ChatGPT answers, unedited

• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Beth Interactive Inc. - 4541 N Ravenswood Ave #303, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Gulo Solutions - 4256 N Ravenswood Ave #110, Chicago, IL 60613
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Glantz Design - 1881 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Doing Good Digital - 312 Arizona Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States
• CauseHouse - 1054 Bushwick Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Meyer Partners - 8745 W Higgins Rd Suite 110, Chicago, IL 60631, United States
• SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency - 2089 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Doing Good Digital - 668 N Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651, United States
• Cybernautic Web Design - 515 N State St #14-126, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Heller Consulting - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 622, Chicago, IL 60604

Yes. I’d narrow the Chicago market considerably if donation-page conversion optimization is the primary requirement rather than general nonprofit web design.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Orbit Media — my first call

orbitmedia.com

This is the strongest match I found for your exact combination of Chicago + UX/UI + nonprofit + measurable conversion optimization.

The particularly relevant evidence is their work for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, where their optimization work explicitly included improving UX/conversion rates around donations and volunteer sign-ups. Orbit Media Studios

Even more compelling, their work for Off the Street Club produced a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate, alongside prominent CTAs and conversion strategy. Orbit Media Studios

They also worked with Nourishing Hope on conversion copy and CTAs specifically intended to increase donations, alongside responsive/accessibility improvements and navigation changes. Orbit Media Studios

I'd ask Orbit for: a dedicated donation-page audit rather than starting with a full website redesign. Give them your analytics and ask them to identify the highest-impact friction points first.

2. Beth Interactive — potentially the best fundraising specialist

bethinteractive.com

If your organization is primarily concerned with raising more money rather than simply improving the website, Beth Interactive deserves a serious conversation.

Their Chicago operation is specifically focused on nonprofit digital fundraising. Their work includes digital donor-journey audits, examining the experience from the initial landing on a giving page through donation completion, along with analytics and conversion-barrier analysis.

That's a somewhat different proposition from a traditional UX agency: they're closer to a digital fundraising optimization partner.

I'd put them high on the list if you're looking at things like:

• Donation-form abandonment
• One-time → monthly-giving conversion
• Gift-array optimization
• Mobile donation completion
• Campaign landing pages
• Donor journey/funnel optimization
• Email → landing page → donation conversion
• Fundraising analytics

3. Gulo Solutions — good hybrid UX/CRO option

Gulo Solutions

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:(773) 276-8066)

Gulo is interesting if you want a firm that's more traditionally web/UX + CRO rather than exclusively fundraising-focused. Their offering includes UX, analytics, CRO, customer-journey analysis and ongoing optimization.

I'd put them behind Orbit and Beth Interactive for this particular use case because I found less publicly documented evidence of donation-page-specific conversion lifts.

4. Dialogue Theory — strong UX candidate

Dialogue Theory

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 617-922-3790)

Dialogue Theory is particularly interesting if your donation problem is intertwined with a broader information architecture / UX / storytelling problem.

They're Chicago-based and work with mission-driven organizations, with UX/UI and digital strategy at the center of their offering.

I'd interview them if the project is something like:

"Our donation page isn't converting because the entire donor journey—from understanding our impact to deciding to give—isn't working."

I'd be more cautious if the brief is narrowly:

"We already have a good site. We need someone to A/B test the donation form and increase completed gifts."

In that case, Orbit/Beth are more directly evidenced.

5. Glantz Design — smaller-agency alternative

Glantz Design

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 847-864-8003)

Glantz, based in Evanston, is worth considering if you want a smaller team. Their capabilities explicitly include donation flows, UX/UI, analytics, testing/validation and ongoing optimization.

I would, however, ask them for concrete before/after fundraising metrics before putting them ahead of the firms above.

One important distinction

There are actually two different agency profiles you're looking for:

A. UX/CRO agency

They'll investigate:

traffic → landing page → donation form → checkout → confirmation

using analytics, usability research, heatmaps, A/B tests, UX changes, copy and form optimization.

B. Digital fundraising agency

They'll investigate the entire fundraising system:

acquisition → campaign → story/impact → donation → recurring gift → retention

For a nonprofit whose immediate goal is "increase completed donations on our existing donation page," I'd lean toward A, but I'd want demonstrated nonprofit fundraising experience.

My recommended RFP shortlist

If I were running the agency selection, I'd invite these three to pitch:

1. Orbit Media — strongest combination of Chicago, UX/CRO and documented nonprofit donation results. Orbit Media Studios Orbit Media Studios Orbit Media Studios
2. Beth Interactive — strongest fundraising/donor-journey specialization.
3. Gulo Solutions — useful independent comparison from the more conventional UX/CRO side.

I'd make the RFP deliberately narrow: "Improve donation conversion before we redesign anything."

Ask each agency to provide:

• 2–3 actual donation-page case studies
• Baseline and resulting donation conversion rate
• Change in revenue per visitor
• Change in average gift
• Change in monthly/recurring-gift conversion
• Mobile vs. desktop results
• What they A/B tested
• What analytics/testing platform they used
• Whether results were statistically significant
• How they handle donation-platform constraints (Blackbaud, Engaging Networks, Classy, Fundraise Up, Donorbox, etc.)
• A sample of the first 30-day audit/testing plan

The last point is important: don't let an agency win this project simply by showing you beautiful nonprofit websites. For your objective, the strongest evidence is a case where they can say "the donation conversion rate was X, we changed Y, and it became Z."

One especially useful benchmark is that there are agencies outside Chicago publishing very specific donation experiments—for example, Cornershop Creative reports a 144% increase in revenue per recipient from a relatively small donation-CTA UX change for Friends of the Earth. Cornershop Creative That is the level of specificity I'd ask Chicago agencies to demonstrate in their pitches.

"We already have a good site. We need someone to A/B test the donation form and increase completed gifts."

In that case, Orbit/Beth are more directly evidenced.

5. Glantz Design — smaller-agency alternative

Glantz Design

Glantz, based in Evanston, is worth considering if you want a smaller team. Their capabilities explicitly include donation flows, UX/UI, analytics, testing/validation and ongoing optimization.

I would, however, ask them for concrete before/after fundraising metrics before putting them ahead of the firms above.

One important distinction

There are actually two different agency profiles you're looking for:

A. UX/CRO agency

They'll investigate:

traffic → landing page → donation form → checkout → confirmation

using analytics, usability research, heatmaps, A/B tests, UX changes, copy and form optimization.

B. Digital fundraising agency

They'll investigate the entire fundraising system:

acquisition → campaign → story/impact → donation → recurring gift → retention

For a nonprofit whose immediate goal is "increase completed donations on our existing donation page," I'd lean toward A, but I'd want demonstrated nonprofit fundraising experience.

My recommended RFP shortlist

If I were running the agency selection, I'd invite these three to pitch:

• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Gulo Solutions - 4256 N Ravenswood Ave #110, Chicago, IL 60613
• Glantz Design - 1881 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Meyer Partners - 8745 W Higgins Rd Suite 110, Chicago, IL 60631, United States
• Doing Good Digital - 312 Arizona Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States
• Beth Interactive Inc. - 4541 N Ravenswood Ave #303, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• CharityGiving - 118 N Clinton St Ste 301, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Project World Impact - 3805 E Main St Suite F, St. Charles, IL 60174
• Cybernautic Web Design - 515 N State St #14-126, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Access Direct Nonprofit Marketing - 209 Des Plaines Ave, Forest Park, IL 60130, United States
• Zora Digital - WeWork, 20 W Kinzie St 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Lipman-Hearne - 200 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60604

Yes. I’d narrow the Chicago market quite a bit if the goal is donation-page conversion, rather than simply “a good nonprofit web designer.”

