The goal of a donation page is singular: get someone from "I want to give" to "I just gave" with as little resistance as possible. Every design decision, every field, and every piece of content should serve that goal or get out of the way.
What friction actually is
Friction on a donation page falls into three categories: cognitive friction (having to think too hard), trust friction (uncertainty about whether this is safe or legitimate), and mechanical friction (the page doesn't work correctly or is hard to use). Most problematic donate pages have all three.
Cognitive friction shows up as long forms with unclear field labels, too many choices, or confusing messaging about where the money goes. Trust friction shows up as a missing HTTPS indicator, no privacy note near the payment fields, or an unfamiliar payment processor. Mechanical friction shows up as slow load times, forms that don't work on mobile, or error messages that don't explain what went wrong.
Remove unnecessary fields from donation forms
The most common source of friction on donation forms is asking for more information than you need. Do you actually need a donor's mailing address for a one-time online gift? Do you need their phone number? Every required field that isn't strictly necessary is a point where some donors will abandon the form.
Audit your donation form and ask: what do we actually need to process this gift and send a receipt? For most online donations, that's a name, email address, and payment information. Everything else should be optional or removed entirely.
Add trust signals near the give button
The moment of highest anxiety for a donor is immediately before they submit payment information. This is exactly where trust signals are most valuable. Include a brief statement that the transaction is secure, a note about your privacy policy, and if your form uses a recognized payment processor, make that visible. The Charity Navigator or BBB seal, if your organization has them, can also go here.
A single sentence like "Your donation is processed securely. We never store your payment information." next to the submit button costs nothing to add and meaningfully reduces abandonment from donors who are uncertain.
Make your donation page fast
Slow pages are especially damaging on donation pages because they create doubt at a high-stakes moment. A page that takes four seconds to load before a payment form appears feels less secure than one that loads immediately. Speed is a trust signal as much as a usability factor.
Compress images on the donation page, remove any embedded video or heavy scripts that aren't necessary, and test the page load time on a mobile connection. For most nonprofits, getting the donation page under two seconds on mobile is achievable with simple optimization steps.
Pre-fill or suggest donation amounts
Presenting suggested donation amounts — typically three to four options with a custom entry — reduces cognitive friction by eliminating the "how much should I give?" decision. It also tends to increase average gift size, because suggested amounts anchor the decision. Research consistently shows that donors who see suggested amounts give more on average than those who see an empty text field.
Choose suggested amounts that are realistic for your donor base and consider including brief impact language next to each — "$25 provides school supplies for one student" — to give the choice meaning beyond the number.
A GoodSiteReport Trust & Credibility Check reviews your donation page specifically — identifying the friction points that are costing you completed gifts and giving you a clear list of what to fix.
Make mobile work completely
Test your donation form on an actual phone. Fill it out completely, including submitting a test transaction if possible. Common mobile problems include form fields that are too small to tap accurately, keyboards that cover the submit button, dropdown menus that are difficult to use on touchscreen, and confirmation screens that don't display correctly.
If your donation form is embedded from a third-party provider, check whether that provider offers a mobile-optimized form. Many donation platforms have improved mobile experiences that require enabling a specific setting rather than code changes.