For most folks, the first contact or interaction that they have with a nonprofit is via their website. Your website is the way that your nonprofit introduces itself to the world, and just like in other areas of life, you don’t get a second chance to make a great first impression! Every aspect of your site, from its layout and design to its images, text and other content, matters!

Ideally, your website will communicate your nonprofit’s mission, and inform others how they can join in and help. Your content should connect with visitors in a meaningful way that encourages additional interaction and involvement.

The following is a brief overview of what your website should include, at a minimum, to be able to increase the reach of your nonprofit’s message, while also working to increase support for your cause.

Start with the Basics

Every nonprofit website should start by covering the standard basics: a home page, an “about us” page, and a contact page. Each of these pages should be optimised for both desktop and mobile use.

At this stage, it’s a good idea to include a “tagline,” or your nonprofit’s motto, on your home page and/or your “about us” page. A tagline makes it easier for visitors to understand your nonprofit’s specific mission.

Your nonprofit’s tagline should be just one or two short sentences that tell visitors what you are all about, and why you exist. A tagline helps to establish your identity and brand image, which enables your organisation to stand out from other nonprofits with similar outreach projects and goal

Each page should feature at least one captivating photo, a short video, or other image to attract the attention of your visitors. Ideally, these images will reinforce the storytelling that is conveyed in the text on the page. These stories should focus on the impact that is made by your nonprofit, and help visitors to connect with your nonprofit on an emotional level and at a glance.

Somewhere on each page, you should include an obvious call to action, as well as buttons that make it easy for others to like and share your nonprofit’s story with their connections on social media.

Finances

Most individuals like to know just what sort of impact their individual donations and other support make to your cause. Create a separate page to disclose your nonprofit’s finances and include images, and infographics that break down the effects of giving at various donation levels to encourage repeat contributions and greater support.

Including a financials page also increases transparency and trust in your organisation.

How to Get Involved

While each page should include its own call to action, it’s also a good idea to create a separate page that shows visitors to your site just how they can get involved in your work and help support your mission. While donations are one of the key ways that supporters assist nonprofits, volunteering, and advocacy are also key areas where nonprofits need help.

Make it easy for visitors to learn about all of the many ways they can help your organisation. Separate various types of volunteer work, levels of donating, and opportunities to advocate into smaller steps so that visitors can easily see and choose opportunities to support your nonprofit that will fit in with the other commitments on their time, assets and other resources.

Our Work

Sometimes this part of a nonprofit’s website is called an impact page. Unlike the brief biography and mission statement that are often included on the “about us” page, an impact page more thoroughly describes the good work that your nonprofit does.

This page typically includes multiple personal interest stories that further explain and elaborate on the impact of specific service projects, and other efforts to improve some aspect of your community. Often, the stories that are included in this section of the website make it easier for visitors to see themselves donating, volunteering, fundraising and advocating for your nonprofit.

Staff Pages

While some nonprofits include stories about their staff on their impact pages, others break this section out into its own category. This is especially helpful when the work that a nonprofit’ does can be difficult to put into personal interest terms. Including a page where you introduce visitors to your staff can make the idea of joining or otherwise supporting your organisation less formidable and intimidating and encourage greater acts of donations, volunteering and advocacy on behalf of your nonprofit.