Wondering if your website is helping or hurting your nonprofit? A well-designed nonprofit website can help elevate your digital presence, increase online donations, gain increased media attention, and more!
Here are a whopping 66 nonprofit web design recommendations that can help you optimize your organization’s site and grow your online reach.
- Best Web Design Tips
- Website Navigation
- Website Layout
- Website Accessibility
- Website Content
- Search Engine Optimization
- Donation Page Design
Fuel Your Mission: Engage Everyday Donors
Learn actionable strategies to effectively connect with and cultivate the generosity of your everyday supporters—download The Generosity Report now!
Best Nonprofit Web Design Tips
Don’t have time to read the whole article? We get it—you’re busy! So here are the top five things you should do to improve your nonprofit website.
1. Make Sure It’s Mobile-Responsive
Why It’s Important:
With a majority of your donor base coming to your website from their phones or tablets (approximately 60% of search traffic is done on mobile devices), it’s important to optimize the mobile user experience.
Having to pinch, scroll, or zoom to view your content can frustrate users and keep them from staying on your site long enough to submit their donations or engage with your organization.
How It’s Done:
Many website builders will automatically generate a mobile-responsive version of your website.
However, you should still design with mobile in mind to ensure that your page will translate over well. Minimize the number of elements you have on your page, stick to a vertical design, and use a large, easy-to-read font.
Remember: The best way to tell if your site looks good on mobile is to view it on a mobile device. If you are redesigning your website, you should spend a lot of your review and QA time having staff members comb through the site on their smartphones and tablets.
The Takeaway:
Mobile is the present and future of communication. Design your page for mobile so all of your donors will be able to navigate it easily, no matter which device they’re using.
2. Optimize for Search Engines (SEO)
Why It’s Important:
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the art and science (and witchcraft) of enhancing the visibility of your website in search engine results.
Higher search rankings will mean that potential supporters and donors will find your site when searching for relevant topics, leading to greater engagement with your content and increased support for your mission.
How It’s Done:
Start by conducting thorough keyword research to identify the terms and phrases your target audience uses when searching for information related to your cause.
Next, create valuable, informative, and engaging content that addresses the needs and interests of your audience.
Create clean, descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords and reflect the content of the page. Optimize your meta tags, including title tags and meta descriptions, for each page on your site.
There’s a lot that goes into crafting an effective SEO strategy, but this is a good place to start. For more SEO best practices, skip down to the Nonprofit Search Engine Optimization section of this post.
The Takeaway:
Effective SEO practices make your website more discoverable by search engines, driving organic traffic and helping you reach a larger audience.
This increased visibility can lead to higher engagement, more donations, and greater support for your nonprofit’s mission.
3. Include Social Elements
Why It’s Important:
Incorporating social elements into your website—or elements that are designed to have a visitor share the page or form that they’re viewing—helps expand your reach and gives your supporters another way to engage with your organization online.
How It’s Done:
Since your website and social media pages form the cornerstone of your organization’s online presence, it can be helpful to think of these two things as interrelated.
Incorporate social sharing buttons into your website articles and web forms so it’s easy for supporters to share your content with their friends.
You can also share the articles and updates you post on your website to your social media pages to maintain a regular posting schedule and always keep your followers engaged.
The Takeaway:
Your website and social media pages go hand in hand. Incorporating social sharing features into your website will make it easier to establish your social media presence and enable you to reach more supporters’ engagement preferences.
4. Add an Email Subscription Form
Why It’s Important:
If a visitor likes what they see on your website, they will likely be open to signing up for your email list. Your job is to make sure that signing up is easy!
Including an easy-to-find email subscription form on your website will boost your email newsletter subscription rates. More supporters will be aware of the option to subscribe and will have a convenient way of doing so.
How It’s Done:
There are two ways that you can add an email subscription form:
- Add an email subscription widget to your website’s footer. That way, no matter what page they’re on, a visitor can easily enter their email address, click a button, and sign up!
- Create an email subscription pop-up that asks a visitor to subscribe. While this is a more direct and assertive way to collect email addresses, it also has the downside of potentially annoying your website users.
Your website builder and/or your email marketing service should provide you with a code that you can insert into your website to generate a subscription form. Many nonprofit website builders will also have an email subscription widget you can easily add to your site.