Based on current case studies and local agency profiles, these are the strongest candidates I’d investigate:

My Chicago shortlist

1. Spark Collective — strongest evidence for donation-page CRO

DirectionsWebsite

This is probably the first agency I’d interview.

Spark Collective is nonprofit-focused and has unusually direct evidence of donation conversion work. One published case study reports a 23% donation-page conversion rate vs. a stated 17% industry average, along with a 66% year-over-year increase in digitally attributed donations. Their work included website conversion-rate optimization as part of a broader digital fundraising program. Spark Collective

Why I'd consider them:

• Nonprofit fundraising is core to their practice.
• Actual donation-page conversion metrics, not just generic “UX improvements.”
• They appear comfortable combining UX, messaging, fundraising strategy, email and digital campaigns.
• Particularly interesting if you want ongoing CRO, rather than a one-time redesign.

Best fit: An organization that wants an agency accountable for donations and fundraising performance, not just the website.

2. Dialogue Theory — strongest UX/UI-oriented option

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 617-922-3790)

Dialogue Theory is a Chicago design/development studio working with mission-driven organizations, nonprofits and civic organizations. Its core strength is closer to UX strategy + UI + digital experience design than traditional fundraising agency work.

I would put them high on the list if your donation-page problem is fundamentally an experience/design problem—information architecture, trust, mobile UX, accessibility, storytelling, form friction, etc.

Caveat: I found less public evidence of donation-page A/B testing specifically than with Spark Collective. I'd therefore make that a major question in the pitch process.

Best fit: You need a substantially better donor experience and want a sophisticated UX/UI partner.

3. Beth Interactive — very strong nonprofit fundraising specialization

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+17733324022)

Beth Interactive is particularly interesting because it sits at the intersection of digital fundraising, donor communications, analytics and donor-journey optimization.

Their services include digital donor-journey audits that evaluate the experience from the initial landing on giving pages through donation completion, plus analytics and optimization.

That's exactly the kind of capability I'd want if you're trying to answer:

“Why are people arriving at our donation page but not completing their gift?”

rather than merely:

“Can someone redesign our donation page?”

Best fit: Mature nonprofit fundraising operation where donor journey, segmentation, email, analytics and digital giving all need to work together.

4. Gulo Solutions — good CRO/UX hybrid

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:(773) 276-8066)

Gulo is a Chicago-based web agency with an explicit conversion-rate optimization, analytics and UX orientation. Their positioning emphasizes usability and conversion-focused UX, and their local profile indicates nonprofit/foundation experience.

I'd consider them if you want a more conventional web + UX + CRO agency rather than a fundraising-specialist shop.

Best fit: You want to redesign the site/donation experience while also establishing an ongoing analytics/CRO program.

5. Glantz Design — interesting boutique option

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 847-864-8003)

Glantz is in Evanston rather than Chicago proper, but close enough that I'd include them in the search.

Their capabilities specifically include UX/UI, donation flows, analytics, testing/validation and ongoing optimization.

This is interesting because it combines the design side with actual donation-flow optimization rather than treating the donation page as an afterthought.

Best fit: A smaller, senior-led design partner where you want hands-on UX/UI and iterative optimization.

6. Nonprofit Megaphone — fundraising/performance option

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-887-0050)

Nonprofit Megaphone is more of a nonprofit digital marketing/performance agency than a pure UX studio. Their work includes conversion-focused optimization and landing pages.

I'd consider them if the donation page is only one component of the problem—for example, you're also trying to improve Google Ad Grants, paid acquisition, SEO and the traffic feeding the donation funnel.

One agency outside Chicago I'd seriously consider

If proven donation CRO experience matters more than geographic proximity, I'd actually widen the search beyond Chicago.

Cornershop Creative has an especially compelling publicly documented case with Friends of the Earth. They conducted A/B tests around donation CTAs and pathways, including testing “Donate Now” against “Donate.” One CTA optimization reportedly produced a 144% increase in revenue per recipient. Cornershop Creative

That's the type of evidence I'd prioritize over a portfolio full of beautiful nonprofit websites.

Similarly, Marketade has published nonprofit UX/A/B-testing work showing a conversion increase from 27% to 71% on a nonprofit flow, and the case explicitly discusses applying the methodology to donation forms. Marketade

And Cro Metrics has demonstrated donation/landing-page experimentation for Everytown, including redesigning campaign landing pages and optimizing the donor journey, with a reported 45% reduction in cost per donation. Cro Metrics

How I'd rank them for your specific objective

What I'd demand in the RFP

I wouldn't ask agencies simply for “examples of nonprofit websites.” I'd ask each one:

1. Show us 2–3 donation-page experiments you've run.
2. What was the baseline conversion rate?
3. What hypothesis were you testing?
4. What changed in the UX/copy/form?
5. What was the statistically significant lift?
6. Did you measure revenue per visitor, not just conversion rate?
7. How did the change affect average gift size and recurring-gift conversion?
8. How do you handle mobile vs. desktop?
9. What analytics/testing stack do you use—GA4, Hotjar/Contentsquare, VWO, Optimizely, etc.?
10. What would you test first on our donation page, and why?

That last question is particularly revealing. A strong CRO agency should be able to look at your existing funnel and immediately identify 3–5 testable hypotheses, rather than proposing a generic redesign.

If you give me your nonprofit's website/donation-page URL, I can also audit it and then identify the 5–10 Chicago agencies that are the best fit specifically for your conversion problem, including their relevant case studies, estimated price tier, and who I'd contact first.

Gulo is a Chicago-based web agency with an explicit conversion-rate optimization, analytics and UX orientation. Their positioning emphasizes usability and conversion-focused UX, and their local profile indicates nonprofit/foundation experience.

I'd consider them if you want a more conventional web + UX + CRO agency rather than a fundraising-specialist shop.

Best fit: You want to redesign the site/donation experience while also establishing an ongoing analytics/CRO program.

5. Glantz Design — interesting boutique option

Glantz is in Evanston rather than Chicago proper, but close enough that I'd include them in the search.

Their capabilities specifically include UX/UI, donation flows, analytics, testing/validation and ongoing optimization.

This is interesting because it combines the design side with actual donation-flow optimization rather than treating the donation page as an afterthought.

Best fit: A smaller, senior-led design partner where you want hands-on UX/UI and iterative optimization.

6. Nonprofit Megaphone — fundraising/performance option

Nonprofit Megaphone is more of a nonprofit digital marketing/performance agency than a pure UX studio. Their work includes conversion-focused optimization and landing pages.

I'd consider them if the donation page is only one component of the problem—for example, you're also trying to improve Google Ad Grants, paid acquisition, SEO and the traffic feeding the donation funnel.

One agency outside Chicago I'd seriously consider

If proven donation CRO experience matters more than geographic proximity, I'd actually widen the search beyond Chicago.

Cornershop Creative has an especially compelling publicly documented case with Friends of the Earth. They conducted A/B tests around donation CTAs and pathways, including testing “Donate Now” against “Donate.” One CTA optimization reportedly produced a 144% increase in revenue per recipient. Cornershop Creative

That's the type of evidence I'd prioritize over a portfolio full of beautiful nonprofit websites.

