How should I add my planned giving microsite to my main website?

Placement on your website matters

Example: “Ways to give” button links to your FreeWill planned giving website

  • Make your planned giving microsite accessible from the top-line navigation in the "Donate" or "Support Us" dropdown menu, as well as on the Ways to Give page of your site.
  • Link to your planned giving microsite on your donate page as “more ways to give.”
  • Integrate on the highest-traffic pages of your website. This could be your main page, donate page, or news/blog posts. 
  • Add your planned giving microsite as a footer link (ex: “create a lifelong impact”).
  • Check for visibility: Can a donor find the planned giving page within two clicks of landing on your website?

 

Inspire donors with bold, direct, and clear Calls to Action (CTA)

Example: Ways to Give page features a “Learn more” button to your planned giving website

  • Make the link to your planned giving microsite an active verb, such as “create your legacy” or “learn more.”
  • Keep the CTA general to attract as many interested supporters as possible. Avoid terms like “estate planning,” “bequest,” or “non-cash gifts” to avoid jargon.

 

Make your CTA a prominent visual button

  • Visitors’ eyes will be drawn to color contrast, so make the button “pop” for visibility. Research indicates that the most effective CTAs have:
    • Action verbs, short and sweet cop
    • Slightly larger font size with space to click
    • A color that “pops” with a filled-in, “clickable” design

 

Prioritize page placement over SEO

  • While SEO can be impactful, it is more important to make your planned giving microsite visible on your main website.
  • Donors will not often search for your organization and planned gifts, so it is more important to optimize traffic to your main website, integrate your planned giving microsite, and send outreach about your FreeWill tools. 

 

Market your planned giving website

  • For standalone emails, we recommend sending outreach about your FreeWill tools, such as the will creation tool. This is our recommended best practice.
  • To educate donors and provide additional options to give, add a link for donors to “learn more” that directs to your planned giving microsite.

 

How should I customize my planned giving microsite?

Add donor testimonials. Include donor testimonials or quotes to highlight other donors who have made the commitment to a planned gift. Donor testimonials are a great marketing strategy that can help illustrate the tangible impact of a legacy gift.

 

Example donor testimonial

 

In the mission section, show donors why their gift matters. Research shows that Millennial donors are especially motivated to make an impact through their giving. Impact data will help them to envision the difference that a real-time or planned gift will make for the community you serve.

 

Pictures are worth 1,000+ words. Include photos that are unique to your organizational brand and mission. The best photos will highlight the affinity and emotional appeal for donors to make a planned gift. If you need additional photos, several websites offer free stock photos. The best photos will be:

  • High resolution
  • Featuring clear and visible subjects
  • Landscape orientation
  • Motivational and eye-catching
  • Connected to your organizational brand and identity

 

FAQs

What is customizable?

The following assets are customizable:

  • Logo, fonts, and color scheme
  • Images on the website
  • Language and links for the “carousel” section at the top of the homepage
  • Mission and testimonial section
  • Frequently asked questions section
  • Contact information and email for “request more information” form
  • Downloadable PDF guides, sample bequest language, and/or sample codicil as seen on the Will and Trust page: If requested, FreeWill provides templates that we customize to insert your organization’s legal name, EIN, and address.

Example: Customizable resources for donors to download

 

What is not customizable?

  • The microsite layout
  • Content on the gift information pages: We provide updated content on all gift information pages that feature FreeWill’s data-driven best practices, legal expertise, and donor-centric messaging. 

 

Does FreeWill create custom content for my planned giving microsite?

  • No, FreeWill does not create custom content for planned giving microsites at this time. The content included on our planned giving microsites is derived from overall donor-centric messaging best practices, and it has been tested by donors and nonprofits to maximize trust and clarity.

 

Does FreeWill provide templates for downloadable content?

  • FreeWill has a growing library of templates, which currently includes:

    • PDF checklist - guide to estate planning
    • Sample bequest language
    • Sample codicil
  • You can also provide your own content for these resources.

 

How can I make updates to my site?

 

How often will my site be updated?

  • As part of your Planned Giving Microsite contract, FreeWill provides one hour of customization work per month. 
  • Please allow 3 business days for site updates.

 

Will my planned giving microsite have tracking links to my FreeWill tools?

  • Yes, planned giving microsites will contain tracking links to FreeWill tools to view clicks and gift conversions. 
  • This information will be visible in your Partner Portal in the Campaign Performance Summary table. 
  • The medium “fwpg” represents all visits and gifts from your planned giving microsite.

 

Can I remove types of gifts from my microsite?

  • Yes, on your intake form, you can specify which types of gifts you would like to appear on your microsite. To make changes, please email Digital Services.

 

Can I link to my “donate now” page? 

  • Yes, you can add a link to your donate page on your planned giving microsite.

 

How can I view analytics for my planned giving microsite?

  • You can view Google Analytics for your microsite by providing your Google Analytics account to our Digital Services team. 

 

Can FreeWill create emails about my planned giving microsite?

  • At this time, FreeWill does not provide content specifically for planned giving microsites. However, we recommend integrating your planned giving microsite into your outreach to educate your donors and provide additional ways to give.
  • Based on our data and best practices, we provide copy for emails to donors that link directly to your FreeWill tools. This allows us to better track gift generation and results from your outreach, and gives a direct call-to-action for donors ready to make a gift.

 

Who should I contact with questions?

 

Additional resources