Your online fundraising profile: write a page that converts

A good online fundraising page is the single highest-leverage thing you’ll set up. It works while you sleep, makes it effortless for friends and family to donate, and gives every event and sponsor a place to send people. A bad page raises almost nothing — even from the same network. The difference is mostly in the writing and the sharing, not the platform.

Which platform should you use?

JustGiving’s classic “charity” pages require a registered charity; their crowdfunding pages don’t. Read each platform’s terms — most allow personal fundraising for educational travel, but a few don’t.

How to write a page that actually converts

The pages that hit target share five things:

1. A specific story, not a generic appeal. Not “I’m raising money for a medical elective” — try “I’m a 4th-year medical student travelling to a rural hospital in Tanzania for 6 weeks to learn how doctors deliver care with limited resources.”
2. A real target with a breakdown. “£2,800: £1,400 placement fee, £900 flights, £200 vaccinations, £300 insurance and spending.” People give more readily when they can see exactly what their donation covers.
3. Why this destination, this specialty. Tie it to your career interest. A one-line “why” beats three paragraphs of background.
4. What you’ll bring back. A reflection, a presentation at your medical school, a blog — anything that says “this isn’t a holiday.”
5. One clear photo. You, ideally in scrubs or your university lanyard. Not a stock image of a hospital.

A template you can copy

I’m raising £[target] to fund my [specialty] elective in [country].

I’m [name], a [year] [medical / nursing / midwifery] student at [university]. This [number] of weeks I’ll be at [type of hospital] in [country], where I’ll be observing and assisting in [specialties] under local supervision.

Why this matters to me: [1–2 sentences — your career interest, why you chose this destination].

Where the money goes: placement fee £[amount], flights £[amount], vaccinations £[amount], insurance £[amount], visa & spending £[amount]. Total £[target].

What I’ll share when I’m back: [a reflection / presentation at the medical school / blog].

Every donation, however small, helps me get there. Thank you.

How to share it

Most pages stall because they’re shared once and forgotten. A working schedule:

• Launch: share on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp groups and LinkedIn (a short, sincere post — not just the link).
• Email blast to family, your phone contacts and your university year group on day 2.
• Update once a week when you have something to say — a sponsor on board, an event coming up, a milestone passed.
• The donation reply. When someone donates, reply within 24 hours with a personal thank-you. People give again to fundraisers who do this.
• Pre-departure: a “I leave in 2 weeks, here’s my final ask” post almost always brings in a last burst.
• Post-trip: a “thank you, here’s what I learned” post closes the loop and builds goodwill for future fundraising.

Common mistakes

• Setting the target too low — once you hit it, donations stop. Set the full real total, not a “minimum.”
• Long, apologetic copy — short and specific outperforms long and humble every time.
• No photo or a stock photo — donors give to people, not concepts.
• Sharing only on launch — without weekly updates, donations stall after week 2.
• Not following up after donations — a personal thank-you is the cheapest way to double future donations.

Keep going

Pair your page with events (every event = a fresh share), sponsors (offer them logo placement on your page), and press coverage. And don’t skip the formal funding routes — see our full guide to elective bursaries, grants and Erasmus+. Back to the fundraising hub.