If you’re using a pop-up, you will have some decisions to make regarding frequency. Some organizations will opt to have it pop up every time a user changes pages, while others might have the pop-up appear only when people visit certain pages.
Either way, make sure to feature your email subscription form prominently and include a short sentence or two about what subscribing entails and what value users will get from your newsletters.
The Takeaway:
Adding an email subscription form to your website can help your email list grow by leaps and bounds.
5. Integrate Your Website with Your CRM
Why It’s Important:
By integrating your website with your nonprofit’s CRM, all of the data you collect from webforms will automatically be recorded in your donor profiles.
In other words, integration takes the time and hassle out of data management!
Plus, many CRMs have tools built in that will make it easier to generate donation pages and other types of forms in the first place.
How It’s Done:
During the buying process, look for a donor database that can generate branded forms that can easily be incorporated into your website.
Conversely, if you’re looking for a new website host, make sure it can support your CRM.
Alternatively, you could look for a vendor that provides both software and web design services. Neon One offers seamless integration between our nonprofit website builder, Neon Websites, and our donor management system, Neon CRM.
The Takeaway:
When you integrate your website with your donor database, transferring and tracking your data will be a breeze.
If you’d like to learn more about Neon Websites, click the button below to join one of our 30-minute, no-pressure group demos!
Nonprofit Website Navigation Tips
All great websites are easy to navigate. Here are 11 tips to help you lay out your nonprofit’s website in ways that are simple and intuitive.
6. Feature the Most Relevant Information
Why It’s Important:
Your homepage navigation will be how a vast majority of your users get around your site.
In the navigation menu, include links to the pages on your site that your users most likely came to find. That will make it easy for them to navigate your site and find the content they want.
How It’s Done:
To pinpoint the most efficient navigation structure, consider your visitors and why they’re coming to your site. What information are most of them looking for? What information do you want them to see?
Feature the most relevant pages (e.g. “About Us,” “Ways to Give,” etc.) in the primary navigation, which is usually a bar across the top of the page.
Leave less important content for the secondary navigation, which are the dropdowns that open up underneath the menu items in your primary navigation.
If you’re having trouble deciding what pages to include in your primary navigation and need a starting point, try break your menu down into the following five categories:
- About Us
- Our Work
- Get Involved
- News and Updates
- Donate
The Takeaway:
Including the most relevant, important content in your navigation will make it straightforward for users to find the information they want, increasing the likelihood they’ll stay on your website for longer.
7. Put the Navigation Bar at the Top
Why It’s Important:
Placing the navigation bar on the top of your page ensures that all visitors can easily spot it and use it to get to the information they’re looking for. That will keep them on your site longer.
How It’s Done:
A top bar navigation is standard for most websites, so most builders should allow you to easily place the navigation at the top.
In fact, many will have it set as the default!
Need an example? Just scroll to the top of this page and check out the navigation we’ve created for NeonOne.com.
The Takeaway:
The very top of your website will be the part users spot first. Include the navigation there so that it’s readily accessible.
8. Keep Titles Short and Simple
The navigation on your homepage will be crucial to your users’ experience of your website.
Why It’s Important:
Your navigation has one purpose and one purpose only: To get visitors to the pages they want as quickly and easily as possible.
Keeping the titles on the navigation bar short and simple will ensure your navigation is scannable for users so they can get to the desired content without a second thought.
How It’s Done:
All navigation titles, including those in drop-down menus, should be no more than two or three words.
Additionally, make sure that you’re using language that’s easy for users to understand. Avoid flowery language or jargon; your titles should reflect the information on each page as clearly and accurately as possible.
The Takeaway:
Keeping titles short and sweet ensures that users will know exactly where to click to access the content they want.
9. Make Dropdown Menus Easy to Read
Why It’s Important:
While they might not include links to pages as important as those featured in your primary navigation bar, dropdown menus still play a key part in how well users are able to get around your site.
To provide the best user experience, your sub-navigation should be just as clear and intuitive as your main navigation.
How It’s Done:
Keep your dropdown menus to two levels or less. Use text that’s large enough for users to read and leave ample space between titles to prevent your menus from looking too cluttered.
Experiment with different fonts as well. You might like the look and feel of a certain font only to find that it’s actually really difficult to read on your site—especially when someone’s visiting on their phone.
Include a hover feature that highlights text as users run their mouse over it, so they can stay oriented with where they are in the navigation.
