How to Build a Nonprofit Website That Stands Out
Outstanding websites are powerful tools that can help nonprofits organize, fundraise, and grow their audiences. As a web designer, you are uniquely equipped to help nonprofits and community organizations by delivering visually impactful websites that solidify their social impact and gain the visibility needed to garner traction. In fact, according to Squarespace Circle's State of the Web Design Industry report, nonprofits and community organizations were the top industry served by Circle members. This underscores an incredible opportunity for you to make a meaningful difference while expanding your portfolio in a high-demand sector.
Take these steps today to build inspiring and actionable nonprofit websites that maximize your nonprofit client’s digital presence.
Create a visually compelling homepage and header
Today’s digital ecosystem is as dynamic as it is rewarding, offering nonprofits abundant opportunities to thrive while navigating unique challenges. You only have a few seconds to capture the audience's attention before they move on to something else. The first thing visitors see on a nonprofit site or community page should be striking and clearly communicate the cause. Maximize use of typography, eye-catching logos, and a section background image or video that embodies the cause’s spirit.
Visitors should immediately feel the emotions driving your client’s cause as they arrive to the site’s homepage. The homepage sets the stage for your client’s story, establishing the nonprofit’s voice, the media used to tell that story, and how the pages will be laid out. Every part of a nonprofit’s online platform develops into a brand, so think of this as a chance to lay the groundwork for a brand identity that resonates with the target audience.
Put the mission statement front and center
You want the cause to speak for itself. To do this, you need to ensure that visitors can immediately identify exactly what the initiative is all about. One option can be to feature the cause’s core tenets in a location that visitors can click to reveal more information, such as with an accordion block. This makes for a more interactive and engaging browsing experience as visitors curate their unique navigation journey.
Another option is to feature a bold mission statement in one of the homepage’s first content blocks. Whichever approach you choose, give the audience a straightforward message that prompts them to engage further.
Make it simple to learn more
Visitors want rich, meaningful online interactions to come with as little hassle as possible. After all, ease of use in interactions, buying, sharing, and searching are why people gravitate to the internet in the first place.Things are no different for nonprofit sites. Configure site navigation such that getting involved with the cause and identifying additional resources, event dates, social links, and more are all clear as day. Place this information somewhere prominent, whether the site’s drop-down menu navigation or header page titles. Whether the site’s style applies sitewide or is unique for every page, use clear language and cues that tell visitors exactly where to go to find what they want.
Have fun with multimedia
The importance of using multimedia strategically can’t be overstated. For nonprofit and community sites, the goal is to inform and inspire simultaneously. Exploring creative ways to use photos, background videos, gifs, and other elements can be a vital way to evoke desired emotions from the intended audience.
A few instances where you may want to make use of captivating, informative visual site elements include:
A video intro of the cause or organization, its needs, achievements, and why visitors should engage
An events page featuring photos visualizing what getting involved looks like
A press page that highlights the initiative’s features and media coverage
A content block highlighting the nonprofit’s team members that visitors can connect with
Create a clear call to action
The end goal of a nonprofit site is to inspire visitors to take action. This can range from signing up for a newsletter and contacting the team to following social media accounts and making a donation. Whatever the case, the call to action should be clear and accessible. Other options include locating a donation button or link at the top of the site homepage, or placing a pop-up or external link with actionable steps the audience can take to stay connected or involved.
Pro tip: Donation blocks can streamline the process of soliciting donations from visitors. Place these blocks on any page and customize them with settings like suggested donation amounts. Then, your clients can manage all incoming donations and donor information from the Donations dashboard.
Maximize nonprofit impact and donations
Building and sustaining communities for worthwhile causes is a top priority for nonprofit and community organizations. Developing an online presence that highlights your client’s work as compelling and engaging is just as important. Incorporate eye-catching landing pages, a mission statement that gets visitors interested, easy-to-use navigation, multimedia elements, and a clear call to action.
*This article was originally published March 10, 2022. It has since been updated.
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