Similarly, Marketade has published nonprofit UX/A/B-testing work showing a conversion increase from 27% to 71% on a nonprofit flow, and the case explicitly discusses applying the methodology to donation forms. Marketade

And Cro Metrics has demonstrated donation/landing-page experimentation for Everytown, including redesigning campaign landing pages and optimizing the donor journey, with a reported 45% reduction in cost per donation. Cro Metrics

How I'd rank them for your specific objective

What I'd demand in the RFP

I wouldn't ask agencies simply for “examples of nonprofit websites.” I'd ask each one:

1. Show us 2–3 donation-page experiments you've run.
2. What was the baseline conversion rate?
3. What hypothesis were you testing?
4. What changed in the UX/copy/form?
5. What was the statistically significant lift?
6. Did you measure revenue per visitor, not just conversion rate?
7. How did the change affect average gift size and recurring-gift conversion?
8. How do you handle mobile vs. desktop?
9. What analytics/testing stack do you use—GA4, Hotjar/Contentsquare, VWO, Optimizely, etc.?
10. What would you test first on our donation page, and why?

That last question is particularly revealing. A strong CRO agency should be able to look at your existing funnel and immediately identify 3–5 testable hypotheses, rather than proposing a generic redesign.

Yes. I’d narrow the Chicago market considerably if donation-page conversion optimization is the requirement—not just “good nonprofit web design.”

My shortlist

The strongest evidence I found

1. Sandstorm Design — probably my first call for a UX-led engagement.

Sandstorm explicitly says its nonprofit work combines user-centered design, conversion strategy and scalable technology, with ongoing UX research/testing and optimization. Its published nonprofit results include one global think tank that increased conversion rate 4×, and another nonprofit that increased club registrations 110% while supporting tens of millions in online donations. www.sandstormdesign.com

Sandstorm Design nonprofit work

2. Beth Interactive — potentially the best if the problem is specifically the donor journey.

This is less of a conventional UX agency and more of a digital philanthropy/fundraising specialist. Its Chicago practice includes donor-journey audits that examine the experience from arriving on the giving page through completing a donation, plus analytics and ongoing optimization. Beth Interactive Inc.

I'd particularly consider them if you already have a decent website and need to improve donation conversion, recurring giving, donor segmentation, forms and fundraising journeys rather than rebuild everything.

3. Gulo Solutions — interesting CRO/UX hybrid.

Gulo Solutions positions itself around high-performing websites, CRO, analytics and customer-journey optimization. That's attractive if you want an agency that will actually measure behavior rather than simply redesign the donation page aesthetically.

4. Orbit Media — not in the business results above, but one of the strongest Chicago references I found.

This one is worth adding to your RFP. Orbit has unusually direct evidence with Chicago nonprofits:

• For Greater Chicago Food Depository, Orbit specifically worked on UX/conversion rates involving donations and volunteer sign-ups. www.orbitmedia.com
• For Off The Street Club, its redesign produced a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate, using conversion strategy, prominent CTAs, rewritten copy and streamlined development. www.orbitmedia.com
• For Nourishing Hope, Orbit implemented conversion copywriting/CTAs specifically intended to increase donations. www.orbitmedia.com

Orbit Media nonprofit work

One important distinction

If your objective is “redesign our donation page and increase completed donations”, I'd prioritize agencies in this order:

Sandstorm → Beth Interactive → Orbit Media → Gulo → LimeRed → Clique

If the objective is “increase the entire fundraising funnel”—paid traffic → landing page → donation → recurring donation → stewardship—I'd move Beth Interactive and Nonprofit Megaphone higher.

And I would not select an agency based on a generic “CRO” claim. For your RFP, I'd require them to show:

1. A nonprofit donation-page case study
2. Baseline and post-change donation conversion rate
3. Donation abandonment rate
4. Mobile vs. desktop performance
5. Average gift / revenue-per-visitor impact
6. Recurring-donation conversion
7. Actual A/B or usability testing methodology
8. Experience with your donation platform (Classy, Blackbaud, EveryAction, Givebutter, Donorbox, Salesforce, etc.)
9. How they distinguish traffic-quality problems from UX problems
10. What analytics/event instrumentation they would implement before redesigning anything

One especially useful benchmark: VisualFizz, another Chicago agency, reports a nonprofit case where its redesign/CRO work produced 300% more funds raised in Q4 and doubled Giving Tuesday contributions. That's compelling enough to put them on the longer interview list, although I'd ask for more granular donation-page conversion data before putting them ahead of the agencies above. www.visualfizz.com

VisualFizz nonprofit case study

If you tell me your nonprofit's size, current donation platform (e.g. Classy/Blackbaud/Givebutter), and approximate annual online donations, I can narrow this to 3 Chicago agencies and compare them on proven donation CRO results, likely fit, pricing tier, and what I'd ask each one in the RFP.

Yes. I’d narrow the Chicago market considerably if donation-page conversion optimization is the primary requirement rather than simply “nonprofit web design.”

My shortlist

The two I'd put at the top

1. Orbit Media Studios — best overall fit

Orbit has unusually relevant Chicago nonprofit evidence. Its Off the Street Club engagement specifically reports a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate, while its Greater Chicago Food Depository work included improving UX/conversion rates around donations. It also has experience with conversion copy, CTA strategy, accessibility, analytics and ongoing optimization. www.orbitmedia.com

That's much more compelling to me than an agency simply saying “we do UX.”

2. Spark Collective — best if fundraising performance is the center of the brief

Their case study is particularly relevant because they explicitly worked on website conversion-rate optimization and donation-page performance, reporting a 23% donation-page conversion rate and a 66% YoY increase in digitally attributed donations. www.sparkcollective.netwww.orbitmedia.com

I'd favor them if you're looking for an agency that thinks about the whole fundraising funnel, rather than just redesigning the page.

One non-Chicago agency I'd seriously benchmark

Even though you asked for Chicago, I'd get one proposal from Cornershop Creative as a benchmark. Their Friends of the Earth engagement is almost exactly the type of work you're describing: ongoing UX testing, donation-path optimization and A/B testing. One change to donation-button language reportedly produced a 144% increase in revenue per recipient. cornershopcreative.com

That's the kind of evidence I'd want every prospective agency to provide.

What I'd ask agencies before hiring

I'd avoid asking, “Have you done nonprofit UX?” That's too easy to answer yes to.

Instead, ask each one:

1. Show us 2–3 donation-page projects where you can quantify the before/after conversion result.
2. What was the baseline donation conversion rate?
3. Did you optimize the actual donation form, or only the page preceding it?
4. What did you change—ask amounts, recurring giving, form fields, CTA language, trust signals, payment UX, mobile experience, etc.?
5. Did you run A/B tests, and what was statistically validated?
6. How do you distinguish improvements caused by UX from improvements caused by traffic mix or campaign changes?
7. Can you instrument the funnel in GA4/GTM and connect donation completion back to acquisition source?
8. Can you optimize mobile donation conversion separately?
9. What donation platform/CRM integrations have you worked with?
10. What would your first 30 days of CRO work look like before proposing a redesign?

That last question is important. If they immediately propose a beautiful new homepage without first wanting your donation funnel data, abandonment points, device breakdown, traffic sources and existing conversion rate, I'd be cautious.

If this were my shortlist, I'd start with Orbit, Spark Collective, and Beth Interactive, then add Gulo or Dialogue Theory if the project requires a more substantial UX/product redesign. The first three have the strongest combination of nonprofit context and fundraising/conversion expertise from what I could verify. www.sparkcollective.netwww.orbitmedia.com

If you tell me your nonprofit's approximate annual online donations, current donation-page conversion rate, donation platform (Blackbaud, Classy, Givebutter, Stripe, etc.), and whether you want a redesign or just CRO, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare their likely fit, relevant case studies, and engagement model.

