Removing social proof from the Popup Element

Removing the Popup social proof message had no impact on donation conversion.

What we tested

Social proof is widely used in fundraising because it can reassure supporters that others are giving too. But every element in the donation experience should justify its place. If something isn't helping donors complete their gifts, a simpler experience is often better.

The Fundraise Up Popup Element can display a social proof message such as "Join the N people who donated in the last N days." While this message was designed to encourage giving, we wanted to validate whether it was still contributing to fundraising performance.

To test this, we removed the social proof line from the Popup while keeping everything else the same.

The goal was simple: determine whether the social proof message meaningfully increased donation conversion or whether supporters responded just as well without it.

Hypothesis

If we remove the social proof message from the Popup, donation conversion among Popup visitors will decrease by at least 10%, because seeing recent donor activity helps build trust and encourages supporters to complete their gift.

Test setup

Duration	27 days
Timing	November–December 2023
Audience	~2.3 million Popup views
Group split	• 50% control (Popup shown with the social proof line) • 50% test (Popup shown without the social proof line)
Key metrics	• Donation conversion among Popup viewers • Average donation amount (ARPPU)

Key results

Removing the social proof message did not negatively affect fundraising performance.

No statistically significant change in donation conversion among Popup visitors
No statistically significant change in average donation amount (ARPPU)
More supporters opened Checkout after seeing the simplified Popup, but this did not translate into additional completed donations

Conclusion

The hypothesis was not confirmed.

Removing the social proof message had no measurable impact on donation conversion or average donation amount. Supporters completed donations at the same rate whether the message was shown or not.

Because the element did not provide a measurable fundraising benefit, we removed it from the Popup to create a simpler, cleaner donor experience.

What this means for you

Not every optimization means adding something new. Sometimes the best donor experience comes from removing elements that don't contribute to fundraising outcomes.

This test is a good example of how we continuously simplify the donation journey. Every message, button, and interaction must prove its value through real donor behavior before it earns a place in the giving experience.

The result is a donation flow that's focused, evidence-based, and continuously refined to help nonprofits raise more.

→ Explore how Fundraise Up Elements help engage more donors.