Ten Things Your NonProfit Website Should Have

Filed under Branding, How To, NonProfits |

The nonprofit sector can be just as competitive as the business sector, with a vast number of worthy organizations vying for the same resources in a potentially tapped, burned out, dwindling pool. As a nonprofit professional, you just can’t put information out and expect donors and volunteers to come knocking. Your organization’s marketing efforts – and especially its website – need to quickly and effectively engage people and inspire them to take action.

To accomplish your nonprofit organization’s goals, here are are ten things your website should have in order to immediately grab a reader’s attention and successfully motivate them to support your organization:

1. Clear, intuitive navigation. Your website should be organized to immediately appeal to and easily be understood by the people who visit your website. Your audience is looking for more information about what you do, why they should care, and how they can help. If it’s difficult for them to find that information, they may get frustrated; and peace of mind is just one simple browser/tab close away.

2. A visible “Donate” button for people ready to give. Don’t be afraid to ask for donations on your website. People are visiting your site to find out why and how to support you: make it as easy as possible for them to do so.

3. Something that tugs the heartstrings. An arresting image, a disarming question, a bold statement, the start of an incredible story…these elements immediately capture people’s attention and draw them into the website to learn more Connect to your Web visitors on an emotional level to hook them into the rest of your content. When you show that you align with what they care about and can relate to, you’re starting a conversation.

4. Your organization’s elevator pitch. This 2-sentence statement should sum up who your organization is and what it does. It ensures that anyone glancing at the page “gets it” right away. (Note: This is not your mission statement. That should be included on your “About Us” page.) This sound bite should differentiate your nonprofit from others and show the value of its unique work.

5. A quick case (or link to a case) for your organization. Make a succinct case for why your organization deserves each visitor’s support. What are you doing distinctly or more effectively to address your cause? What’s special about your mission, services, constituents, volunteers, programs, events, etc.? There are more than 1.8 million charities in the United States right now. Many probably already do work similar to yours. Stand apart: Make your case!

6. A third-party endorsement. Consider including ratings from GuideStar and Charity Navigator, or a testimonial from a constituent, beneficiary, volunteer, or other distinguished person about your nonprofit’s services. The effectiveness of the endorsement depends on the messenger. When you compare “My organization rocks” to “That organization changed my life because…” you can sense which one is stronger. Let others help you build your case.

7. A way to enlist supporters. Don’t let your visitors abandon you. If someone visits your website and gets interested and engaged, make sure there’s a way for them to sign-up for more information and updates so you can capture their contact information and recruit their support.

8. Something people can share. Research has made it clear that nonprofits are increasingly experimenting with social media. Be sure that all those hours tweeting, blogging, bookmarking, podcasting, vlogging, etc., don’t go to waste: Provide links to your social media profiles, and make it easy for supporters to grab content and share/re-post it. (For example, provide a few lines and link promoting a campaign of yours that they can retweet, or a fundraising widget they can include on their own social networking profiles, blog, or site.)

9. Something to show where the money goes. People appreciate transparency: it prove you have nothing to hide. Share information, or links to information, about where the money goes and how their donation(s) will be used. Show what percentage of donations goes directly to mission-related activities. Make a connection between donations and services provided. One of our favorite examples is from Charity:Water: “Each $20 monthly gift can provide one person with clean, safe drinking water for 20 years, and each $100 monthly gift can give a family of 5 clean water for 20 years.”

10. Links to events and other opportunities for participation. One shoe does not fit all: Give your visitors a variety of opportunities to get involved and stay connected. Maybe there’s a petition they can sign, a pledge they can complete, or an event they can attend. As your site evolves, include conversation and feedback opportunities: polls, surveys, comments, message boards, and so on.

Think you’re good to go? Take a moment to think again. If you’ve worked your way through this list and think you’ve got everything taken care of, take a moment to pause and reflect on the home page’s usability. Test the site to make sure that it’s as easy to navigate, find key information, and respond to calls-to-action as you think it is. Ask a couple of volunteers, donors, board members, stakeholders, and others in your target audience to try it out and provide feedback to make the finishing touches. Then launch and blast away!