The Fundrly field guide
Why donors abandon your giving page — and the fixes that win them back.
Most nonprofits only ever see the gifts that finished. But for every completed donation, several more people opened the form, meant to give, and slipped away. Here are the five reasons it happens — and what to do about each one.
They got sent away from your website
Every redirect to a third-party donation site is a moment of doubt. The donor was moved by YOUR story on YOUR page — then suddenly they're somewhere unfamiliar that asks for their card. Many quietly close the tab.
The fix: Keep giving on your page. A modal or inline form that opens right where the donor already is preserves the emotional momentum that made them click in the first place.
The form asked for everything up front
A wall of fields — name, address, phone, employer, comments — before they've even picked an amount tells donors this will take a while. Most people give in a 90-second window of inspiration.
The fix: Ask for the amount first, identity second, payment last. Three short steps convert better than one long page, and each completed step builds commitment.
Their payment method wasn't there
If a donor on their phone has to stand up and find their wallet, you've probably lost the gift. Typing 16 digits on a phone keyboard is where mobile giving goes to die.
The fix: Offer Apple Pay and Google Pay. One thumbprint replaces the entire card form — it's the single highest-impact fix for mobile conversion.
Something felt off at the payment step
Donors hesitate at payment when the page looks dated, isn't branded like your organization, or shows another company's name. Trust is the currency of the final step.
The fix: Use a payment form in your own colors, on your own domain, processed by a name donors recognize (Stripe). Familiarity closes gifts.
Nobody followed up when they walked away
This is the silent one. Most tools can't tell you WHO almost gave — so the donor who chose $100, typed their email, and got interrupted by a phone call is simply… gone.
The fix: Track every step, not just completions. If you know jane@doe.com reached the payment screen twice this month, a warm personal note often finishes what she started.
Fundrly fixes all five.
Out of the box.
On-page modal, three-step form, Apple Pay & Google Pay, your branding, and step-by-step tracking that shows you exactly who almost gave.
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