We have reviewed many charity websites that are great storytelling platforms - brimming with case studies, campaign videos, brand assets, and visual polish. And while that's great for awareness and credibility, there's one question we always ask:
Is your website also a fundraising tool, or just a marketing one?
We work with dozens of charities through our hapi and hapiLite platforms, and we see the same challenge again and again: websites designed primarily for awareness, not action.
Yes, websites must look appealing and modern, but when a donor lands with the intent to give, what happens next? If your donation form is buried in a dropdown or the experience is clunky and confusing, that moment of intent quickly disappears.
The highest-converting pages on our hapi sites aren't the flashiest. They're the ones that work best, because they've struck the right balance between marketing and fundraising.
A website can (and should) do both
Your website should absolutely tell your story, showcase your impact, and build trust. But it should also make it incredibly easy for supporters to act on the emotion it inspires - to donate, fundraise, register, or sign up. That means:
- Clear and visible donation prompts
- Seamless mobile experience
- Simple, trustworthy forms
- Smart page layouts that guide action, not distract from it
Because beautiful branding alone won't bring in income, but purposeful functionality will.
What actually makes donors click?
From our experience across hundreds of hapi-powered campaigns, the top-performing donation pages prioritise:
- Clarity within the creativity
A strong, emotionally resonant headline and call to action - no fluff, no jargon.
- Minimal distractions
No clutter, no confusing navigation, no competing buttons. Just one clear journey to donate.
- Simplicity and speed
Short, mobile-friendly forms with logical steps. Every second saved increases conversion.
- Trust signals
Clear information on where the donation is going, what it will do, how gift aid works, and why you ask for additional fees builds instant confidence.
- Social proof and progress
Fundraising progress, testimonials, and donation impact remind users that their gift matters.
It's time to think beyond design
Let's be clear: design still matters. But not at the expense of usability. The goal of good design is not to impress - it's to guide. To reduce friction. To support a donor's intent, not distract from it.
If your donation form is visually stunning but hard to find or confusing to use, it's costing you income - plain and simple.
What can you do today?
Ask yourself:
- Is your website built with fundraising as a core purpose?
- Can a donor find and complete a donation on your site in under 60 seconds?
- Have you tested your journey recently on mobile?
- What about this process could cause a donor to abandon their gift?
It may be time to rethink how your website serves supporters, not just markets to them.
We believe in websites that work just as hard as the fundraising teams behind them. Through hapi, we help charities strike the right balance between visual storytelling and functional fundraising, because that's what truly drives impact.
Marketing wins hearts. Function wins donations.
Your website needs to do both.
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