How to Build a Fundraising Page That Attracts More Donations

Creating a fundraising page is one of the first and most important steps in your charity fundraising journey. Whether you're running a marathon, taking on a challenge event, or supporting a cause close to your heart, your fundraising page acts as the central hub for your campaign. It's where supporters learn about your story, connect with your motivation, and ultimately decide whether to donate. While setting up a page is quick and easy, building one that inspires people to give takes a little more effort. The most successful fundraisers go beyond the standard template, adding personal stories, compelling images, regular updates, and clear fundraising goals that encourage supporters to get involved. In this guide, we'll show you how to create a fundraising page that stands out, attracts donations, and helps you maximise your impact for charity.

Which Fundraising Platform?

Your fundraising page is at the heart of your fundraising efforts but where do you get one from? There are literally hundreds of fundraising platforms around the world and you can set up a page on any of them really easily. But before you start you need to speak with the charity that you're going to raise money for. It's very likely that if you have a guaranteed entry from a charity, that the event will have a contractual relationship with a specific platform that requires the charity runners to use that one and not a competing platform. Once you know which platform you're going to use then you need to create an account and set up a page. It's all very easy, but it's also very easy to do the bare minimum. You'll get a template when you create a page and it's this template that acts as the default option for so many runners. It shouldn't be so. This is simply the framework that you need to personalise. So many runners, just use the template that the fundraising platforms provide and do nothing else. That is not the way to do it. Spend an hour adding some extras and everything could be so different.

How To Build A Fundraising Page

Detail your story

Give as much information on your charity and why you're running for them. Detail your relationship with the charity, if you have one, and tell everyone why they should support that charity. Don't just rely on the words in the template, use your own.

Add compelling images and videos

Add as many images to the page as the template will allow. Really make it personal. Include pictures of the people that have inspired you to run for this charity and change the images on a regular basis. Most fundraising platforms now support video content either directly or through linked social media channels. A short video explaining why you're fundraising can often be more powerful than several paragraphs of text. It adds personality, authenticity, and helps supporters connect with your cause on a more emotional level. Even a simple smartphone video can make a huge difference to engagement and donations.

Keep it up to date

Your fundraising page should tell an ongoing story rather than simply ask for money.

Share updates about your training, including your longest run, your first race, personal bests, difficult sessions, and setbacks you've overcome. People enjoy following a journey and often become more invested as race day approaches. These updates also provide fresh content to share on social media, giving you additional opportunities to remind people about your fundraising efforts.

Choosing The Right Fundraising Target

One of the biggest mistakes fundraisers make is setting a target that is either too low or unrealistically high. Before choosing your target, speak to your charity and understand what is expected of you. Some events have minimum fundraising requirements 9those where you run using a charity entry), while others are entirely flexible (if you have your own entry). Consider how many people are likely to support you and what donation amounts you can realistically expect. It's often better to set an achievable target initially and then increase it as you gain momentum. Early success creates confidence and encourages further donations.

As you get closer to your target you must then increase it slightly. If someone sees your page for the first time and you're either past the target or really close to it they won't be that motivated to donate a decent amount. If you look like you still have a long way to go the chances are they will leave a bigger donation. Keep doing this as you get close to a target.

Make The First Donation

People are far more likely to donate when they can see that others already have. If possible, make the first donation yourself or ask a close friend or family member to contribute when the page goes live. A fundraising page with £0 raised can sometimes discourage potential supporters. A page that already has activity and donations demonstrates momentum and gives others confidence to get involved.

Explain Where The Money Goes

Many people support charities because they understand the impact their donation will make. Rather than simply stating the name of the charity, explain exactly what their work achieves.

For example, explain how donations fund research, support families, provide essential services, or help communities. The more clearly you can demonstrate the difference a donation makes, the more likely people are to support your campaign.

Say Thank You

Either on your fundraising page, by social media, email or in person, it's really important to say thank you when donations are made. On some platforms you can send a thank you automatically when a donation is made and that's a good option, which you can then follow up. The more you thank people the more inclined they are to mention you to others.

Getting people to your page

Social Media

It's so much easier these days to tell people about your fundraising through your social media channels. Put the url of your fundraising page in your Insta bio, include it on your Facebook page, keep tweeting and if you're into TikTok and Snapchat, keep plugging it on those as well. Give your followers regular updates on your channels. If you're in the business world, LinkedIn is a great place to drive people from. Make sure when you're thanking people you use these channels to do it. Sharing is key to social media success. The more shares you can get for your related posts the better. Most social platforms have some form of sharing facilities, Find out the most effective and make the most of the tech.

Check out these posts about how to use social media channels:

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok

WhatsApp

Linkedin

Word Of Mouth

Don't be scared of telling as many people as you can about what you're doing. Most people are happy to support charities so don't be shy. The monies aren't going to you, they are going to charity, so just be bold and upfront. send them details on text once you've spoken to them.

Email Signature

Most of us use email on a daily basis so in addition to any email blasts you do to promote your fundraising activity make sure that you add details of your fundraising page to your email signature. This is a subtle but highly effective way of promoting what you're doing. One click and the recipient will be on your freshly updated page and hopefully a donation follows very quickly afterwards!

Media

Talk to your local media. They may be inundated at certain times of year, but it's always worth contacting your local newspapers, radio station, or even better bloggers and new sites. If they run a story it's just a click to your page.

Build A Website

If you're really keen you can build a website to promote what you're doing. There are so many third party website builder options now and it doesn't have to cost you a great deal if you go for the basic monthly option. If you have to raise a huge sum for say a New York or Boston entry this may well be the way to do it. Then you can include links to your fundraising page, your social channels and include as much copy and as many images as you like.

Finally

A fundraising page is much more than a place to collect donations, it’s your opportunity to tell a story, inspire support, and build momentum for your fundraising campaign. The difference between an average page and a highly successful one often comes down to the effort you put into personalising it, keeping it updated, and actively sharing it with others.

Remember, people donate to people as much as they donate to causes. By explaining why the charity matters to you, showcasing your journey, and regularly engaging with supporters, you can create a fundraising page that encourages generosity and helps you exceed your target. Take the time to make your page stand out, thank those who support you, and never be afraid to spread the word. Every share, conversation, and update could lead to another donation and help make a real difference to the charity you're supporting.

Have a listen to our podcast on creating the perfect fundraising page