Lastly, you should set your sub-menus so they only expand when a user hovers over the relevant item. This will create a much better experience on mobile devices.
If someone clicks “Get Involved” and is confronted with a list of 15 items—instead of 5 items, each of which can expand into a sub-menu of 3 items—they’re more likely to get overwhelmed and leave.
The Takeaway:
Keep drop down menus minimal and to a minimum so that they’re easy for users to navigate.
10. Design for All Your Stakeholders
Why It’s Important:
Remember, your site has different kinds of visitors!
Your website should cater to the needs of all your stakeholders, including donors, volunteers, beneficiaries, and community members.
Each group has unique needs and preferences, and addressing these can lead to a more engaging and effective website.
How It’s Done:
Create personas for your key stakeholder groups to understand their motivations, challenges, and how they interact with your website.
Use this insight to tailor content, navigation, and calls to action that resonate with each group.
When in doubt, you can simply add different sections to your homepage and primary navigation titled “Members,” “Donors,” “Volunteers,” etc.
The Takeaway:
Designing with all your stakeholders in mind ensures a more inclusive and engaging website that fosters stronger connections with your community.
11. Provide Multiple Ways to Get to Key Content
Why It’s Important:
Not all visitors will approach your website the same way, and different methods of navigation will be more intuitive to different visitors.
By including multiple ways to get to key content on your site, users are more likely to find and land on the content they want.
Furthermore, providing multiple pathways to the same content subtly lets browsers know which pages are most important to your organization.
How It’s Done:
Determine which pages users are most likely to visit when using your site and which you’d like to highlight (hint: It’s probably similar to your top navigation!). Then, think about where else you can link to these pages logically and organically.
Consider adding a search bar so that visitors who come looking for certain pages can find them without searching through a menu.
The Takeaway:
Providing multiple pathways to key pages highlights the most important content and increases traffic to those pages.
12. Load Up on Calls to Action (CTAs)
Why It’s Important:
Calls to action (CTAs) help you to build relationships with your supporters by letting them know how they can interact with your organization further.
Featuring multiple CTAs throughout your website provides current donors with additional engagement opportunities.
It also enables those supporters who might not be ready to donate but still want to support you to get involved with your organization.
How It’s Done:
The first step to creating calls to action is to figure out which actions you should request from your supporters.
While asking for donations is probably the most popular option, you should include various opportunities to account for different supporters’ preferences.
When placing CTAs on your website, make sure to feature them prominently and use concise, clear, and urgent language so they’re as compelling as possible.
The Takeaway:
CTAs play a crucial role in the online stewardship process and allow your supporters to choose their own involvement.
13. Use Buttons for Your CTAs
Why It’s Important:
A great way to ensure your site is optimized for mobile traffic is to turn all your CTAs into buttons rather than hyperlinked text.
Using buttons for your CTAs not only makes them stand out and encourages more interactions, but it makes your site easier to use for people who are using mobile devices.
If you’ve ever tried to click a link in an article on your smartphone, you know how hard it can be
to actually get the link to open.
Don’t let a poor user experience get in the way of a visitor’s genuine interest!
How It’s Done:
Do a quick audit of your website and see where you have CTAs. If they are included as links in your copy, look for how you can turn them into a button instead.
Once you start creating your CTA buttons, make sure they are prominently placed and use design elements like color, size, and whitespace to help them stand out.
The Takeaway:
Using a well designed button for your CTA is going to make for a much better experience on mobile than a simple hyperlink.
14. Include a Search Function
Why It’s Important:
A search function can enhance the user experience on your nonprofit’s website by allowing visitors to quickly and easily find the information they need.
When visitors can locate specific content or answers to their questions without hassle, they are more likely to stay on your site and engage with your content.
How It’s Done
Integrate a search bar prominently in your site’s header or main navigation area, ensuring it is visible on every page.
Use search tools or plugins that offer robust search capabilities, such as autocomplete suggestions and filters.
Ensure the search function is fast and accurate, returning relevant results quickly.
The Takeaway
Easy access to a search function enhances user experience, increases the time visitors spend on your site, and helps them find the information they need efficiently, making your site more user-friendly and engaging.
15. Create Interactive Timelines
Why It’s Important: Interactive timelines can be a fun and engaging way to showcase your organization’s history, achievements, and key milestones.
They provide a visual narrative that can help visitors understand your nonprofit’s journey and impact over time, making your story more compelling and accessible.