Yes. I’d narrow the Chicago market considerably if donation-page conversion optimization is the primary requirement rather than general nonprofit web design.

My shortlist

But there are two agencies I'd put at the top of the list based on publicly documented results:

1. Orbit Media — probably the strongest Chicago fit

Orbit Media Studios

Orbit has unusually relevant Chicago nonprofit evidence. For the Greater Chicago Food Depository, its optimization team explicitly worked on UX/conversion rates around donations and volunteer sign-ups, alongside SEO and content optimization. www.orbitmedia.com

Even more compelling, Orbit's work for Off The Street Club produced a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate through optimized copy, design, navigation and prominent CTAs. www.orbitmedia.com

For Nourishing Hope, Orbit specifically lists conversion copywriting and CTAs to increase donations, responsive/accessibility work, and improvements to user journeys. www.orbitmedia.com

Why I'd shortlist them: they're not just saying "we make nonprofit websites." There's a demonstrated combination of UX + copy + analytics/SEO + conversion optimization + Chicago nonprofit experience.

2. VisualFizz — strongest quantified donation result I found

VisualFizz

VisualFizz has a particularly relevant case study for One Hope United, where they redesigned the transactional journey, added clearer CTAs and CRO tactics specifically to prevent donors from getting lost in the checkout process.

Their reported result: 300% more funds raised in Q4, with Giving Tuesday contributions doubling versus the prior year. www.visualfizz.com

That's the kind of case study I'd want to see when evaluating a donation-page agency: there's an explicit connection between UX → checkout journey → CRO → fundraising outcome, rather than simply "the new site looked better."

One non-Chicago option I'd seriously consider

If you're willing to hire outside Chicago, Cornershop Creative deserves to be in the conversation.

Cornershop Creative

Their Friends of the Earth engagement is unusually close to what you're asking for: A/B testing donation CTAs and pathways, testing with VWO, optimizing donation visibility, and measuring revenue impact. One CTA optimization reportedly generated a 144% increase in revenue per recipient. cornershopcreative.com

That's much closer to a true fundraising CRO practice than a conventional website redesign.

How I'd rank them for your specific need

If your brief is "Take our existing donation page and materially increase completed donations", rather than "redesign our nonprofit website," I'd start with:

1. Orbit Media — best overall Chicago combination of nonprofit + UX + measurable conversion work
2. VisualFizz — strongest quantified donation/checkout case study I found
3. Beth Interactive — particularly compelling if fundraising/donor strategy is as important as UX
4. Gulo Solutions — interesting if you want a more conventional CRO/analytics engagement
5. LimeRed / Mightybytes / Dialogue Theory — strong mission-driven UX agencies, but I'd demand more donation-specific evidence before selecting them

One important caveat: I would not take an agency's general "CRO" experience as proof that they know donation conversion. Donation forms have unusual issues around recurring giving, suggested amounts, payment friction, trust, tax language, tribute/memorial giving, employer matching, mobile checkout, payment failures, and campaign-specific urgency.

What I'd ask every agency before hiring

Ask them for 2–3 examples where they can show the actual before/after numbers for:

• donation-page conversion rate
• donation completion/drop-off rate
• average gift
• recurring-gift conversion
• revenue per visitor/session
• mobile vs. desktop conversion
• specific A/B tests they ran
• donation-form abandonment
• results attributable specifically to UX/CRO rather than increased traffic

And I'd ask: "If we give you our GA4/CRM/fundraising-platform data, what would you analyze in the first 30 days?"

That question will separate a genuine fundraising-CRO team from a web design agency very quickly.

If you tell me what kind of nonprofit you are, your approximate annual online giving, and whether you're on Blackbaud, Classy, Givebutter, Engaging Networks, Salesforce, WordPress, etc., I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare them on likely fit, capabilities, case studies, and expected engagement model.

Yes. If the goal is specifically “improve the UX of our donation pages and prove that the changes increase completed donations,” I’d narrow the Chicago market considerably. A lot of UX agencies can redesign a nonprofit site; fewer can show evidence of donation-specific conversion optimization.

My Chicago shortlist

One agency I'd put at the top: Orbit Media

Orbit Media Studios is probably the strongest all-around Chicago candidate if you want a substantial UX/site engagement rather than merely optimizing a form.

Their nonprofit work is unusually well documented. For Off The Street Club, they redesigned the site around conversion, including navigation, copy, CTAs and UX, and report a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate. www.orbitmedia.comwww.sandstormdesign.com

They also explicitly offer conversion optimization, UX analysis, conversion-oriented copy and analytics—not just visual web design. www.orbitmedia.com

Orbit Media Studios

Another particularly interesting option: Sandstorm

Sandstorm is worth interviewing if you're looking for a research-heavy UX partner rather than a conventional nonprofit marketing agency.

They say they've conducted 5,000+ hours of user research, specifically discuss understanding what motivates donors and what gets in their way, and combine user-centered design with conversion strategy and continuous optimization. Their nonprofit portfolio reports, among other results, a 4× increase in conversion rate for one global think tank. www.sandstormdesign.com

Sandstorm

How I'd rank them for your particular need

If I were running the agency selection:

1. Orbit Media — strongest combination of Chicago nonprofit experience + UX + documented donation conversion result
2. Spark Collective — strongest publicly documented donation-page conversion result
3. Beth Interactive — strongest fundraising/donor-journey expertise
4. Sandstorm — strongest research/UX rigor, particularly for a more sophisticated redesign
5. Gulo Solutions — good CRO/technical alternative

The distinction between #1 and #2 is important: Spark has the cleaner evidence for donation-page CRO specifically, while Orbit has a more mature, broader UX/web optimization practice with a documented nonprofit donation result.

What I'd ask them before hiring

I would not ask simply, “Have you done nonprofit UX?” Instead, ask each agency:

1. Show us 2–3 donation-page experiments where you can quantify the lift in completed donations.
2. What was the baseline donation conversion rate?
3. Did you measure form starts → form completion, or only clicks on the Donate button?
4. How did you segment mobile vs. desktop and new vs. returning donors?
5. What did you learn from user research/session recordings/analytics before redesigning?
6. Can you run A/B tests, rather than making a redesign and declaring it better?
7. How do you optimize for average gift, recurring-gift rate and total revenue per visitor, not just conversion rate?
8. What donation platform have you optimized—Blackbaud, Classy, Givebutter, Engaging Networks, Fundraise Up, custom forms, etc.?
9. Will you continue optimization for 3–6 months after launch?
10. Can you give us the raw experiment results, including unsuccessful tests?

That last point is particularly valuable. A serious CRO agency should be able to tell you what they tested that didn't work, not just show you their prettiest redesigns.

For context, current nonprofit CRO practice increasingly emphasizes reducing form fields, keeping checkout on-site, mobile performance, payment options, recurring-gift UX and continuous A/B testing—not simply improving the visual appearance of the donation page. fundraiseup.com

If you tell me your nonprofit's approximate annual online donation volume, current donation platform (e.g. Blackbaud/Classy/Fundraise Up), and whether you want a full redesign or just CRO of the existing page, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare their likely fit, pricing tier, relevant case studies, and who I'd actually put on the RFP.

Yes. I’d narrow the Chicago market considerably if the goal is UX/UI work specifically tied to increasing donation conversion, rather than simply finding a good nonprofit web-design shop.

My Chicago shortlist

The one I would put at the top: Orbit Media

There's an especially compelling Chicago option that surfaced in the case-study research: Orbit Media Studios.

