Nonprofit Website Accessibility: Donation Forms

Opening answer

Nonprofit website accessibility lives or dies on the donation form. A donor who cannot complete a gift because an amount choice has no label, an error message appears only in red, or focus disappears into a payment widget will not try a second time, and the nonprofit will never know why the gift stopped. A donation form needs the same care as any financial transaction form: every amount choice labeled, every required field named in words, every error described in text with a suggested fix, and a review step before payment. Event pages and videos support that core task, but they do not replace it.

Amount choice: label the choice, not only the button

Most donation forms offer preset amounts plus a custom amount field. Each preset amount is a control, and each control needs a label that states the amount and the giving frequency if one is chosen. A radio button labeled only "25" leaves a screen reader user guessing whether that figure is a one time gift or a monthly gift. Group amount choices under "Gift amount", and frequency choices under "How often". The WAI Forms Tutorial pattern applies here: group related controls, label each control, and give instructions before the user acts.

A custom amount field needs its own label, such as "Custom amount in dollars", plus an instruction that states the currency and any minimum in words, if a minimum exists. Do not use a placeholder as the label, because a placeholder disappears when typing starts and may not be announced reliably. Do not rely on a dollar sign icon alone to show currency, because an icon carries no text meaning for a screen reader user. Put the currency in the label or in text beside the field.

Recurring giving needs a plain explanation on the form, not only in a help page. State the frequency, the start date in words, and how a donor can change or stop the gift, in text on the donation page itself. If the payment widget is supplied by a third party, test the amount and frequency controls inside that widget with a keyboard, because a labeled form on the nonprofit site does not fix an unlabeled control inside an embedded widget.

Error handling: text, focus and a way back

Error handling is where donation forms most often fail, and it is also where the fix is clearest. WCAG 2.2 criterion 3.3.1 asks that an input error, when automatically detected, is identified and described in text. Criterion 3.3.3 asks that a suggestion for correction is given when one is known. Criterion 3.3.4, which covers legal, financial and data transactions, asks that a submission is reversible, checked or confirmed. A donation form should meet all three in plain practice: name the field in text, say what is wrong in text, suggest a fix in text, and show a review step before the donor pays.

Work through the common errors one by one. An empty required field gets a message beside the field, such as "Email address is required so a receipt can be sent." An invalid card number gets a message that states the problem, such as "The card number entered does not look complete. Please check the number and try again." A custom amount below a stated minimum gets a message that repeats the minimum in words. Each message must be linked to its field, and focus must move to the first error after a failed submission.

Colour alone is never an error message. ADA guidance on web accessibility lists error indicators as a core part of an accessible online form, alongside labels and clear instructions. A red border helps a sighted visitor who can see colour, but it tells a screen reader user nothing. Pair every colour cue with text, and pair every icon cue with text as well.

Practice the focus habit on the donation page with the focus quiz, then test the real form with a keyboard. WCAG 2.2 criterion 2.4.7 asks for visible focus, and criterion 2.4.11 asks that a focused component is not entirely hidden by author created content, such as a sticky donate bar. A donate button that stays pinned to the bottom of the screen is useful only if it never covers the field a donor is trying to complete.

Event pages and video: support the gift, do not distract from it

Event pages carry a different risk: they bury the key facts in a poster image. Date, time, venue, ticket price and access information belong in HTML text on the event page, not only inside an image of a flyer. A screen reader user who hears only "event flyer" gets none of those facts. Put the facts in text first, then use the poster image as a visual extra, with alt text that names the event and the date.

Registration forms for events need the same label and error discipline as donation forms, with one extra check: ticket quantity and attendee details. Group attendee fields per ticket, label each attendee name field with its ticket number in words, and state in text whether attendee details are required for every ticket or only for the buyer.

Video on a nonprofit site, such as a mission video or an event recording, needs captions. WCAG 2.2 criterion 1.2.2 asks for captions on prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, except when the media is a labeled alternative for text. Captions must carry dialogue and meaningful sound information, stay in sync, and be turnable on by a keyboard user. A transcript beside the player helps visitors who prefer to read the full text. Paid Axeazy plans include automatic video captioning, but captions still need a human check for names, places and program terms.

What Axeazy helps with on a nonprofit site

Axeazy scans with 98 automated checks and fixes code in 14 categories, including form labels, link names, button names and ARIA attribute validity, per WCAG 2.2. That covers labeled amount choices, named donate buttons and grouped form controls on a donation page. For a site with a GitHub repo, fixes arrive as a real pull request with a visible diff for the owner or developer to review and merge. For a WordPress site, the free plugin applies 3 instant render time fixes, and paid plans add weekly scans and auto captioning.

Start with the free scan on Axeazy homepage, which takes about 60 seconds, is homepage only and needs no signup and no card. Then compare plans on Axeazy pricing, remembering that paid prices are shown at checkout and annual billing saves 20 to 25 percent. For a wider read, see best accessibility tools for small business and how to choose an accessibility tool, 10 criteria.

FAQ

Why does a donation form need a review step before payment?

Because a donation is a financial transaction, and WCAG 2.2 criterion 3.3.4 asks that such submissions are reversible, checked or confirmed. A review step lets a donor check amount, frequency, name and email before paying.

What makes a good donation error message?

A good message names the field, states the problem in text, and suggests a fix in text, beside the field, with focus moved to the first error after a failed submission. "Email address is required so a receipt can be sent" works. A red border with no text does not, because a screen reader user and a visitor who cannot perceive colour get no information from colour alone.

Should event details live only in a poster image?

No. Put date, time, venue, ticket price and access information in HTML text on the event page, and use the poster image as a visual extra. A screen reader user who hears only "event flyer" gets none of those facts, and a visitor who prints the page may get only the image with no searchable text.

Do nonprofit videos need captions even if the video is short?

Yes, for prerecorded video with audio, under WCAG 2.2 criterion 1.2.2, except when the media is a labeled alternative for text already on the page. Captions should carry dialogue and meaningful sounds, stay in sync, and sit beside a transcript option when the video carries program details a visitor may want to read in full.

What should a nonprofit do if it receives a demand letter about its website?

This is general information, not legal advice. If you received a demand letter or were sued, talk to a qualified attorney. Keep a dated record of scans and fixes ready for that conversation.

Last checked and sources

Last checked: October 31, 2026.

Sources: WCAG 2.2 from the World Wide Web Consortium, ADA guidance on web accessibility from the Department of Justice, WAI Forms Tutorial, Axeazy pricing page, Axeazy WordPress plugin page.

If the donation form is the first fix, read how scan findings are scored on Axeazy methodology before choosing a plan.

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