Learn how to create a donation form in this step-by-step guide. The donation form is a main vehicle for collecting online donations. This help guide will cover how to create a donation form using the Form Builder.
Prerequisite Reading for this Article
Please Note:
- This article is the third in a series of six articles about building a Campaign in Neon CRM. After you complete the steps in this article, see the Recommended Next Article section at the end of this article for the next step in the process of building a Campaign in Neon CRM.
- This article assumes you have already created the campaign to which you will link this donation form.
Content
Instructions
Accessing the Form Builder
To begin creating a donation form, you must first access the Form Builder. There are two options to access the Form Builder (per the instructions outlined below). If you have already created your campaign, you can choose either option:
Option 1 - (if you have NOT yet created the campaign to which this donation form will be linked you MUST use this option):
1. Select Forms & Pages in the navigation menu and select Forms on the drop-down menu.
2. On the Forms page, select the New Form drop-down menu and select Donation.
Option 2:
1. Select Fundraising in the navigation menu and select Fundraising Campaigns on the drop-down menu.
2. Select the campaign to which you wish the donation form to be linked.
3. Select Create in the "Linked Donation Forms" tile on the right side of the Campaign Overview page (the third tile from the top - if no form is linked, the tile will specify "No Linked Donation Forms"). ***The advantage of following this option is that the donation form will be automatically linked to the campaign; you will not need to manually link the donation form to the campaign.
You are now at the same place in the creation process whether you followed Option 1 or Option 2 above. Continue with the process below.
Creating a Donation Form
The New Donation Form pop-up will appear.
1. Enter a name in the Name this Form field. This is the only required field on this pop-up. You may make selections on this pop-up and/or in the Form Builder itself. Every set-up option/question on this pop-up is also a set-up option/question in the Form Builder. In this guide, let's bypass all items on this pop-up except the following items:
- Name this Form - Enter a name for this form (this field is required).
- Amount Buttons Layout - Here you can decide if the donation amount buttons on your donation form include, 1) only the dollar amount of the donation, or 2) the dollar amount of the donation, as well as a written description of what the dollar amount can provide for your organization. (You can change this option later if needed, but it is most convenient to make the selection here. If you select to include a written description with the donation amount, you will enter the written descriptions later in this process, in the Form Editor section.)
- Campaign - If you have already created the campaign to which this donation should be linked, select the campaign in the Campaign field. (If you accessed the Form Builder via Option 2 at the start of this guide, this field will already be filled in.) This field ensures this donation form is linked to the correct campaign.
2. Select Create Your Form.
You are now in the Form Builder. The main menu for the Form Builder is located on the left side of the page. Each icon links to a specific section in the Form Builder. This guide will cover each of these menu icon items, but it will not cover these items in order from top to bottom. This guide will begin with the Theme Editor.
Please note: At any time while you build your form, you may select Preview in the upper right corner of the screen (as seen below) to view a preview version of your form.
Theme Editor
1. Select the Theme Editor icon in the left menu (the third icon from the top).
In the Theme Editor, you will adjust the look of your donation form. You may select a ready-made system theme on the System Themes tab or select a custom theme you created on the My Themes tab. In the example below, a custom theme has been selected on the My Themes tab. (If you wish to create your own custom theme, refer to the Creating a Custom Theme guide for a detailed explanation of the process.)
2. Select your theme, as applicable for your form.
Page Editor
1. Select the Page Editor icon in the left menu (the first icon at the top).
In the Page Editor, you will enter the written message content on the donation form.
To add this written content:
2. Enter a page title in the Title field and enter the applicable text in the Describe Your Cause field.
If you notice, per the example below, the text is difficult to read:
To make the text readable:
3. Select the applicable overlay in the Overlay drop-down menu. If your background image is dark, select Light to make the text legible. If the background image is light, select Dark. In the example below, the Light option has been selected since the background image is dark.
Make other adjustments, as needed:
4. If desired, adjust the Form Alignment.
5. If desired, in the Media section of the Page Editor, you may add an image or video under the Describe Your Cause text.
Form Editor
1. Select the Form Editor icon in the left menu (the second icon from the top).
This page contains two columns. The items in the right column are the items that will appear on the donation form, as seen in the image below. The items in the left column are additional form fields you may add to the donation form.
Notice there are page breaks in the right column. These breaks divide the donation form content into separate pages rather than having one long donation form.
2. Adjust the items you wish to appear on the form, as follows:
- To add a new item to the donation form, drag and drop the selected item from the left column into the right column. You may then drag the item up and down, as needed, in the right column to place the item in the desired location on the donation form.
- If you created a custom field to include on your donation form, locate the custom field in the left column and drag and drop the item to your desired location in the right column.
- If you wish to remove an item from the right column, click on the item and select the Trash Can icon.