How It’s Done:
Use timeline creation tools such as TimelineJS, Tiki-Toki, or a custom HTML/CSS to develop interactive timelines. Include key dates, significant events, achievements, and impactful stories.
You can also go further and enhance the timeline with images, videos, and links to related content for a richer experience.
The Takeaway:
Interactive timelines offer a visually engaging method to present your organization’s history and milestones, keeping visitors interested and informed about your nonprofit’s development and achievements.
16. Offer Language Options
Why It’s Important:
Providing content in multiple languages can broaden your reach and make your site more inclusive.
This will help non-English speakers or those more comfortable in another language access and understand your information.
How It’s Done:
Use translation tools or services to offer key pages in the languages most relevant to your audience.
Utilize apps like Bablic Translation, which can be integrated into your Neon Website to streamline the translation process and ensure SEO-friendly translations.
The Takeaway:
Multilingual options make your site accessible to a wider audience, enhancing inclusivity and engagement by reaching people in their preferred language.
Further Reading
Bablic is only one of the dozens of apps that Neon Websites clients can add to their site to improve elements like compliance, marketing, design, and more! If you’d like to learn about all the cool app bundles available for Neon Websites, check out our Enhancement App Collections!
Looking For Ways to Boost Your Website’s Performance?
Neon Websites’ app collections are more than just tools—they are the keys that will unlock your website’s full potential.
Nonprofit Website Layout Tips
How your website looks and feels to a first-time visitor can be just as important as the information being presented. Follow these 12 tips to create a site that gets site users invested in your mission.
17. Make the Cause Clear
Why It’s Important:
Your website is the digital face of your nonprofit’s brand. When people land on your site, you want them to know immediately what it is you’re all about.
Your homepage’s design will be the first thing that users notice and react to, so it’s important to make both your specific mission and your organization’s impact apparent from the outset.
How It’s Done:
Design your website with your cause at the forefront of your mind.
Make sure to include a concise but vivid blurb about your mission and to feature a
compelling, cause-related image (ideally one that’s original to your organization) at the top of your page.
The Takeaway:
Make sure visitors know exactly who you are by incorporating language and images about your cause and mission into the design of your homepage.
18. Include Your Logo in the Top Left of the Header
Why It’s Important:
The top left of your website’s header is the first thing that visitors will see when they land on your page.
Including your logo there orients them with your brand and lets them know that they’re interacting with an organization they trust right from the beginning.
When it comes to web design, featuring the logo in the top left of your header is standard. Some users might even expect it!
How It’s Done:
This one is pretty straightforward!
Just keep in mind that it’s also standard for your logo to link back to your homepage. That way, visitors will always have a convenient and intuitive way to get back to home base no matter which page they’re on.
The Takeaway:
Featuring your logo in the top left of the header is a design standard that guarantees your supporters will always remain aware of your brand as they’re browsing your site.
19. Fully Update Your Website Every Two to Four Years
Why It’s Important:
Your website’s design is the first thing your supporters will notice, and it plays a huge role in how they perceive your organization and whether or not they trust you.
A poorly designed and out-of-date website can cause you to seem less credible and authoritative.
How It’s Done:
Every two to four years, evaluate your website to make sure it’s in keeping with the current trends. It can be helpful to look at other nonprofit websites to get an idea of what’s modern in the sector.
Additionally, it’s best to design as proactively as possible. While website design trends will naturally change, try to avoid trends and stick with what’s tried and true. This will help prevent having to update your site frequently or regularly make many major changes.
The Takeaway:
Updating your organization’s website every few years means it will always appear fresh, modern, and authoritative to your supporters.
If your organization is currently planning on a website redesign, you should definitely check out our comprehensive Website Optimization Action Plan.
20. Keep It Simple
Why It’s Important:
Not only does using a simple layout keep your website looking modern for longer (that means fewer updates!), but it also provides users with a better experience.
A design that’s too ornate can look cluttered and make it more difficult for users to access the information they’re seeking.
How It’s Done:
As tempting as it can be, resist the urge to cram your website with fancy design elements, images, and large blocks of text. As you design, ask yourself: Is this piece of content necessary? Does it provide users with something of value? Only include it if the answer to both questions is “yes.”
You should also leave plenty of white space around your content to create the most impact and give users’ eyes a break.