Orbit has unusually direct evidence connecting UX/design + nonprofit donations + measurable conversion improvement:

• For Off The Street Club, Orbit redesigned the nonprofit's site with conversion-focused copy, prominent CTAs, responsive/accessibility improvements and UX work, resulting in a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate. www.orbitmedia.com
• For Nourishing Hope, Orbit specifically implemented conversion copywriting and CTAs to increase donations, along with responsive UX, navigation improvements and user-journey work. www.orbitmedia.com
• For the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Orbit's optimization program explicitly targeted UX/conversion rates around donations, alongside technical and content optimization. www.orbitmedia.com

That combination makes Orbit one of the clearest fits I've found for your requirement.

If proven donation-page CRO is the #1 criterion

I'd actually evaluate the agencies in roughly this order:

1. Orbit Media — strongest publicly documented Chicago combination of nonprofit + UX + donation conversion.

2. Beth Interactive — potentially even better if you're looking for a fundraising/donor-experience specialist rather than a traditional UX agency. Their work includes digital donor-journey audits, landing-page optimization, analytics and ongoing fundraising optimization.

3. Gulo Solutions — attractive if you want UX + CRO + analytics + development under one roof.

4. Spark Collective — worth considering if the project is primarily about fundraising conversion optimization, rather than a large UX/UI redesign.

5. Sandstorm Design / Dialogue Theory — I'd put these higher if your biggest problem is the overall donor experience, information architecture, usability or visual design, and lower if you specifically need a team with a deep library of donation-page A/B tests.

One important distinction

There are agencies that say they do "conversion optimization," and there are agencies that can demonstrate:

donation page → hypothesis → UX change → A/B test → statistically meaningful result → increased completed gifts/revenue

Those are very different capabilities.

For comparison, I found a non-Chicago nonprofit CRO case study from Brad Cecil & Associates where a donation-page layout A/B test produced an 86% increase in revenue without increasing traffic or average gift size. cecilcommunication.com Another nonprofit digital agency reports taking donation-page conversion from 5% to 13% after optimizing the donation platform and form. bdiagency.com

I'd use that level of specificity as the bar when interviewing Chicago agencies.

What I'd ask each agency

Rather than asking "Do you do CRO?", I'd send them these five questions:

1. Show us 2–3 nonprofit donation-page projects where you can quantify the conversion/revenue improvement.
2. What was the baseline donation conversion rate and what did it become?
3. Which UX/UI changes actually caused the improvement?
4. Did you A/B test the changes, or is the result simply pre/post redesign performance?
5. How would you diagnose our current donation funnel before recommending a redesign?

That will separate the genuine fundraising-CRO specialists from agencies that primarily do attractive nonprofit websites.

If you tell me your nonprofit's approximate annual online donation volume, current donation-platform (Blackbaud, Classy, Givebutter, Engaging Networks, etc.), and whether you're looking for a redesign or optimization of the existing page, I can narrow this to 3 Chicago agencies I'd actually put on the RFP list, including estimated fit, likely strengths/weaknesses, and relevant case studies.

Yes. Based on publicly documented case studies, I’d put two Chicago agencies clearly at the top of the shortlist for a nonprofit that specifically wants UX/UI + donation conversion optimization, rather than just a pretty website.

My shortlist

The first two stand out considerably.

1. Orbit Media — my first call

Orbit Media Studios

Orbit has an unusually relevant portfolio for this exact problem.

For Off the Street Club, Orbit redesigned the nonprofit's site around conversion, including clearer CTAs, improved copy, responsive design and navigation. The result was a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate. www.orbitmedia.com

They've also worked with Nourishing Hope, where the scope explicitly included conversion copywriting and CTAs intended to increase donations, along with UX improvements and clearer user journeys. www.orbitmedia.com

And their Greater Chicago Food Depository work is particularly relevant if you're dealing with multiple audiences. They addressed confusing navigation, competing conversion paths and outdated UX while trying to make it easier for donors and people seeking services to find the right path. www.orbitmedia.com

They've also worked on Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicago & Northwest Indiana, with explicit goals of increasing conversions and donations, using conversion-optimized design/copy and streamlined navigation. www.orbitmedia.com

Why I'd shortlist them: they're not just saying "we do UX." They have several Chicago nonprofit examples where donor behavior/conversion was an explicit business objective.

2. VisualFizz — strongest alternative

VisualFizz

VisualFizz has perhaps the most dramatic publicly reported fundraising result I found.

For One Hope United, they redesigned a problematic donation/Wishbook landing experience. The case study says the old interface was causing donors to abandon the process; VisualFizz redesigned the experience, improved load performance, optimized the transactional journey and introduced clearer CTAs and CRO tactics. The reported results were:

• 300% more funds raised in Q4
• 200% increase in Giving Tuesday contributions
• 30 $1,000+ Wishbooks sold
• Online donations doubled over the following year, according to the client testimonial. www.visualfizz.com

They also explicitly position CRO as part of their web-development practice, including CTA placement, forms and other conversion-focused UX elements. www.visualfizz.com

They have another Chicago-relevant nonprofit example involving BuildOn, where they worked on page speed, CTAs, the donation form and checkout process specifically to make giving smoother. www.visualfizz.com

Why I'd shortlist them: if your primary KPI is donations completed / revenue per visitor, VisualFizz looks very compelling.

3. UX 4Sight — interview, but ask for fundraising proof

UX 4Sight
UX 4Sight
Web
Address: 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: +13122240095

They are a Chicago UX/design agency and could be interesting if you need substantial research, usability testing, information architecture or interaction design.

However, I would not rank them above Orbit or VisualFizz for this particular project based on the evidence I could find. The key thing I'd ask them is:

"Show us three donation or fundraising experiences where you personally measured conversion before and after your UX work."

If they can produce strong examples that aren't publicly documented, they could move up the list.

How I'd rank them for your specific need

If the assignment is "We have an existing donation funnel and want to materially increase completed donations", I'd go:

1. Orbit Media — 9/10
Best combination of nonprofit experience + UX + conversion strategy + Chicago track record.

2. VisualFizz — 8.5/10
Particularly compelling if you're looking for hands-on redesign/development of the donation journey and measurable fundraising improvement.

3. UX 4Sight — 6.5/10
Potentially excellent UX partner, but I don't see enough publicly documented donation-conversion evidence to put them ahead of the first two.

4. Nonprofit Megaphone — 6/10
Worth considering if acquisition/fundraising marketing is as important as the actual UX.

One important distinction

I'd not hire an agency merely because it says "CRO" or "UX/UI." For a donation page, I'd specifically require them to demonstrate experience with:

• donation-form abandonment
• one-time vs. recurring gift optimization
• suggested gift amounts
• mobile donation conversion
• payment/checkout friction
• impact messaging
• CTA and ask-string testing
• A/B testing methodology
• analytics/event instrumentation
• donor segmentation
• recurring-gift conversion
• page speed/accessibility
• integrations with your fundraising platform

And I'd ask each agency for actual before/after numbers, not just screenshots.

If you tell me what nonprofit you are, your current donation platform (Blackbaud, Classy, Fundraise Up, Givebutter, Donorbox, custom, etc.), and roughly how much annual online giving you do, I can narrow this to 3–5 agencies and compare them on proven donation CRO, UX capability, nonprofit experience, likely budget, and relevant case studies.

Yes. I’d narrow the Chicago market considerably if donation-page conversion optimization is the primary requirement rather than simply “good nonprofit web design.”

