Learn more 

Conclusion

Whether you run a K-12 school, university, or global nonprofit, we hope that these donation pages and our tips have proven that clear design, trust signals, and emotional storytelling go a long way in the effort to convert visitors into donors.

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About the author

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Kiran is an educator and pedagogy enthusiast, passionate about the transformative impact of education, kindness, and creativity on individuals and communities.

As an artist, she brings a unique perspective to her work and is committed to inspiring growth, empathy, and understanding

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