The Takeaway:
A simple and streamlined website will be easier for your users to navigate and easier for your organization to maintain.your users to navigate and easier for your organization to maintain.
21. Be Consistent with Branding
Why It’s Important:
Branding ensures that all aspects of your website are consistent, which is key to establishing authority and building trust with your supporters.
Think about it: When your website is consistent, visitors will always be sure that they’re interacting with your nonprofit, no matter what page they land on.
How It’s Done:
If you’re using a website builder to construct your site, set all defaults to be consistent with your brand.
You should use a color scheme that reflects your logo and limit your color choices to three or four, max. Make sure to use the same, easy-to-read font throughout (sans serif fonts work best for web) and that the color of hyperlinks fits in with the rest of your design.
If you need to build webforms, many CRMs can generate branded forms and incorporate them into your website.
The Takeaway:
Your website is all about your organization. Make sure it always reinforces who you are by keeping consistent branding throughout.
22. Use Compelling Images
Why It’s Important:
When you use them strategically, the right images can be incredibly impactful when it comes to illustrating your work, spreading your message, and raising awareness of your cause.
Plus, images tend to be more eye-catching than text, so they’re a great way to grab your supporters’ attention and keep them engaged.
How It’s Done:
The most vivid and relevant images will be those taken or created by your organization. They should either be emotionally compelling (think: An image of those you serve) or informative (think: An infographic breaking down one of your articles on a topic related to your cause).
Just remember to keep visuals to a minimum; cramming too many onto a page can reduce the impact and be distracting.
And don’t forget to include images on your donation page! The right image will help reinforce a person’s decision to give and could improve your conversion rates.
The Takeaway:
Images can make your website more striking and easier to digest. To avoid overusing images, double-check that every image you include provides the visitor with something of value.
23. Utilize Social Proof
Why It’s Important:
Social proof, like user reviews and social media mentions, can build credibility and trust. That makes it a really useful element to include on your website!
Seeing that others support and endorse your organization can reassure potential donors and volunteers that their contributions are worthwhile.
How It’s Done:
Display user-generated content, reviews, and social media feeds on your nonprofit’s site.
Highlight testimonials from donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries. Share positive stories and mentions from media outlets or influencers.
The Takeaway:
Social proof can influence new visitors to support your organization by showing that others have had positive experiences and believe in your cause.
24. Promote Matching Gift Programs
Why It’s Important:
Matching gift programs can double donations and increase overall fundraising. Informing donors about these programs can encourage them to maximize their contributions through employer matches.
How It’s Done:
Highlight matching gift opportunities on your donation page and provide tools to check eligibility. Include information about the benefits of matching gifts and how donors can participate.
The Takeaway:
Promoting matching gifts can maximize donor contributions, significantly boosting your fundraising efforts by leveraging employer-sponsored matching programs.
You can read more about matching gift fundraising in the article below.
25. Feature a Countdown Timer for Events
Why It’s Important:
Countdown timers visually emphasize the limited time remaining, which can prompt visitors to take immediate action.
That makes them a powerful tool for creating a sense of urgency and excitement around upcoming events or fundraising campaigns.
This urgency can significantly boost engagement and participation by encouraging visitors to register, donate, or attend before time runs out.
Countdown timers can enhance the perceived importance of an event, making it more compelling for visitors to get involved.
How It’s Done:
Add a countdown timer to prominent locations on your website, such as your homepage, event pages, or even as a persistent element in the header or sidebar.
Use plugins or widgets that integrate seamlessly with your website platform, ensuring the timer is accurate and updates in real time.
Customize the timer’s design to match your website’s branding, and include clear, action-oriented calls to action (CTAs) near the timer, such as “Register Now,” “Donate Today,” or “Join Us.”
Highlight key milestones as the event approaches, such as “1 week left” or “24 hours remaining,” to maintain urgency and excitement.
The Takeaway:
Featuring a countdown timer on your website can create a sense of urgency that drives immediate action, boosting engagement and participation in your events and campaigns.
others. By leveraging the psychological impact of urgency, you can increase the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and achieve your fundraising or participation goals more efficiently.
26. Prominently Display Your “Donate” Button
Why It’s Important:
Chances are, many visitors are coming to your website to make a donation. Having to search around for a “donate” button can frustrate potential donors and deter them from actually submitting their contributions.
Feature your donation button in a prominent place so there’s never any uncertainty (or missed donations)!