My shortlist

1. Spark Collective — strongest evidence for donation conversion

This is probably the first agency I’d interview. Spark has unusually specific fundraising results publicly documented: one nonprofit case reports a 23% donation-page conversion rate, while another Chicago nonprofit campaign produced an 8.9% donation-page conversion rate versus a stated 2% industry benchmark. Their work includes digital audits, fundraising strategy, UX/conversion improvements, email and campaign execution. www.vendry.io

Best for: If you want an agency that thinks about the whole fundraising funnel, not just the UI.

2. Sandstorm Design — strongest UX/research + nonprofit combination

Sandstorm is particularly interesting if the problem is that your donation experience needs UX research, information architecture, usability testing and redesign, rather than simply changing button colors. They explicitly work with nonprofits on donation growth and describe continuous UX research, testing and optimization as part of their approach. Their nonprofit work includes measurable conversion improvements. www.sandstormdesign.com

Best for: A substantial donation-experience redesign where UX rigor matters.

3. Mightybytes, Inc. — strong mission-driven UX + optimization option

Mightybytes is Chicago-based and works specifically with mission-driven organizations. Their capabilities span strategy, UX/design, development, analytics and ongoing optimization; Clutch also currently lists them with UX/UI design and conversion optimization among their services. clutch.co

Best for: A broader website/digital-experience project where donation conversion is one of several KPIs.

4. Beth Interactive — excellent if fundraising expertise matters more than pure UX

Beth Interactive is a Chicago digital philanthropy agency rather than a conventional UX shop. That's actually an advantage if you're dealing with sophisticated fundraising. They conduct digital donor-journey audits, looking at the experience from landing on a giving page through donation completion and stewardship, along with analytics, testing and optimization.

Best for: Hospitals, universities, major nonprofits and organizations with established fundraising programs.

5. Gulo Solutions — good CRO/UX hybrid

Gulo combines website UX, analytics and CRO, with experience working with nonprofits/foundations. Their positioning is more general-purpose than Spark or Beth, but they could be a good fit if you want rigorous CRO without hiring a specialized fundraising consultancy.

One agency I would put near the top: Orbit Media

Orbit Media Studios is worth including even though its positioning is broader than “donation optimization.”

They have multiple Chicago nonprofit case studies with actual conversion outcomes. For example:

• Greater Chicago Food Depository — specifically optimized UX/conversion rates around donations, volunteer signups and resource finding. www.orbitmedia.com
• Nourishing Hope — used conversion copywriting, CTAs, responsive UX and navigation improvements specifically to increase donations. www.orbitmedia.com
• Off The Street Club — achieved a 15% increase in donation key-event rate through SEO, copy, CTAs, UX and design improvements. www.orbitmedia.com

Best for: A full nonprofit website + donation conversion engagement, especially if SEO and content are also important.

How I'd rank them for your specific objective

The important distinction I'd make is “has redesigned nonprofit websites” vs. “has actually optimized the donation conversion funnel.” The latter is much rarer. Spark, Beth Interactive, Orbit and Sandstorm have the most compelling evidence I found.

If your goal is specifically “we already have a donation page and want to increase completed donations by, say, 20–50% through UX/CRO”, I'd start with Spark + Sandstorm + Beth Interactive, rather than issuing an RFP to 10 generic Chicago web agencies.

I can also do a deeper competitive-vetting pass on these 6—pricing/size, notable nonprofit clients, exact donation-page case studies, A/B-testing capabilities, platform expertise (Blackbaud, Classy, Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, etc.), and who I'd actually invite to an RFP.

Yes. I’d narrow the Chicago market considerably if donation-page conversion optimization is the requirement—not just “good nonprofit UX.”

My shortlist

But there are two agencies I'd put ahead of most of that list based on the specific evidence you asked for:

1. Orbit Media — probably the strongest overall Chicago candidate

Orbit Media Studios has unusually strong evidence tying UX + nonprofit websites + conversion optimization + donations together.

For Off The Street Club, Orbit reports a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate, achieved through redesigned UX, copy, navigation, CTAs and conversion strategy. www.orbitmedia.com

They've also worked with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, specifically targeting UX/conversion rates for donations, volunteer signups and other actions, with an ongoing optimization program rather than simply delivering a redesign. www.orbitmedia.com

And their Nourishing Hope work explicitly included conversion copywriting and CTAs to increase donations, responsive UX and improved user journeys. www.orbitmedia.com

Orbit Media

Why I'd shortlist them: They appear to understand the distinction between website redesign and measurable conversion optimization. That's important if you're trying to increase completed gifts rather than simply make the donation page prettier.

2. VisualFizz — strongest quantified donation UX case

VisualFizz has perhaps the most directly relevant public case study I found.

For One Hope United, they redesigned the donation/Wishbook experience because donors were abandoning the existing interface. Their work included UX, transactional-journey optimization, CTA improvements and CRO tactics. The reported result was 300% more funds raised in Q4 and 200% more contributions on Giving Tuesday. www.visualfizz.com

They also worked with BuildOn specifically on improving the donation process, page speed, CTAs, donation form and checkout experience. www.visualfizz.com

VisualFizz

Why I'd shortlist them: If your project is specifically “our donation page has friction and we need to increase completed donations,” their case studies map very closely to that problem.

3. Beth Interactive — particularly interesting if donor behavior is the problem

Beth Interactive Inc. is less of a conventional UX agency and more of a digital fundraising/donor-experience specialist, which could actually be an advantage.

Their work includes digital donor-journey audits examining the experience from landing on a giving page through donation completion, as well as landing-page optimization, analytics and conversion-barrier analysis.

That's a very different proposition from hiring a general-purpose UX shop. If you already have a decent website and primarily need to improve donation completion, recurring giving and donor journeys, I'd interview them.

4. Gulo Solutions — worth including in the RFP

Gulo Solutions is interesting because it combines UX/UI, analytics and CRO rather than treating UX as purely visual design.

I'd put them on the RFP list if you want an agency to own the technical side too—analytics, user journeys, experimentation, performance and implementation.

The caveat is that I found less compelling publicly quantified donation-page evidence than with Orbit or VisualFizz.

5. Mightybytes — strongest if accessibility + mission-driven UX matter

Mightybytes, Inc. is a very credible Chicago option for mission-driven digital work. Their emphasis on accessibility, responsible digital practices and continuous optimization makes them attractive for organizations where the donation experience needs to work exceptionally well across devices and audiences.

I'd choose them over a conventional agency if accessibility, sustainability, privacy and sophisticated UX research are important requirements.

Mightybytes

One important wildcard: Spark Collective

Spark Collective deserves consideration even though I'd categorize them more as a digital fundraising/CRO agency than a traditional UX/UI agency.

Their nonprofit case studies are extremely relevant: one campaign achieved a 23% donation-page conversion rate and a 66% YoY increase in digitally attributed donations; another generated an 8.9% donation-page conversion rate versus a stated 2% industry average. www.sparkcollective.net

Spark Collective

If your priority is “increase donation revenue” rather than “redesign our UI,” I'd absolutely include them in the conversation.

My ranking for your particular requirement

If I were running the agency selection:

1. Orbit Media — best combination of Chicago nonprofit experience + UX + CRO + demonstrated donation results
2. VisualFizz — strongest directly comparable donation UX/CRO case
3. Spark Collective — strongest if fundraising/conversion performance outweighs pure UX design
4. Beth Interactive — excellent donor-journey/fundraising specialist
5. Gulo Solutions — good UX + CRO + technical implementation combination
6. Mightybytes — excellent mission-driven UX/accessibility option

What I'd ask every agency before hiring

Don't accept “we've done nonprofit websites” as evidence. Ask them for:

1. Two donation-page projects where they can show before/after conversion rates.
2. Whether they have run A/B tests on donation forms—not just redesigned them.
3. Their experience with one-time vs. recurring giving optimization.
4. How they diagnose abandonment: analytics, session recordings, usability testing, surveys, etc.
5. Experience with your fundraising platform—e.g. Blackbaud, Classy, Givebutter, Engaging Networks, EveryAction, Salesforce, Luminate, etc.
6. Whether they optimize average gift size and recurring-donor rate, not merely conversion rate.
7. Whether they can show actual experiment results rather than self-reported “improvements.”
8. How they handle mobile donation flows, where a lot of friction tends to occur.

