A website is an excellent place to advertise your organization’s mission. It’s also a space where you can utilize it to increase fundraising, brand awareness and find more volunteers.
While many nonprofits need a small budget on managing their website, they should also treat it as an investment. If you have a means of finding more donors and volunteers, you’ll want to spend the money to create a higher return on investment.
With that in mind, here are features of what an exceptional nonprofit website looks like for brands.
Clear Mission Statement
One part of an exceptional nonprofit website is your foundation’s mission, clearly stated throughout the homepage.
The mission statement is a clear articulation of a nonprofit’s existence. Chances are, most visitors will reach your website through the homepage. This part of the website is an excellent opportunity to highlight the organization’s purpose from the very beginning.
Your homepage banner can showcase a community of smiling members to help readers visualize your organization’s statement of purpose.
Another way to display a mission statement is by utilizing large text to differentiate it from the visual aspects. This is so people can clearly understand what your organization is all about.
Volunteer Information
Volunteers are likely to donate more money to charities than non-volunteers. In a recent survey by CCS Fundraising, 45% of respondents stated they would keep donating the exact amount after volunteering.
So, when nonprofits are creating an exceptional website, they make it easy for people to get involved. Here are a few ways they make this happen:
- Maintain a list of updated volunteer opportunities
- Include a link to volunteer on the navigation menu
- Allocate a space for volunteer coordinators to connect volunteers to opportunities
- Create a signup form for volunteer registration
- Ask members to indicate which options interest them in their profile
Recurring Donation Processes
Nonprofits that use paper only or Paypal for donations can miss out on increasing revenue. Those who ensure they overcome this downfall are through donation management software.
Although, setting this up can require timing consumption and resources. However, auto-recurring and one-time renewal payments can make up for that in compensation.
Having a secure membership management system on a website is crucial to receiving donations. Creating safe payment processing can increase contributions and set up payment reminders for easily distracted donors.
Exclusive Content for Members and Donors
Members and donors join an organization because they want to help in any way they can. So, the best way nonprofits can make it feel more official for them is to create members-only content.
Articles and a directory that only members can see make it more exclusive. Exceptional nonprofit websites also include a CRM that limits access to specific pages, posts and events—some of the more valued types of content highlight features of reporting trends.
Most members will enjoy seeing high-quality content such as:
1. Trending information about the organization displaying its unique position in collecting from members and donors.
2. Statistics on the organization’s current activities.
3. Membership and beneficiary demographic reports.
Events Calendar or Online Event
Whether in-person or online, events are a core foundation of how most nonprofits function. A donation platform or membership software supports online event registration and payments.
A website may also provide widgets that promote a list of upcoming events in the sidebar or footer. Event attendees can appreciate the convenience of online registration. Additionally, this feature is more likely to sell tickets this way.
A Friendly and Welcoming Design
The color and imagery is the first thing that visitors see when they come to a nonprofit website. Regarding first-time visitors, 94% of first impressions are based on visual appearances.
A nonprofit website should have an attractive color scheme that best reflects the organization’s mission. A clashing palette will drive visitors away, and lack of color can be dull.
Images also play a significant role in first impressions. Displaying the faces of human advocates can increase engagement for website users. When a nonprofit chooses pictures, they select images of members, volunteers and event attendees.
Uploading candid moments of volunteers can show the human side of your organization. It makes your nonprofit appear more personable and down to earth.
A Newsletter Section
Nonprofit websites create reports that inform constituents about how the organization is doing with existing programs. They make new blog posts, which is a great way to:
- Document the success of recent fundraising efforts
- Showcase case studies on scholarship recipients
- Deliver stats about contributions
Creating good content also helps board members stay updated on the most recent reports. Placing content on a website can help others see the success of activities when visiting a website. Most recently updated websites are also vital to ranking in search engines.
A Designated Space for Member Log-ins
There are plenty of reasons why nonprofit websites have a members-only section. For security and privacy reasons, this section can prevent the release of confidential information. Another reason could be that a members-only section provides exclusive resources.
Additionally, it’s a way for member directors to make payments to members of the organization.
You entice other people to join your nonprofit online by providing a members-only section. That way, it gives them instant access, and it helps them feel more exclusive when they’re part of your organization.
What Improvements Can You Make for Your Organization’s Website?
As virtual and in-person environments continue to evolve, nonprofits must understand the importance and value of an exceptional website. By understanding users’ needs, desires, and preferences, you can drastically improve your organization’s website with the features above.
Functional websites are central to organized fundraising. It’s also vital to brand management. Uplevel your website today and witness the key benefits it can provide for your entire organization.
