Even if your charitable activities are mostly “on the ground” or over broadcast channels like radio or television, you’ll still see a lot of benefit from having a good website. It’s always open and allows donors to stay connected, even when you’re off the clock.
One of the biggest incentives to having a strong web presence is that it acts as a central hub for your organization to process donations, collect names and inform constituents about the work you’re doing and the needs you have.
While the website-building process can be straightforward, there’s a big difference between having a website and having an effective website.
Here are a few tips and best practices to keep in mind when reviewing your nonprofit’s website.
Nonprofit Website Design Best Practices
There is so much to consider when designing a website, and since technology is always changing and improving, you’re forced to continue working on your website in order to stay up-to-date and relevant.
However, no matter the trends, there are a few best practices for website design nonprofits will benefit from keeping top of mind:
- Consistent branding
- Compelling visuals and storytelling
- Clear and obvious call-to-action
- Easy donation form/portal and seamless experience
- Simple navigation
- Short sentences, short paragraphs with an emphasis on visuals
- Mobile-first design
- Accessibility inclusive
Many of the principles from good landing page design extend to good website design, although your website will have much more information than your landing page.
Make Online Donating Easy
Increasing donations is always a goal, and one of the most effective ways to do this is by making it easy to donate on your website. There should be a bright, clear “donate” button in the most prominent place on your website and accessible from every page. Your donation form should be quick and to the point. If someone has come to your site to donate, let them do it, and quick! Once the donation is made, ensure there’s a thank you page that appears confirming the donation and a seamless integration back into the website.
Showcase Your Organization’s Impact
Often, we assume people understand the inner workings of our organizations but the truth is, so much of it happens beneath the surface. Most donors only have a passing familiarity of your organization. If you can share statistics, case studies and stories of real people who have been impacted by your nonprofit on your website, this will go a long way to build trust and loyalty. It shows people how you use the money entrusted to you, and why they should continue supporting you. However, providing more information for your donors also needs to be held in balance with the fact that your donors don’t need or want to know everything. Be careful not to fill your website with lots of writing, as very few people actually read anything in detail.
Nonprofit Website Design Example: One Life
We worked with One Life to rebrand the ministry and build a new website. This organization is based in Canada and works in Mexico, so it can be difficult for donors to see the impact of their giving.
By adding statistics to their homepage, they’re able to demonstrate the effectiveness of the organization and let donors know what a difference they’ve made as a result of their generosity. This is a simple addition, which makes a huge impact.
We collaborated with Ryele Studio on this brand refresh and website redesign for Signal Hill and we love how it turned out!
Their mission is to “equip young people to become thriving influencers who value every person,” and historically achieved their mission through presentation, retreats and support resources for high school students.
The pandemic accelerated their 2021-2022 strategic plan to adapt their educational content into an online format.
In May their new digital platform launched with a suite of online workshops teens, parents and youth facilitators can use to discover the unconditional value of every person.
If it’s time for your organization to transition to a digital platform, get in touch. Our team specializes in non-profit marketing and have the tools and expertise to take your project from rocky water to calm seas. Take a look through a few of our past website design projects and let us know how we can help bring your website project to life!