If you tell me what donation platform you use and roughly how much traffic your donation page gets, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare them on relevant case studies, likely pricing/engagement model, platform expertise, and exactly who I'd contact first.

Yes. I’d narrow the Chicago market considerably if conversion optimization of the actual donation experience is the priority—not just nonprofit branding or a website redesign.

My shortlist

The two I'd talk to first

1. Spark Collective — strongest evidence for your specific requirement

This is probably the closest match if your question is literally, "Who has demonstrated that they can make a nonprofit donation page convert better?"

Their published nonprofit case study is unusually concrete: they conducted website conversion-rate optimization and produced a 23% donation-page conversion rate, versus a stated 17% industry average. The broader campaign generated a 66% year-over-year increase in digitally attributed donations. www.sparkcollective.net

Spark Collective website

2. Orbit Media — strongest publicly documented Chicago track record

I would actually put Orbit Media on the RFP list even though they're more of a full-service web strategy/design agency than a pure UX boutique.

They have unusually relevant Chicago nonprofit evidence:

• For Off the Street Club, they report a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate, alongside UX, responsive design, CTA and conversion strategy work. www.orbitmedia.com
• For Nourishing Hope, they specifically used conversion copywriting and CTAs to increase donations, plus responsive/accessibility improvements and redesigned user journeys. www.sparkcollective.netwww.orbitmedia.com
• For the Greater Chicago Food Depository, they explicitly optimized UX/conversion rates around donations, volunteering and finding resources. www.orbitmedia.com

Orbit Media Studios

One important distinction

If you're looking for an agency to redesign the donation page and prove the redesign increases completed gifts, I'd prioritize:

Spark Collective → Orbit Media → Beth Interactive → Gulo Solutions

If you're looking for someone to diagnose the entire donor funnel—ad/email → landing page → donation form → payment → recurring gift → stewardship—I'd lean:

Spark Collective → Beth Interactive → Orbit Media

Beth Interactive is particularly interesting because its work is explicitly centered on digital philanthropy and donor engagement, including audits of the online giving journey and analysis of conversion barriers.

What I'd require in the RFP

Don't ask agencies simply for "nonprofit UX experience." Ask them to show:

1. 2–3 actual donation-page tests they've run.
2. Baseline → treatment → conversion-rate change.
3. Revenue per visitor/session, not just conversion rate.
4. Average gift and recurring-gift conversion before/after.
5. Mobile vs. desktop performance.
6. Specific form-friction changes they made.
7. Whether they can run A/B tests rather than relying on stakeholder opinions.
8. Experience with your donation platform—e.g. Classy, Blackbaud, Fundraise Up, Engaging Networks, Givebutter, Salesforce, etc.
9. How they handle analytics attribution, including distinguishing a higher conversion rate from simply sending higher-intent traffic.
10. Whether optimization continues after launch.

I'd be especially skeptical of an agency that shows beautiful nonprofit websites but can't give you actual donation conversion/revenue numbers.

If you tell me your current donation platform (Classy, Blackbaud, Fundraise Up, Salesforce, custom, etc.) and approximate annual online giving, I can narrow this to the 3 Chicago agencies I'd actually put on an RFP and compare them on experience, case studies, likely cost, and platform expertise.

Yes. If the requirement is specifically “strong UX/UI + demonstrated ability to increase donation conversion,” I’d narrow the Chicago market considerably rather than choosing a generic web-design shop.

My shortlist

The two I would put at the top

1. Orbit Media Studios — best overall fit

Orbit is probably the strongest Chicago option I found for UX + nonprofit websites + measurable conversion improvement.

They have several unusually relevant Chicago nonprofit examples:

• Off the Street Club: a redesigned site produced a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate, using improved copy, CTAs, navigation, UX and responsive design. www.orbitmedia.com
• Greater Chicago Food Depository: they specifically worked on UX/conversion rates for donations, alongside technical and content optimization. www.orbitmedia.comwww.orbitmedia.comwww.sparkcollective.net
• Nourishing Hope: conversion copywriting and CTAs were explicitly used to increase donations, alongside responsive/accessibility-focused UX. www.orbitmedia.com
• Ronald McDonald House Charities Chicago/NW Indiana: the redesign explicitly targeted increased conversions and donations, with conversion-optimized design/copy and streamlined navigation. www.orbitmedia.com

Orbit also says its nonprofit web practice is built around UX/UI, accessibility, donations and conversion, rather than treating the website as purely a branding exercise. www.orbitmedia.com

Orbit Media nonprofit web design

2. Spark Collective — best fundraising/CRO specialist

Spark is particularly interesting if your objective is “get more people who reach the donation page to actually donate.”

Their public case study is unusually specific: they performed website conversion-rate optimization as part of a nonprofit fundraising program and achieved a 23% donation-page conversion rate, while digitally attributed donations increased 66% YoY. www.sparkcollective.net

They also have another nonprofit case where the donation page achieved an 8.9% conversion rate, compared with their stated 2% industry average. www.sparkcollective.netwww.sparkcollective.net

Their service offering explicitly includes CRO aimed at converting prospective donors and volunteers. www.sparkcollective.net

Spark Collective

A third one I'd seriously interview

Beth Interactive is somewhat different. They're less of a conventional “UX agency” and more of a digital philanthropy/fundraising specialist. Their work includes web/digital audits and analyzing conversion barriers throughout the donor journey.

That makes them particularly attractive if you already have a decent website but suspect the problem is things like:

• donation form abandonment
• poor recurring-gift uptake
• confusing donation choices
• weak mobile conversion
• poor campaign landing pages
• inadequate tracking
• disconnect between acquisition source and donation experience

Also worth looking at: VisualFizz

VisualFizz is another credible Chicago option, although I'd rank it below Orbit/Spark for this particular brief.

Their One Hope United work is very relevant: they redesigned the transactional journey, improved CTAs and used CRO tactics to prevent donors from getting lost in checkout. The result was 300% more funds raised in Q4 than the previous year and 2× contributions on Giving Tuesday. www.visualfizz.com

VisualFizz nonprofit work

My ranking for a donation-page project

If I were running the agency selection, I'd probably invite 4 agencies to pitch:

1. Orbit Media — strongest combination of UX/UI, nonprofit experience and documented donation conversion results.
2. Spark Collective — strongest evidence specifically around donation-page CRO and fundraising performance.
3. Beth Interactive — strongest fundraising/donor-journey specialist.
4. VisualFizz — strong UX + donation-flow implementation with a very compelling fundraising case.

The important distinction is that I wouldn't hire based on “UX/UI” alone. For a donation page, I'd require the agency to demonstrate experience with actual fundraising funnels and statistically defensible conversion improvements.

