Generic Page
Personalised Page
What are PURLs?
- A unique web address created for each supporter that links to a personalised donation page.
- Used in email, SMS, or direct mail campaigns to pre-fill forms and tailor the experience based on donor data.
Why use PURLs?
- Reduce friction: pre-filled forms mean fewer clicks and faster giving.
- Increase relevance: personalised ask amounts and messaging lift conversion.
- Track individual responses: measure performance at the supporter level.
How PURLs work
An encrypted ID is created called a ‘Hash’
The ID is appended to your donation page URL
Supporter clicks their personalised link
Funraisin uses the ID to pull in supporter data
The page displays personalised content
What’s in a PURL?
Here's what a PURL typically looks like:
give.charity.org/tax?incid=a580fe022c9388a8c966f162eed31e6
Appeal Page URL
give.charity.org/tax
This is the donation page you’ve built in Funraisin.
It’s where you’ve added personalisation tags—like first name, previous donation amount, and email—into the content or donation form.
URL Query String
?incid=
This is the part of the URL that tells Funraisin to go fetch the supporters’ data.
The ? signals that everything after it is a request.
incid= tells Funraisin to look for an incomplete record in the database Think of it as the instruction: “Find the record that matches this encrypted, unique ID.”
Funraisin Hash
a580fe022c9388a8c966f162eed31e6
This is the unique string that identifies the supporter’s record.
Funraisin uses it to find the right data—like first name, previous donation amount, and email—so it can personalise the page.
Key Personalisation Tags & how to use them
| Names | Suggested Donation Amount | Custom Fields | Donation Handles | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personalisation tag | donation_amount | d_custom1 d_custom2 |
dh1_amount dh2_amount dh3_amount dh4_amount |
d_email d_phone_mobile d_address_pcode d_organisation etc |
| How to use | Use to reference their most recent gift, or the amount you’d like them to consider. |
Use these to store things like: • Previous appeal name • Campaign segment • Thank-you message variant |
Use these fields to display multiple donation amounts on the form that feel right for each donor, based on their past giving. | Pre-fills the donation form to reduce friction. |
| Example |
“John, will you give again this tax time?” “Your gift of $150 last year made a difference. Will you match it this year?” “Will you give $150 to help rehome an old dog?” |
“Here’s a thank-you message just for our most loyal supporters.” “Here’s a thank-you message for our old dog supporters.” |
Instead of default donation amounts—show supporters customised amounts based on their giving potential/history. | NA |
How to set a donation uplift amount
| Approach | How it works | Example message | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeat last gift | Use |
“Will you give $100 again this tax time?” | Donors with one-time gifts |
| Modest uplift | Add 10–20% to |
“Your past gift of $100 made an impact—this year, would you consider $120?” | Donors with stable giving history |
| Step-up tiers | Use rules to bump donors into pre-set bands (e.g. $50 → $75, $75 → $100). | “Many supporters like you give $100 during tax time.” | Appeals using fixed donation handles |
| Custom amount per segment | Assign a custom amount to a field like |
“We’re inviting you to give $250 to help us reach more families this winter.” | When past giving doesn’t tell the full story |
Avoiding the creepy line
The “creepy line” is mostly common sense—and you know your supporters best. Personalisation should feel like a natural extension of how you already speak to your community, not a data-driven gimmick.
| What to avoid | Why it feels off |
|---|---|
| Over–the–top formatting | “JANE! GIVE NOW!” (Feels like shouting.) |
| Over–specific localisation | “People in Redfern give $50—so should you.” (Feels presumptive.) |
| Stacking too many details | “Hi Jane Smith from Rivertown, you gave $50 last year.” (Feels invasive.) |
| What works | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Keep it conversational | “Jane, will you give again this tax time?” |
| Use just one or two personal touches | Feels natural—like something you’d say in a phone call or thank-you letter. |
| Pre-fill details to speed up conversion | Reduces friction—supporters can give faster with fewer clicks. |
Tip: If it wouldn’t feel natural in a phone call or handwritten letter, it probably doesn’t belong on the page.
Step by step guides
Integrating PURLs into DM campaigns
Your mailhouse will typically support PURL integration by merging each supporter’s unique PURL into the mail file, just like their name and address.
Two common approaches:
QR codes
Embedding each supporter’s personalised URL as a scannable QR code. Thanks to COVID, QR codes are now second nature for most people—and they’re an easy, mobile-friendly way to get supporters straight to their personalised donation page.
