Build your membership application form (with examples)

Imagine you’ve met a supporter at a fundraising event, and they want to become a member of your nonprofit—success! In that moment, the last thing you want to worry about is tedious paper forms or clunky PDF applications. Yet for many organizations, this is still a real challenge.

Fortunately, an online membership application allows you to easily collect member information behind the scenes while giving supporters a user-friendly, streamlined experience—win-win! Plus, with an easily shareable online form, you’re better equipped to increase traffic. 

Read on to discover how to refine your onboarding process with a simple, customizable membership form—and make an impression that keeps members coming back. 

Key takeaways

• Membership forms aren’t just a means of new member intake—they’re also a great way to put your best foot forward and make a strong first impression. 🧾 
• An efficient, professional onboarding process keeps nonprofit members invested in your mission and helps prevent lapsed donors. 📉 
• Offering different membership tiers helps nonprofits stand out—only 32% of membership businesses do this. 💡 
• Digital membership forms save valuable time by automating onboarding, collecting payments, and reducing admin work. ⚙️ 
• With Givebutter, building and customizing your signup form is free—no separate software is required. 🧈 

What is a membership application form?

A member application form is a secure tool for collecting supporters’ personal information to join your nonprofit's membership program. They’re a digital alternative to paper membership signup forms, helping you gather contact details while setting the tone for lasting relationships with your donors. 

Curating a streamlined onboarding process helps prevent donor churn, and a comprehensive membership form is the first step. And when your online membership form is integrated with your fundraising CRM, your dues, donations, and member data are all in one place, so you can easily generate reports and analyze data. 

How to create a membership form in 6 easy steps

Creating a professional, user-friendly membership form is simple with the right tools. You’ll need to decide how your membership program will be structured, gather the relevant information, customize your form, and distribute it. We’ll dive into more detail below: 

1. Design your membership program 🧑‍🎨

There are many different types of nonprofit membership programs, and you can customize yours to best suit your organization. Consider offering different tiers based on initiatives or giving intervals. For example, you might structure your program around different time intervals for recurring donations. ‍

2. Outline your mission 🧭

Include a brief statement on your membership form outlining your mission and how membership dues further your cause. Bonus points for keeping this tied to current programming. This helps supporters understand how their contributions fuel your impact. 

3. Choose your visuals 👀

Add visual interest with an eye-catching image or illustration that showcases the positive change your nonprofit has made. Don’t forget your logo so your form stays aligned with your brand. 

💡 Pro tip: Givebutter’s Canva integration makes it easy to customize your fundraising tools to match your unique brand aesthetic. 

4. Show your membership benefits 🪄

Along with highlighting your mission and the impact, clearly describe the benefits of your membership program. This is especially important if you include different membership tiers. For example, if bronze members receive three discounted event passes per year and gold members receive five, spell that out on your form. 

5. Choose your platform 🧈

While paper membership applications still exist, many nonprofits host their forms using a fundraising platform. This keeps everything clean, centralized, and easily manageable for both you and your supporters. 

Look for platforms that handle payment processing, email confirmations, and CRM integration automatically to save time and reduce admin headaches (Psst! Givebutter does all of this from one dashboard.).

6. Share your membership form 👐

Once your form is ready, launch your membership campaign, add your application form to your website, and share it via email, text, or social media. You could even try direct mail with a printed QR code. Use a combination of approaches to reach as many supporters as possible. 

With Givebutter’s embeddable widgets, you can add your membership application form to your website in just a few clicks—no complicated coding required. 

The best membership form template isn’t a template—it’s Givebutter

You don’t need a PDF, Word doc, or paper form to launch your membership program—you just need Givebutter. Instead of downloading a static membership form template, nonprofits can use Givebutter’s free, fully customizable donation forms to create branded, mobile-optimized membership forms in minutes. 

Whether you're collecting dues, offering multiple membership tiers, or onboarding new members, you can build a beautiful, user-friendly experience—no tech skills required. With Givebutter, you can:

• Add your logo and brand colors
• Choose exactly which fields to include
• Offer recurring dues or one-time membership fees
• Embed the form directly on your website or link via QR code
• Automate confirmation emails and receipts
  

It’s everything you want from a template—only smarter, faster, and built to convert.

15 stand-out membership form samples

There’s no one right way to structure a membership signup form. We’ve gathered some of our favorite real-world examples of membership forms to inspire you. Every one of these is easy to replicate with Givebutter’s customizable online donation form. 

1. Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archive (GRAMMA) 📜

GRAMMA offers tiered membership benefits that include donor recognition, museum admission, gift shop discounts, and special members-only days.

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: This form lists benefits associated with each membership tier so supporters know exactly what to expect. 

2. Sonoma Community Center ☀️

The Sonoma Community Center offers a membership program focused on discounted events for one flat fee. Supporters can also choose to make it a recurring donation. 

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: With the helpful description beneath its logo, this membership form shows how contributions support the center’s broader mission. 

3. White Oak Wind Orchestra 🎶

The White Oak Wind Orchestra keeps things simple, offering one clear option for members to sign up for a semester. 

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: Musicians can join the White Oak Wind Orchestra in just a few clicks. Fee information and terms and conditions are all kept together for easy review. 

4. 9/11 Memorial 🏙️

The 9/11 Memorial Museum membership page features a tiered membership program designed for visitors who want to give a little extra. 

