If you represent a nonprofit organization, you probably know how important it is to have a great website that represents your organization’s values, goals, and mission. But that can certainly seem easier said than done!
There is much to consider when designing a website, and we hope to help you in any way we can. In this guide, we are going to walk you through the process of creating your website. We will let you know which tools you should use, which features your site should have, and more!
First you should create an outline for your website and decide what features you’ll need. When developing a website for your organization, there are many features that should be a mainstay on any nonprofit website to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Following are a list of the most popular features that we typically use on nonprofit websites.
Features to Include on Your Nonprofit Website
1. Mission Statement
Your website should communicate what your nonprofit does and why it matters in a clear and concise way. This will help visitors quickly understand your work and how they can get involved.
2. Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are essential to the success of any nonprofit. Use your website to connect with potential volunteers and let them know how they can help. Be sure to include information about upcoming events and opportunities so that interested individuals can sign up to volunteer.
3. Inspirational Stories
Personal stories are an incredibly powerful way to connect with supporters and show them the real-world impact of your work. Share stories from the people your nonprofit has helped on your website to create a connection with visitors. Be sure to include stories from a variety of different people who have been impacted by your work.
4. Ways to Get Involved
Make it easy for visitors to get involved with your nonprofit by including information about ways they can help on your website. This might include volunteering, donating, or spreading the word about your work. Be sure to include clear instructions and links so that visitors can get started right away.
5. A Donate Button
One of the most important features of a nonprofit website is a donate button. This allows visitors to easily make a financial contribution to your organization without having to leave your site. Be sure to place the donate button prominently on your homepage and include it on all other pages as well.
6. A Blog or News Section
Keeping your website updated with fresh content is a great way to engage visitors and keep them coming back for more. A blog or news section is the perfect place to share updates about your nonprofit, stories from those you’ve helped, and ways that people can get involved.
7. Social Media Links
Make it easy for visitors to connect with your nonprofit on social media by including links to your profiles on all of your web pages. This will allow interested individuals to follow you on their preferred platform and stay up-to-date on all the latest news and events.
8. A Call to Action
What do you want visitors to do when they come to your site? Whether it’s signing up for your newsletter, making a donation, or taking action on an issue, make sure there’s a clear call to action on every page of your website.
Best Platforms for Building a Nonprofit Website
Deciding which platform to use for your nonprofit website can be a tough decision. There are a lot of factors to consider, such as cost, ease of use, flexibility, and features.
There are many platforms to choose from when designing a website for your nonprofit organization but we use WordPress for our clients.
WordPress is by far the most popular website platform (1). It’s open source and highly customizable. It requires more of a learning curve than the others, but you can create something aligned with your exact vision. If you’re willing to take the time to learn WordPress, you’ll create something you can be truly proud of. There are thousands of themes and plugins available. For an easy way to do WordPress, we recommend Elementor Cloud, hosting/page builders all in one place.
So, which platform should you use for your nonprofit website? If you’re looking for an easy-to-use platform with no learning curve, then one of the all-in-one platforms is a good choice. WordPress is the better choice if you’re looking for a more flexible platform with more features and room for growth. If you want the convenience of a drag-and-drop page builder with the power of WordPress, then Elementor or Kadence are great choices.
Tips for DIY Nonprofit Website Design
Now that you’ve selected which web design platform you’ll be using, it’s time to actually start designing! It’s important that your website is functional and visually appealing because you want those that come to your website to stay. Here are three tips for designing a good website for a nonprofit organization.
1. Easy to Navigate Layout
Any good website needs to be easy to navigate. It can be tempting to go wild with ideas and stuff the website with visual flair but you’ll see far better results if you stick to something simple.
Any essential information about your organization should be easily accessible to any visitors that come across your site. Overly complex designs can bog down the user’s experience with your website, thanks to slow load times and a confusing layout.
If you are looking for design ideas for inspiration, Envato Elements has a nice selection of nonprofit website templates.
2. Optimize for Mobile Devices
Nowadays, it’s practically a requirement for nonprofits to have a website optimized for mobile. More and more people are using their mobile devices to browse the internet, and if your website fails to satisfy mobile users, it will become challenging to find supporters for your cause.
You should strive to create a website that functions on all platforms, so make sure your website operates well on various smartphones and tablets.
3. Simple and Concise Content
It’s no secret that people nowadays have a shorter attention span than ever before. People want to be able to digest information as quickly as possible and may become frustrated if they find your content to be overbearing.
To avoid this, break up large blocks of text with headings and images. That way, readers will be able to comprehend the key takeaways of your content by quickly scanning the headers.
Need Help Building Your Nonprofit Website?
Designing and developing your own website can be a lot of work. If you’d rather hand the reigns over to the professionals, we’d love to work with you! We’ve developed hundreds of websites over the years, including sites for various nonprofits. Here are some of our more recent nonprofit projects:
You can view our portfolio of recent nonprofit websites below or visit our web design process page to learn more about our services and pricing.