What's the difference between Donorfy Web Widgets and Donorfy Forms?

If you prefer your content delivered to your ears rather than your eyes I have touched on the differences between Donorfy Web Widgets and Donorfy Forms before in a video I uploaded to the Charity Toolkit YouTube Channel a couple of years ago. You can head to the specific segment of my Donorfy Together conference recap video to get the overview, but read on if you want the comprehensive breakdown between the two.

At the time of writing I've been working with charities using Donorfy's CRM system for 10 years, and those charities have requested from me one particular service way more frequently than any other. It's actually a wonder I haven't written about this sooner.

Charities diligently configure their Donorfy Forms and embed them on their websites, but within a few months find their initial reservations about the forms' presentation and functional short-comings don't subside. Donorfy Forms, it has to be said, lack in attractiveness and optimal usability, and because they are served from source (they exist on Donorfy domains and are embedded via iframe) they do not enjoy the privilege of being customised because their coding is broadly inaccessible.

The most common request from charities seeking my help is to redesign their Donorfy Forms to be more cohesive with their websites, to squash the bugs and get the quirks ironed out, and to collect much richer data.

Scoping the precise data/transaction needs of the integration allows me to prescribe one of two solutions for a charity's form dilemmas. I might suggest we pursue my code injection method and bolster the forms they already use; custom styling and functional coding can be introduced to offer a much better user experience, as I demonstrate in this video.

I might suggest pivoting to an entirely widget-based solution, ripping out the Donorfy Forms and replacing them with a custom-built template housing one or several Donorfy Web Widgets to facilitate collecting donations for both restricted and unrestricted funds. Doing this affords incredible looking user interfaces and back-end admin controls. If you're interested in what's possible with Web Widget customisation I've uploaded a mini-series of videos to the Charity Toolkit YouTube channel showcasing seven Donorfy Web Widget integrations ranging from straight-forward builds through to more complex, multi-layered ones.

So what are the fundamental differences between Donorfy Forms and Donorfy Web Widgets?

I mentioned before that Donorfy Forms are served via iframes, and inherent complications of this method include things like superfluous scrolling, uncontrollable responsive rendering, and undesirable redirect results. Donorfy Web Widgets are not subjected to any of those complications (though it's worth mentioning that each of those Donorfy Form complications can be cured via my code injection method).

Web Widgets are transaction-centric. Whereas you might use a Donorfy Form to facilitate newsletter sign ups, register communication preferences, or other non-transactional journeys, a Web Widget must always take payment, using the GoCardless, Stripe, Apple Pay, PayPal and Google Pay gateways/merchants.

Donorfy Forms can optionally take payment using that same list of gateways/merchants above - except for Apple Pay. Because of the domain-level authorisation necessary to initiate Apple Pay, Donorfy Forms embedded on your website are incompatible, and so the gateway is unavailable.

As stated, Donorfy Forms are served externally, with their coding behind Donorfy's curtain. Conversely, the coding of Donorfy Web Widgets is available inline, so their HTML, scripts and styling can all be tailored to offer the perfect blend of great user experience and enhanced data capture. It's thanks to this that I've been able to build approximately 100 digital donation interfaces to date for charities across the globe.
But data capture can only go so far with a widget; where Donorfy Forms can interface directly with timeline Actives, Web Widgets cannot. Similarly, where a Donorfy Form can cater for an Organisation, Web Widgets out of the box can only act at the capacity of an individual. Donorfy Forms offer dynamic Fund selection, Web Widgets do not, and so on. This sounds like a list of Donorfy Web Widget shortcomings, but the good news is - if budget allows - you can employ the Donorfy API to hook onto the end of a Web Widget journey and extend it to handle these data scenarios and more.

In summary:
If you're not taking payment, stick with Donorfy Forms and book me in to give them an overhaul using code injection. This is a cheaper option than any custom development with Web Widgets.

If you are taking payment, nine times out of ten you can recreate what you need using a custom Donorfy Web Widget integration. This is a pricier solution, and pricier still if we need the API to fill in the gaps, but the results will be superior in terms of design, data handling, replication and maintainability. Donorfy Forms don't come close.

To get started on your Donorfy integration project, please book yourself into an available meeting slot in my calendar so that we can commence the scoping process.

If your charity requires other services - such as brand and design or general website development - find out more about what I can offer on my charity services page.