Soapbox Engage Blog

The 2025 year-end giving season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive and opportunity-filled periods nonprofits have seen in years. With digital fundraising continuing to surge, donor-advised funds on the rise, and recurring giving programs becoming a must-have for sustainability, organizations that prepare their donation pages now will be best positioned to capture generosity before December 31.

In 2025, donors expect frictionless online giving experiences, mobile-first design, and transparent impact stories. The good news? With Soapbox Engage, you already have powerful tools at your fingertips to meet these expectations and inspire more giving.

Below, we’ll walk through five key features to activate before year-end—plus some extra optimization tips to ensure your giving pages are ready for the biggest fundraising season of 2025.

1. Encourage Monthly Giving with Recurring Upsell Prompts
2. Accept Donor-Advised Fund Gifts with DAFpay
3. Offer Flexible Giving with Pledge Payments
4. Expand Your Reach with Peer-to-Peer Campaigns
5. Build Donor Trust with Gift Designations
6. Extra Optimization Tips for Year-End Giving Pages

1. Encourage Monthly Giving with Recurring Upsell Prompts

One-time gifts are wonderful, but recurring gifts build the kind of sustainable funding that helps organizations thrive year-round. Soapbox Engage includes a recurring giving upsell prompt that appears when a donor is about to make a one-time contribution. With just one click, the donor can convert their gift into a recurring monthly contribution.

This subtle prompt is powerful because it engages donors in the moment of generosity—when they’re most receptive. Even modest recurring gifts can add up to significant long-term revenue, all while deepening donor commitment to your mission.

Get started: Boost Recurring Donations with Upsell Prompt

2. Accept Donor-Advised Fund Gifts with DAFpay

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are one of the fastest-growing charitable giving vehicles, with billions of dollars in assets waiting to be granted. If your donation pages don’t support DAF gifts, you could be leaving money on the table.

With Soapbox’s DAFpay integration, donors can easily recommend a gift from their DAF while giving through your standard donation form. It keeps the process simple, seamless, and donor-friendly—while ensuring your organization doesn’t miss out on this increasingly important funding stream.

Get started: Introducing DAFPay on Soapbox Engage

3. Offer Flexible Giving with Pledge Payments

Not every donor can make a large gift all at once, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to give generously. With Soapbox’s Pledge Payments feature, supporters can commit to a larger overall gift and spread payments out over time.

This feature helps you:

• Secure long-term commitments up front.
• Make it easier for donors to give at a higher level.
• Improve forecasting with predictable, scheduled revenue.

For example, instead of giving $1,000 in one lump sum, a donor might pledge $100/month for 10 months. They’ll feel empowered to give more, and you’ll benefit from stronger donor retention.

Get started: Allow Donors to Make Pledge Payments

4. Expand Your Reach with Peer-to-Peer Campaigns

Your most passionate supporters are also your most powerful fundraisers. With Soapbox Engage’s Peer-to-Peer (P2P) fundraising add-on, you can give donors, volunteers, and board members the tools to raise money on your behalf.

Peer-to-Peer campaigns are especially effective during year-end because:

• They expand your reach into new donor networks.
• Personal appeals from friends and family are highly persuasive.
• They energize your community, creating a sense of shared purpose.

Imagine your supporters each running a mini-campaign tied to your year-end goal—suddenly, your fundraising is amplified through dozens (or even hundreds) of personal voices.

Get started: Peer-to-Peer Fundraising with the Donations app

5. Build Donor Trust with Gift Designations

Transparency builds trust, and trust inspires generosity. With Soapbox Engage, you can enable Gift Designations on your donation pages, giving donors the option to direct their gift to the area that matters most to them—such as scholarships, specific programs, or general operating support.

Gift designations can:

• Increase donor satisfaction by aligning giving with personal passions.
• Encourage larger gifts, since donors feel confident about where their money is going.
• Provide valuable insight into what programs resonate most with your community.

Instead of feeling like their gift disappears into a general fund, donors see their dollars tied to meaningful impact. That emotional connection is what keeps them coming back year after year.

Get started: Introducing Gift Designations for Donations

Extra Optimization Tips for Year-End Giving Pages

Turning on features is just the beginning. Here are additional best practices to help your donation pages inspire more generosity:

• Optimize for mobile. A significant percentage of donations now come through smartphones. Make sure your page is responsive, easy to scroll, and accessible.
• Enable billing address autocomplete. Streamline the donation process by turning on billing address autocomplete in the Donations app configuration. When enabled, donors typing their U.S. street address will see suggested matches after the first three characters, making the process faster and more accurate.
• Use compelling stories and images. A quick personal story or photo showing the impact of a gift can make a big difference in whether someone gives, and how much they give.
• Test suggested amounts. Pre-set giving levels guide donors toward larger gifts. Experiment with your donation tiers to see what resonates with your audience.
• Highlight recurring giving. Place the option for monthly giving front and center, not just in the upsell prompt. Remind donors how ongoing support sustains your mission.
• Add a strong call-to-action (CTA). Use clear, inspiring language like “Give Now” or “Join Us in Making Change” above the fold so donors don’t have to hunt for the donate button.
• Build urgency into your campaign. Whether it’s a countdown timer, matching gift challenge, or clear deadline, urgency motivates donors to give now rather than later.

---

By activating Soapbox Engage features and following these best practices, you can create a smooth, inspiring, and effective donor experience that helps you finish the year strong. Need some help getting started? We’re here to help!