We understand that as a nonprofit, your goal is to convince donors to give begins at your website – the public-facing home base of your operations. Crefati builds an organizational website with the following features and more:
- Homepage
This is the first page your website visitors will land on, so think about what information you want them to see right away. Many nonprofits put their main call to action on this page, along with news, featured members, upcoming events, and lots of pictures.
- About Us
This page is where you tell the story of your organization and the people who guided the nonprofit to success. Most nonprofits include their mission, vision, and values on this page, as well as profiles of the founder and the current board members.
- Donate/Streamlined Donation Page (Online Donation System or third-party system).
This page has all the information about what a potential donor needs to know before donating to your organization as well as the online form to donate.
- Individual Staff Pages/Team – this is to show site visitors the face behind your cause. Showcasing your staff members’ values, career histories, and ties to the organization injects authenticity and humanize your brand. Staff pages also accentuate the fact that your nonprofit is comprised of truly passionate and hard-working individuals.
- Join Us/Volunteer or Career Opportunities
This page has all info about what a new member might need to know before joining your org as well as the online form to join. If you want to gather passionate people around your organization, people who share your dreams and believe in the greater good, let them know you need them.
- Newsletter Signup – to hear more about your/stories/events, etc. let people subscribe to your organization’s site.
- Events
This page is where you list all your events. The best way to do this is by posting a calendar showing the dates and times of your upcoming events. It’s also a good idea to list some benefits of joining one of your events. Remember to allow online registration and payments so visitors can register for your events with ease.
- News/Blog
This is the area for you to post important updates about your nonprofit. Having an active news/blog section lets potential supporters know about your recent efforts and engagements with the community.
- Contact Us
Every nonprofit org website needs to attract members and donors. It is very important to offer the right type of content that potential members and donors expect before they give their support.
What Potential Members Want:
Potential Members want:
- They want to know you have a thriving, engaged community.
Research shows the number one reason anyone joins an association is that they want the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals. If you can prove this on your website, there’s a great chance someone will join online. You can showcase this by doing the following:
- Including pictures of members and events.
- Member testimonials and quotes about the value your organization offers.
- Information about upcoming events.
- The second most important thing potential members want is access to specialized information or educational content. You can attract new members to your website by publishing industry reports, educational webinars, or creating a members’ only section with restricted access to valuable resources.
- The third thing potential members want is instant access and an easy way to join and pay for things online. Why? Online shopping and same day delivery have made people expect instant gratification from the organizations they interact with. I’ve seen nonprofits fall behind because they require all new members to download a PDF form, print it out, physically fill it out, and then mail it in — a process that can take a whole week. On the other hand, I’ve also seen organizations that’ve modernized this process by allowing new members to join online. The result? An instant increase in members and event registrations (here’s the story of a ski club that sold out in record time after accepting online payments).
What Potential Donors Want
Potential donors also want three things. And the nonprofits I’ve seen focus on these things have been successful in growing their online donations. Potential donors want:
- To know your organization’s mission. This lets potential donors know why you exist and why they should give to your organization. In fact, this information is the most important thing potential donors want to know before donating.
- To know where their donations are going. Research shows the number two thing potential donors need before making a donation is to feel comfortable about where their donation is going. Including explicit information about the breakdown of what happens to a donation can help increase donations.
- An easy way to donate. Nothing is more frustrating than multiple steps, downloadable forms, or complicated processes. A simple donation page built with a donation button, or form with instant online payments is best.
Some of the best charity/nonprofit org website designs that Crefati uses as an inspiration: