Campaign donation buttons that work

A supporter who decides to give $25 after reading your position on the school bond has a short window. If the button is hard to find, the form asks for too much, or the page looks sketchy, that $25 stays in their pocket. A good donate button makes giving take less than a minute and keeps your campaign on the right side of its reporting rules.

How the donate button works

On a CandidateLaunch site, and on most well-built campaign sites, the donate button is simply a link. It sends the supporter to your campaign's own donation page on a payment processor. The supporter enters their card and contributor information there. The processor handles the payment and sends the funds to your campaign account.

The common processors for campaigns include:

• WinRed, used by Republican campaigns and committees
• ActBlue, used by Democratic and progressive campaigns and committees
• Anedot, open to campaigns and organizations across the spectrum

Other processors exist, and nonpartisan races (school board, some city and county offices) may use whatever processor their state permits. Each platform has its own eligibility rules, fees and features. Fees change, so check each platform's current pricing page rather than relying on a number you heard from another campaign.

Why we never touch the money

CandidateLaunch does not process, hold or pass through contributions. We link your site to the donation page you set up, and that is the end of our involvement with the money.

That is deliberate. Campaign money comes with legal duties: collecting contributor details, enforcing limits, depositing funds properly and reporting every gift. Those duties belong to your campaign and your treasurer. A website vendor sitting in the middle of the money adds risk and adds questions on your finance reports. Keeping it simple keeps your records clean.

It also means you keep control. If you change vendors or take your site down after the election, your donation page and donor records stay with you.

Setting up the donation account is a job for the candidate or treasurer. Most processors ask for your committee's registered name, its bank account, and details from your state filing. Some also need time to verify the account, so start a few weeks before you plan to launch the site.

What contributor information you may need

Many states and the FEC require campaigns to collect certain information from donors. Typically that includes:

• Full name
• Mailing address
• Employer and occupation, often only above a certain contribution amount
• An attestation that the donor is giving their own money and is eligible to give

Your state may also set limits on how much one person can give, ban contributions from certain sources such as corporations in some states, or require extra reporting for larger gifts. The thresholds differ a lot from state to state, so look up your own. Most processors let you set required fields and maximum amounts on your donation form; set them to match your state's rules.

Suggested amounts and recurring gifts

Most donation pages let you set preset buttons. For a local race, think about who is giving: neighbors, church friends, small business owners. Amounts like $10, $25, $50, $100 and $250, plus an "other" field, cover most supporters without making a $25 gift feel small. If your state limit is lower than one of your presets, remove that preset.

Recurring gifts are worth turning on. A supporter who gives $10 a month from spring through November provides steady money you can plan around for yard signs and mailers. Make the recurring option clear and easy to cancel, and set it to end after Election Day so nobody is charged for a race that is over.

Where to put the button

Put donate where people decide to give:

• In the site header, so it appears on every page
• Above the fold on the home page, next to Volunteer
• At the bottom of every issue page, after you make your case
• On the get-involved page, with a sentence about how funds are used
• In your email footer and on the post-event thank-you note

Use a single, clear label: "Donate" or "Contribute." Make the button a color that stands out from the rest of the page, and large enough to tap easily on a phone. Our guide to what every campaign website needs shows how donate fits with the rest of the home page.

Test the button before you share the site

Do this every time you launch or change your donation page:

1. Click Donate from the header, the home page and an issue page. Each should land on the same correct page.
2. Make a small real contribution with your own card.
3. Confirm the receipt email arrives and shows the right committee name.
4. Confirm the gift appears in your processor dashboard with all required contributor fields.
5. Try it on a phone, not just a computer.
6. Refund or report the test gift as your treasurer advises.

Your donation page should also carry your paid-for-by disclaimer if your state requires it. See paid-for-by disclaimers and the disclaimer builder.

Thank donors and keep them

A first gift is the start of a relationship. Send a personal thank-you within a few days, even a short text or handwritten card. Invite donors to volunteer, host a yard sign or come to your next event. People who have given once are your most likely repeat donors and your best word-of-mouth.

Every CandidateLaunch package includes donate and volunteer links connected to your own pages, placed in the header and on the home page, and tested before launch. You set up the donation account; we connect it and make sure it works. See how it works for the full process.

Common questions

Which donation platform should my campaign use?

Use one your state allows and that accepts your campaign. WinRed is used by Republican campaigns, ActBlue by Democratic and progressive campaigns, and Anedot is open to campaigns and organizations across the spectrum. Nonpartisan races may have other options.

Does CandidateLaunch process or hold campaign donations?

No. We link your website to your own donation page. Contributions go straight from the donor to your campaign through your processor, and we never touch the money.

What information do I have to collect from donors?

Many states and the FEC require name and address, and employer and occupation above certain amounts. Thresholds and limits vary, so check your state ethics or elections office, or the FEC for federal races.

Where should the donate button go on my website?

In the site header on every page, above the fold on the home page, and at the bottom of issue and get-involved pages.