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: The tiered membership options provide a variety of engagement opportunities. Notably, this form allows supporters to give in honor of someone else. 

5. Ridgeland Forest Swim and Racquet Club 🏊‍♀️

Ridgeland Forest Swim and Racquet Club’s membership form follows a service-based model. It’s designed for supporters seeking rentals and is a great example of a nonprofit that sells branded merchandise to raise funds.  

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: It is simple and to the point, featuring a fun graphic that captures the personality of the nonprofit and its services. 

6. Superbloom Collective Inc 🌻

Superbloom Collective Inc. lets supporters donate or become members using the same form. Tiered membership options include different perks. 

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: With a variety of giving amounts and intervals—including very accessible amounts like $1—this form offers something for everyone. It also highlights alternative ways to contribute, so every potential member can feel involved. 

7. Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum Inc. 🧒

Central Wisconsin’s Children’s Museum membership tiers correspond to different membership durations, keeping the structure simple. 

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: The bright color scheme stands out while staying with the nonprofit's branding, making for a memorable signup experience. 

8. Bay Area Friends of the Fine Arts (BAFFA) 🎨

BAFFA offers a range of named membership tiers, from $25 (Friend) to $1K (Leader). 

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: No matter which membership amount you choose, BAFFA’s members are guaranteed inclusion in all mailings and newsletters. The form also clearly outlines how membership will support their mission. 

9. Fossil & Prairie Conservation Foundation 🪨

The Fossil & Prairie Conservation Foundation keeps things streamlined with a simple set of giving tiers and an optional custom amount. 

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: Member benefits include newsletter subscription and discounted events, plus, members are reminded of how their contributions aid conservation.  

10. Wasatch Trails Foundation 👣

The Wasatch Trails Foundation offers a single annual membership, but supporters can choose how many individuals (or pets!) they want included.  

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: By setting the membership fee as an annual recurring donation, this nonprofit eliminates the need for members to renew manually. 

11. Friends of Nassau County Bailey Arboretum 🌲

Bailey Arboretum’s membership form is streamlined, with five set donation amounts. It offers individual and family memberships and higher-tiered amounts for committed supporters. 

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: Those looking for in-depth information about Bailey Arboretum can find it directly on the nonprofit's membership form, along with a striking image of the arboretum itself. 

12. Paunacussing Watershed Association (PWA) 🌊

PWA offers three different membership types: individual, family, and business. Members can also choose to make their contribution annual. 

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: With an option for customized giving amounts and two recurring giving options, supporters can choose how much to donate—and how often.

13. McCallum Cheer Booster Club 🎉

McCallum’s Cheer Booster membership clearly states its target demographic: parents and guardians of the cheer club. It offers just one flat membership fee of $100. 

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: McCallum Cheer Booster Club keeps its guardian membership separate from general donations, reducing any potential confusion. 

14. Henry L. Ferguson Museum 🦤

With higher membership fees, the Henry L. Ferguson Museum appeals to existing supporters who want to become more involved with the organization. 

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: From the eye-catching illustration to the creative mission-aligned names for each membership tier, this form feels thoughtful and personal. 

15. Edmond North Volleyball Booster Club 🏐

Edmond North’s Volleyball Booster Club form allows varsity camp attendees to pay their dues and camp fees, breaking down the amounts into smaller, more manageable payments. 

🤩 What supporters loved about this membership form: This form offers recommendations to help members determine which camp fees to cover first. 

More to explore

Get inspired with 15+ membership website examples →

Additional membership application best practices

While program structures and membership application forms vary by organization, there are a few simple steps every nonprofit can take to ensure the best user experience and a smooth behind-the-scenes administrative process: 

• Keep it concise 🧾 Only ask for the essential information. Overly long forms can lead to supporter disengagement. 
• Offer multiple tiers 🎯 When there’s something for everyone, you’re much more likely to secure memberships. 
• Follow up with a confirmation 💌 Send new members a warm, personal welcome message with information about your nonprofit and opportunities to get involved. 
• Make it mobile-friendly 📱 25% of donations are made using mobile devices. Choose a platform like Givebutter that ensures your membership page is optimized for mobile.   
• Segment your members 🏷️ Group donors by demographics or interests and tailor your communication. Targeted messaging can boost engagement and retention. 
• Use a QR code 📷 If you’re collecting membership fees in person, offer a QR code that links directly to your membership form. This eliminates the need for printed templates and keeps your membership information all in one place. 
• Send a receipt 📩 Make sure supporters get a donation receipt with their membership purchase. Don’t forget to mention it’s tax-deductible! 
• Automate the busywork 🤖 Use a platform that handles confirmation emails, CRM tagging, and dues collection automatically. This gives your staff more time to focus on member engagement.

Grow your membership with Givebutter

No matter what type of membership program you’re offering—or who you’re offering it to—an online membership form is one of the most effective ways to streamline your onboarding process and help prospective members feel safe and confident signing up. 

Even if you don’t have a membership program yet, a simple online form is a great first step. Creating your own shareable donation form has never been easier. Just design your program, customize your form, and start sharing! 

Sign up for your free Givebutter account to get started today! Givebutter combines payment processing, donor data collection, CRM tagging, and follow-up tools in one platform—so everything you need to grow your membership is already connected.