- If you wish to edit any item in the right column, click on the item to make any needed adjustments, including marking the item as a required field on the donation form (as seen below). You may edit any item in the right column, including adjusting donation amount selections, donation descriptions, and the text on buttons (i.e. "Donate Now" to "Make a Donation", etc.). Select any item in the right column if you wish to edit its content.
Form Enhancements
1. Select the Form Enhancements icon in the left menu (the fourth icon from the top).
This selection brings forth the Form Enhancements menu with three options, as outlined below:
- Select the toggle in the Goal Meter selection if you wish to include a goal meter on the donation form. You then have the option to display the goal meter as a linear line or a circle. You also have the option to allow social media icons to be embedded on the goal meter. Additionally, you can choose whether you wish to include open pledges in the total amount raised on the goal meter and whether you wish to display event registration information on the goal meter.
- Select the toggle in the Top Supporters List selection if you wish to display a list of your campaign donors ordered by largest to smallest donation on the donation form.
- Select the toggle in the Recent Donations List selection if you wish to display the most recent donations made to the campaign on the donation form.
Exit Page
1. Select the Exit Page icon in the left menu (the fifth icon from the top).
In this area, you may edit the Exit Page. The Exit Page, as seen in the example below, is the message a donor will see immediately after making a donation.
2, Adjust the Exit Page items as follows:
- Select whether you wish to use the Standard Exit Page (as appears in the image below) or your own custom exit page. If you wish to use a custom exit page, you must enter the page's URL.
- If using the Standard Exit Page, in the Your Message drop-down area, you may adjust the message that appears on the exit tile.
- If using the Standard Exit Page, in the Buttons drop-down area, you may add buttons to the exit tile, such as a Home button that links to your website's Home page.
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If using the Standard Exit Page, in the Social Media Links drop-down area, select the toggle to the "On" position to include social media links on the exit tile. (The URL links connected to these social media icons are configured in the Footer Content portion of the donation form's theme. See the Footer Section of the Creating a Custom Theme guide for more information.)
Sharing
1. Select the Sharing icon in the left menu (the sixth icon from the top).
2. Adjust the Sharing options as follows:
- QR Code generates a downloadable QR code you may use on printed materials. This code links directly to the donation form.
-
Pop-Up Form Button displays a pop-up "Donate" button anywhere on your website. When a user selects this button, the donation form will open in a pop-up window.
Settings
1. Select the Settings icon in the left menu (the last icon in the list).
2. Adjust the Settings as follows:
- In the General Information drop-down area:
- You may adjust your form's URL, if needed, in the Form URL field (this is not recommended).
- You may select whether the Amount Buttons Layout includes only dollar amounts or dollar amounts and descriptive text. (Per the instructions in the first step in this process above, this item should have already been selected on the New Donation Form pop-up. You may change this information here, if needed. To add the descriptive text, return to the Form Editor section - the second icon from the top in the left menu - and select the amount field tile.)
- Ensure the campaign to which you wish to link this donation form is selected in the Campaign drop-down menu (if you have not yet created the campaign, you may return to this Settings page to link the donation form to your new campaign).
- You may allow your constituents to select a Fund and/or Purpose towards which their donation is applied, as applicable, by selecting the appropriate toggle to the "On" position.
- You may turn on the reCAPTCHA option to filter out suspicious traffic activity by selecting the toggle to the "On" position.
- In the Constituent Login & Type drop-down area:
- In the Form Type field, you may designate whether this donation form should be visible to Individual Accounts only, Company Accounts only, or both Individual and Company Accounts.
- With the Constituent Login field and Login Prompt toggle, you may require and/or prompt users to login to their CRM account (if applicable) in order to make a donation.
- In the Payment Settings drop down area, you may choose the methods of payment you will accept on the donation form. Select the applicable toggles, as needed.
Now that you have completed all menu items in the left icon menu:
1. Select Publish in the upper right corner.
A blue pop-up will appear. If you wish to copy the URL to include it on your website, you may do so.
If you have linked the donation form to a campaign, you may also view the donation form and access its URL on the Campaign Overview page. To do so:
1. Select Fundraising in the navigation menu and select Fundraising Campaigns on the drop-down menu.
2. Select your campaign.
3. In the Linked Donation Forms tile (the third tile from the top on the right side of the page), you may select the form link to open the form and access its URL.
Editing a Donation Form
To access and edit your donation form:
1. Select Form & Pages from the navigation menu and select Forms on the drop-down list.
2. On the Forms page, locate your form and select the three dot Action Menu at the right side of the form's row and select Edit Donation Form.
Optionally:
3. Rather than selecting the three dot Action Menu, you may select the form name itself.
4. In the upper right corner you may select View Form to view the donation form, Copy Form URL to copy the form's URL to use on your website, and/or select the Pencil Icon to edit the form.