5 Digital Fundraising Mistakes Even Experienced Nonprofits Make (And How to Fix Them)
By Sandra Davis, CEO & Founder of Donorly
A polished website. An active email list. A donation form that technically works.
It’s easy to assume those boxes checked equal digital fundraising success. But even experienced nonprofit professionals find themselves disappointed by flat online giving results, low conversion rates, or inconsistent donor engagement.
Why? Because digital fundraising isn’t just about having the right tools. It’s about using them with purpose.
Whether you're planning your next campaign or overhauling your strategy, these five mistakes could be quietly stalling your results. Fortunately, each one is fixable with the right approach.
Mistake #1: Treating Digital Like a Silo
Digital fundraising shouldn’t live in a vacuum.
When your online appeals, donation pages, or email campaigns are developed separately from individual giving, events, or board fundraising, the result is fragmentation. Messages feel disconnected, donor experiences feel inconsistent, and momentum is hard to build.
Common signs you’re siloed:
Your development team doesn't review digital campaign metrics
Online and offline appeals don’t reinforce each other
Donors get different stories depending on how they engage
Fix It: Integrate Digital Into Your Overall Fundraising Strategy
Align your email campaigns with individual giving and events communications. If you’re planning a gala, for instance, your digital efforts should support ticket sales and post-event follow-up giving.
Use a shared calendar to coordinate your online appeals with offline solicitations.
Equip your board and staff with tools to amplify campaigns through peer-to-peer fundraising, personal emails, or social media.
Pro Tip: Review your top-performing channels and make sure your messaging is consistent. When every touchpoint reinforces your mission, your donors stay more engaged and give more often.
Mistake #2: Making the Donor Work Too Hard
Your donation form is a relationship buider. If giving online feels like a hassle, donors will abandon the process before ever clicking “submit.”
Long forms, unclear questions, unnecessary clicks, and poor mobile design all create friction. And friction costs donations.
Data point: According to Classy, the average nonprofit donation form completion rate is under 25%. Small tweaks can dramatically change that.
Fix It: Streamline the Online Giving Experience
Limit form fields: Only require what’s absolutely necessary (name, email, payment info) and request address and phone number in optional fields.
Use one clear CTA: Replace “Submit” with “Give Now” or “Support Our Mission.”
Design for mobile: Over 50% of donors give via smartphone.
Offer donation tiers with impact descriptions (e.g., $25 = supplies for one student).
Pro Tip: Use form analytics tools like Hotjar or Google Analytics to track where donors are dropping off in the process. You may discover that a single question—or a slow-loading image—is costing you conversions. Test, tweak, and retest regularly to keep improving results.
Mistake #3: Underestimating the Power of Follow-Up
Many nonprofits focus heavily on securing the gift but neglect what comes next. Your thank-you strategy is just as important as your ask.
If your donor never hears from you again, or gets a generic receipt, they’re less likely to give again.
Fix It: Build a Post-Gift Stewardship Plan
Send an immediate, heartfelt thank-you email. Automated is fine, but it should feel personal, not canned. Use their name, reference the campaign they gave to, and share impact.
Schedule a short stewardship series:
Day 3: Impact story from the field
Day 5: Update on the goal or campaign
Day 7: Invitation to connect more deeply (volunteer, attend an event, become a recurring donor)
Show progress using visuals like progress bars, photos, or donor quotes.
Pro Tip: Create simple email templates for each stewardship step so your team can execute consistently—even during busy campaign seasons. Use your CRM to automate and personalize these touchpoints at scale. Donors should never feel like their gift disappeared into a black hole.
Mistake #4: Talking to Every Donor the Same Way
You wouldn’t send the same message to a major donor and a first-time $10 contributor. Yet many nonprofits still use one-size-fits-all email blasts that fail to acknowledge where a donor is in their relationship with your organization.
Generic messaging erodes engagement over time, especially among your most loyal supporters.
Fix It: Segment and Personalize Your Communications
Start with simple audience buckets:
New donors
Recurring donors
Lapsed donors
Event attendees
Major gift prospects
Tailor the messaging and CTA:
New donors: “A big thank you for your first gift, [name]””
Recurring givers: “Here’s what your ongoing support is making possible”
Lapsed donors: “We’ve missed you—here’s what’s new”
Use merge tags to personalize names and giving history, even in mass emails.
Advanced tip: Set up behavior-based triggers in your CRM. If someone clicks a program update, follow up with related content that shows their impact.
Mistake #5: Over-Prioritizing Acquisition, Under-Prioritizing Retention
Acquisition feels exciting. New names on your list, more clicks, bigger numbers. But donor retention is where long-term sustainability comes from.
The cost of acquiring a new donor is 5 to 10 times higher than keeping an existing one. If your digital strategy is only focused on growing your audience, you could be losing just as many donors out the back door.
Fix It: Focus on Deepening Donor Relationships
Highlight recurring donations as the most impactful way to support your mission.
Celebrate second gifts with personal messages and acknowledgment.
Re-engage lapsed donors through targeted email sequences and tailored asks.
Create loyalty touchpoints like birthday emails, giving anniversaries, or VIP previews of your work.
Pro Tip: Look at your donor retention rate by segment (e.g., first-time vs. recurring vs. event donors). Identify which group is dropping off most and start there. A tailored re-engagement campaign—even something as simple as a “We Miss You” email with impact highlights—can make a measurable difference.
Final Thoughts: Digital Fundraising Is About Connection, Not Just Clicks
The strongest nonprofit digital fundraising strategies aren’t just about platforms or tools. They’re built on clear messaging, thoughtful donor journeys, and strong relationships at every stage.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire program overnight. Start with one improvement:
Optimize your donation form.
Build a smarter follow-up system.
Segment your list more effectively.
Measure the results, then iterate. Progress in digital fundraising doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing it with purpose.
Ready to Strengthen Your Digital Fundraising Strategy?
If your team is ready to move from guesswork to clarity, Donorly can help. We work alongside nonprofit leaders to build smart, sustainable fundraising strategies that actually convert—online and off.
Whether you need to streamline your donation experience, better engage donors, or create a more integrated fundraising plan, we’re here to help you focus your time where it matters most.
Download our free Donation Page Optimization Checklist to get started on strengthening your Digital Fundraising Strategy or Schedule a free discovery call to talk through what’s possible for your organization.
Let’s build your next chapter—together.
