How to plan an online fundraising campaign for a charity

Start with one reason to give and one action a donor can take. A campaign for a specific program should say what the organization plans to fund, why the timing matters, and how donors will hear about progress.

Build the appeal around a credible promise

Collect the facts your fundraising team can substantiate, including how funds will be used and whether the campaign has a deadline. If you suggest donation amounts, explain them in a way that reflects how the charity handles gifts. Use stories and photos with the appropriate permissions and give readers a clear route to more information.

Make the donation journey easy to complete

Test the appeal, donation form, confirmation, and receipt as a single flow. Check mobile readability, payment options, and whether recurring giving is explained clearly. If the payment page is hosted elsewhere, verify that donors can recognize the charity and that completed gifts can be reconciled with the campaign.

Report confirmed gifts and plan the follow-up

Report confirmed donations, recurring sign-ups, and campaign spend together. Distinguish new donors from returning supporters when you can do so appropriately. Check that your analytics counts match the payment records closely enough to support decisions, and document expected differences.

Send a timely thank-you and decide when you can give supporters a meaningful progress update. If you use Google Ad Grants, see how to measure donations and other conversions .