When you go to Online Giving Forms and open a form, there are several ways to share it with contributors. The option you choose depends on how you want to present the form. Here are some scenarios to help you decide.

• Direct Link is best when you want to share the form directly with someone in an email or bulletin. If you have access to edit your organization's website, you can also use this as a link URL on a button. This option opens the form in a new browser tab, separate from the website where the person clicked the link.
• Overlay can be used to share the form on your organization's website, without leaving the browser tab. This option opens the form over the current webpage the person is viewing, so they can still see the information in the background.
• Embed is also used to share the form on your organization's website. But instead of showing it over the webpage where the link was clicked (like the Overlay), this option opens the form inside of the current page the person is viewing. The form still displays as the person scrolls up and down the page. This could be helpful if there's information on the page that the contributor needs to reference while giving or pledging.

How does it work for your website?

First, if you've enabled stock and cryptocurrency and have approved more than one giving method for your form, you can select which method displays as the default for your contributors. As you make your selection in the page for the form you opened, the code updates automatically.

Next, you'll decide which share option you want. If you use the direct link, all you have to do is copy the link and place it where you want to share it. If you want the overlay or embed, click Show instructions to expand the steps. Follow these directions to add the script and link/code in the appropriate place on your website.

You can add the script anywhere on your website since it won't add any elements—it just works in the background. The link for the overlay could be behind a button or other element you choose. The code for the embed should go in the location where you want the form to display on your website.

Once your share option is in place, people can click the link or visit the page where the embed is and view your form!

Before You Begin

You must have access to all HTML tags. This may require different subscription levels depending on your content management system (CMS).

For example, if you use WordPress®, you can set up the direct link on your giving webpage. Make sure your organization follows PCI guidelines and secures your website before you embed your form. Once the link is ready, add a custom HTML block to the same page under the direct link. If you're embedding a giving form, paste the embed code from Giving into this HTML block.

Not all content management systems are the same. Be sure to read your preferred CMS's help documentation to learn more about what it offers, and work with your web designer to ensure your giving form link displays correctly.

Tips for Refresh Websites

If you want the form to pop out on the webpage itself, insert the full embed code using the Header HTML feature.

Or, put the direct link behind a clickable button. You can display this button on your website where contributors can find it. When contributors click the button, it will take them away from your website.

Watch & Learn

Learn about the different ways to share your giving and Pledge forms.

It may take a minute for the video to display. To enlarge the video, click the Fullscreen icon in the video player (beside the play button).