NewFilmmakers Los Angeles
Expanding Donation Opportunities
Redefining what it means to support a nonprofit organization
Contributions
Visual Design, User Testing, Design Strategy
Stackholders
Larry Laboe
Founder
Timeline
1 week
Overview
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles is a nonprofit independent film festival that champions emerging filmmakers. Before the redesign, users could only donate through a basic PayPal link. While other ways to support the organization existed, they were only shared through direct conversations with the founder. I led the redesign of the donation page to surface these alternative options and add social proof that reinforces the organization's impact.
My Role
I led the redesign of the donation page, mapping out the user flow, identifying key donation methods to highlight, and incorporating testimonials. I worked closely with stakeholders to ensure the final design aligned with their goals and messaging.
Problem
Problem
Issues
Although users could do more than donate via PayPal, these methods were not available to review and lacked hierarchy or narrative guiding the donor journey. The page didn’t offer reasons or context for choosing between options, and many visitors defaulted to contacting the founder for clarity.
Business Impact
Because donation options were fragmented and lacked persuasive context, the page underperformed in promoting recurring and high-impact giving. The founder still fielded numerous inquiries about how to donate, taking time away from mission-focused work.
User Pain Points
- The primary 'Donate Now' button led directly to a generic PayPal page, giving the false impression that PayPal was the only donation method available
- Lack of contextual storytelling or clear guidance caused donors to feel uncertain, leading many to contact the founder directly for clarification
Existing Solutions
- PayPal as the default CTA → accessible but created a single-path funnel
- Manual follow-ups → required for non-PayPal support, adding friction and founder dependency
Slide left to right the magic of the new design
Objective
Objective
User Objectives
Surface all giving options equally and guide users to the method that best matches their intent—not just default them into PayPal. Empower users with transparency and choice.
Business Objectives
Reduce reliance on a single donation method by diversifying user pathways. Improve discoverability of tax-efficient giving methods like stock, crypto, or DAFs without requiring manual explanation.
Metrics of Success
Tracked reduction in email/inquiry volume related to how to give post redesign; monitored engagement with donation options and anecdotal donor feedback.
Research
Research
Research Methods
- Held informal conversations with the founder to understand the types of donation requests received and the most common questions or misunderstandings from potential supporters
- Benchmarked donation pages from other nonprofit organizations to identify common patterns in how alternative support options (e.g. sponsorships, in-kind gifts) are presented
User Insights
- Many supporters were unaware of other ways to contribute beyond PayPal donations, and some only learned about options like sponsorships or in-kind donations after speaking directly with the founder
- Potential donors wanted to understand where their money or resources would go and needed more social proof (e.g. testimonials, examples of funded programs)
- The existing donation page felt transactional rather than inviting, missing opportunities to tell the story of impact or guide users toward deeper involvement
Market Insights
- Successful nonprofit websites often include tiered donation options, social proof, recurring donation prompts, and transparency about how funds are used
- Pages that highlight multiple ways to give—such as volunteering, sponsorships, or matching gifts—tend to increase engagement and support from a broader audience
Testing of Assumptions
- Validated the assumption that simply adding more donation methods would not be enough—clear explanations, guidance, and impact storytelling were also essential for adoption
Impact on Project
The final design prioritized clarity and storytelling: donation types were broken into clear categories with brief explanations, and social proof elements were added to increase trust and engagement. This allowed supporters to understand and act on new ways to give without needing direct outreach.
Design
Design
Ideation
Grouped donation options into clear thematic sections, such as 'Financial Gifts', 'Stock & Crypto', 'DAF & Planned Giving', and 'Offline Giving', to help donors quickly identify the method that fits their intent. Each section uses concise benefit-focused headers and icons for visual clarity.
Prototype
Created Figma prototypes using card-based and section layouts. Each donation method provided instructions on how they can donate to the organization. To build social proof, I incorporated donor testimonials (‘Why give?’) to build emotional trust in future donors needed more.
Design Decisions
The original primary CTA led directly to PayPal, which unintentionally signaled that other donation options didn’t exist. In the redesign, each donation method includes its own context and CTA, empowering users with more informed choices.
User Testing
Presented prototypes to the founder. Their feedback confirmed that the grouped headings, benefit-forward copy, and visual structure made it easier for users to understand donation options without additional explanation.
Results
Results
Performance Metrics
By replacing the single PayPal CTA with multiple clear donation pathways, users engaged more with previously overlooked giving options like crypto, stock, and offline gifts. This diversification led to more balanced donor behavior.
Impact on Users
Users no longer defaulted to PayPal by habit. Instead, they made more informed choices, often opting for recurring or tax-efficient giving types when clearly presented.
Impact on Business
Founder reported fewer questions about how to give. The page now presents professionally in donor and partner communications.
Lessons Learned
A technically working donation button isn’t enough, what mattered was the surrounding context, messaging, and structure that drive meaningful giving. The old flow funneled users into a PayPal screen that stripped away the brand’s voice and failed to showcase the organization’s impact. Giving isn’t just about convenience, but rather it’s about connection.
Areas of Improvement
Next step: implement tooltips or inline FAQs for each giving method, and measure click-throughs to determine which option resonates most; consider A/B testing CTA language or section ordering.
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