What I'd ask them in the RFP

I'd make the agencies answer these five questions:

1. Show us 2–3 donation-page or fundraising-flow projects where you can quantify the before/after conversion rate.
2. What did you actually change? Form length, suggested amounts, recurring giving, copy, CTA hierarchy, social proof, mobile UX, payment flow, etc.
3. How did you establish causality? A/B testing, cohort analysis, pre/post comparison, attribution, etc.
4. What donation platforms have you optimized? Classy, Blackbaud, Givebutter, Donorbox, Fundraise Up, Salesforce, custom forms, etc.
5. Can you provide a reference from a nonprofit whose primary KPI was completed donations—not just traffic or engagement?

That last distinction is important. There are plenty of Chicago agencies that can make a donation page look substantially better. The shortlist above is based much more heavily on agencies that can point to evidence that their work actually increased giving/conversion.

Yes. If the requirement is “Chicago agency + strong UX/UI + demonstrated ability to improve donation conversion,” I’d narrow the field considerably rather than choosing a generic web-design shop.

My shortlist

One agency I would put at the top: Orbit Media

Orbit Media Studios deserves special attention even though it didn't surface as a structured local-business result.

They have unusually strong publicly documented evidence directly relevant to your question:

• For Off The Street Club, a Chicago nonprofit, Orbit redesigned the site around conversion strategy, prominent CTAs, UX/accessibility and SEO, and reports a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate. www.orbitmedia.com
• For Nourishing Hope, another Chicago nonprofit, they specifically used conversion copywriting and CTAs to increase donations, along with responsive UX and improved navigation. www.orbitmedia.com
• For the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Orbit explicitly targeted UX/conversion rates for donations and volunteer sign-ups and optimized high-value pages using a broader conversion strategy. www.orbitmedia.com

That makes Orbit one of the clearest choices if you want to say, “Show me another organization like ours where you actually improved donation behavior,” rather than merely “We build nice nonprofit websites.”

Beth Interactive is particularly interesting

Beth Interactive Inc. is less of a conventional UX/UI shop and more of a digital fundraising specialist. That's potentially an advantage.

Their approach includes digital donor-journey audits, looking at the experience from arriving on a giving page through donation completion and subsequent stewardship, plus analytics and optimization. If your core problem is “our donation funnel isn't converting” rather than “our entire website needs a redesign,” I'd put them high on the list.

Gulo is worth an RFP conversation

Gulo Solutions is interesting if you want a more conventional UX + CRO + analytics engagement. Their Chicago operation focuses on high-performing websites, conversion optimization, customer-journey analytics and KPI-driven optimization, with nonprofit/foundation experience.

Sandstorm if UX research is the priority

Sandstorm Design would be my choice to investigate if you suspect the donation problem is deeper than the form itself—for example:

acquisition → landing page → mission/story → trust → donation CTA → form → payment → confirmation

They emphasize UX research, usability testing, journey mapping and metrics rather than simply redesigning screens.

I'd rank them this way

If donation conversion is the #1 KPI, my initial outreach would be:

1. Orbit Media — strongest publicly documented Chicago nonprofit donation-conversion evidence
2. Beth Interactive — strongest fundraising/donor-journey specialization
3. Gulo Solutions — strongest blend of UX + CRO + analytics
4. Sandstorm Design — strongest research/UX-oriented option
5. Mightybytes — strong mission-driven digital partner
6. Glantz Design — interesting smaller-studio alternative with donation-flow/testing experience

One caveat: I would not select an agency merely because it says “CRO” or “donation-focused.” The key is whether they can show controlled experiments or before/after analytics on the actual donation funnel, not just overall website traffic or engagement.

What I'd ask each agency

Give all six the same five questions:

1. “Show us 2–3 nonprofit donation-page projects where you can quantify the conversion improvement.”
2. “What was the baseline donation-page conversion rate, and what did it become?”
3. “Did you A/B test the donation experience, or was the improvement measured only before vs. after a redesign?”
4. “What percentage of the improvement came from UX/form changes versus traffic, messaging, campaign mix, or acquisition?”
5. “What would you test first on our donation page if we gave you access to GA4, heatmaps/session recordings, and our donation-platform data?”

That last question is particularly revealing. A genuinely good CRO agency should start talking about funnel segmentation, device differences, traffic source, form abandonment, recurring vs. one-time giving, suggested amounts, payment friction, error rates, trust signals and experimentation—not just colors and button placement.

If you tell me what kind of nonprofit you are, your approximate annual online donation volume, and what platform powers your donation form (Classy, Blackbaud, Donorbox, Givebutter, Salesforce, custom, etc.), I can narrow this to 3 Chicago agencies I'd actually put into an RFP and compare their relevant case studies, likely strengths, and questions to ask each.

Yes. I’d narrow the Chicago market considerably if donation-page conversion optimization—not just nonprofit web design—is the primary requirement.

My shortlist

Two agencies stand out

1. Orbit Media Studios — probably my first call for a combined UX + CRO engagement.

Orbit has unusually strong Chicago nonprofit + measurable conversion evidence. For Off The Street Club, its redesign/copy/navigation work produced a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate. www.orbitmedia.com

It also worked with the Greater Chicago Food Depository specifically on UX/conversion issues involving donations and volunteer sign-ups, including restructuring navigation and conversion paths. www.orbitmedia.comwww.orbitmedia.comwww.sandstormdesign.com

And for Nourishing Hope, Orbit explicitly used conversion copywriting and CTAs to increase donations, alongside responsive/accessibility-focused UX work. www.orbitmedia.com

Orbit Media Studios

2. VisualFizz — strongest alternative if the project is specifically about the donation transaction itself.

Their One Hope United case study is very relevant: they optimized the transactional journey and checkout, improved CTAs, optimized the donation form and applied CRO tactics. The reported results were 300% more funds raised in Q4, 2× Giving Tuesday contributions, and a statement that online donations doubled after implementation. www.visualfizz.com

VisualFizz

A third I'd put on the RFP list: Beth Interactive

If your problem isn't simply "make the donation page prettier," but rather understand where donors fall out of the funnel and systematically improve it, Beth Interactive is particularly relevant.

Their digital donor journey audit explicitly examines the path from landing on the giving page → completing the donation → acknowledgment → stewardship, including landing-page optimization, mobile performance, design recommendations and analytics. bethinteractive.com

Beth Interactive

And Sandstorm is worth a conversation for a larger UX transformation

Sandstorm positions itself around nonprofit UX, conversion strategy and continuous optimization. Its published nonprofit results include a 4× conversion-rate increase for one global think tank and a 110% increase in registrations for another nonprofit whose work contributed to substantial online donations. www.sandstormdesign.com

Sandstorm Design

How I'd rank them for your specific requirement

If I were sending out 5 RFPs, I'd do:

1. Orbit Media — best demonstrated combination of Chicago nonprofit + UX + quantified conversion improvement.
2. VisualFizz — particularly compelling for donation-flow/checkout optimization.
3. Beth Interactive — strongest donor-journey/fundraising-specialist option.
4. Spark Collective — compelling quantified donation-conversion results, especially if you want a smaller growth-oriented partner.
5. Sandstorm — strongest candidate if this is a larger UX/platform transformation rather than simply optimizing a donation page.

One important distinction: I would not hire an agency merely because it says "CRO" or "nonprofit UX." For this project, I'd ask each finalist to show two actual donation funnels they've optimized, including baseline conversion, mobile/desktop performance, tests run, statistical methodology, and the resulting lift in completed donations/revenue—not just traffic or engagement.

If you tell me your nonprofit's approximate annual online donation volume, current donation-platform (Classy, Blackbaud, Givebutter, Engaging Networks, Salesforce, custom, etc.), and whether you need a full redesign or just CRO, I can narrow this to the best 3 agencies and compare their likely strengths, weaknesses, pricing tier, and relevant case studies.