How It’s Done:
When placing your button in spots around your site, always display it prominently and title it clearly. Don’t forget to include it in the top navigation, too, so that it’s accessible from all pages.
To make your button even more eye-catching, use a standout color and consider changing the language from the generic “Donate Now!” to something more specific to your organization.
Make sure that your button also leads directly to your donation page. Visitors should always be one click away from reaching that form and donating to your mission!
The Takeaway:
When you feature your “donate” button in prominent spots on your website, you’ll never miss out on an online donation again!
27. Use Interactive Maps
Why It’s Important:
Interactive maps can really spark a supporter’s imagination by visually representing the geographic reach and impact of your nonprofit’s work.
By helping visitors understand where your organization operates, locate local chapters, and find upcoming events or programs in their area, these maps can make your impact more tangible and relatable to your audience.
How It’s Done:
Embed a map on your site using tools like Google Maps or Mapbox. Add markers for key locations such as office branches, project sites, event venues, and partner organizations.
Customize the map with relevant information and interactive elements like clickable markers that provide additional details when selected.
The Takeaway:
Interactive maps can visually showcase your nonprofit’s impact and geographic reach, helping users connect with your work on a local level and find relevant locations or events easily.
28. Include a Privacy Policy
Why It’s Important:
A clear privacy policy reassures visitors that their data is being handled responsibly.
Transparency about data usage builds trust with your audience and ensures compliance with legal regulations regarding data protection.
How It’s Done:
Draft a comprehensive privacy policy that explains what data you collect, how it is used, and how it is protected.
Make this policy easily accessible from every page of your site, typically in the footer.
If you have a lawyer on your board, this is a great way for them to donate their talents.
The Takeaway:
Transparency about data usage builds trust with your audience, demonstrating your commitment to protecting their information and complying with legal standards.
Further Reading
Want to see a whole bunch of these website best practices in action? Here’s a list of amazing charity websites, most of which were built using Neon Websites!
Nonprofit Website Accessibility Tips
Creating an accessible website is not just about following guidelines—it’s about ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can effectively interact with your content. An accessible website broadens your audience, promotes inclusivity, and improves overall user experience.
By implementing these eight accessibility-focused tips, you can ensure your nonprofit’s website is welcoming and usable for all visitors.
29. Use Descriptive Alt Text for Images
Why It’s Important:
Alt text is crucial for users who rely on screen readers to access web content, as it provides a textual description of images.
This ensures that visually impaired users can understand the visual elements on your site and their context, contributing to a more inclusive experience.
How It’s Done:
Write concise yet descriptive alt text for every image, explaining what the image shows and its purpose.
Avoid phrases like “image of” and instead focus on the content, such as “A group of volunteers planting trees in a park.”
The Takeaway:
Descriptive alt text makes your website more inclusive and ensures that all users, regardless of their visual abilities, can engage with your content.
30. Ensure Keyboard Navigation
Why It’s Important:
Many users with motor disabilities cannot use a mouse and rely on keyboards or other assistive devices for navigation.
Ensuring your site is fully navigable via keyboard helps these users interact with your site without barriers, enhancing their overall experience.
How It’s Done:
Test your website to ensure that all interactive elements, such as links, buttons, and form fields, can be accessed and activated using keyboard inputs.
Focus should move logically and predictably through the page using the Tab key.
The Takeaway:
Keyboard-friendly navigation is essential for creating an accessible web experience, allowing all users to navigate and use your site independently.
31. Implement ARIA Landmarks
Why It’s Important:
ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) landmarks provide additional context to screen readers, enhancing the navigation experience for visually impaired users.
By defining key sections of your web pages, ARIA landmarks help users understand the structure and content, making navigation more intuitive and efficient.
This is crucial for accessibility, as it allows screen reader users to skip directly to relevant sections without having to go through all the content linearly.
How It’s Done:
Use ARIA roles and properties to label major sections of your site.
For example, assign a “navigation” role to your menu, a “main” role to your primary content, and a “complementary” role to your sidebars.
These roles guide screen readers and other assistive technologies through your content, allowing users to jump directly to the sections they are interested in.
The Takeaway:
Implementing ARIA landmarks improves the browsing experience for screen reader users by providing clear, navigable sections within your web pages.
This enhancement not only makes your site more accessible but also promotes inclusivity by ensuring compliance with accessibility standards.
32. Use High-Contrast Colors
Why It’s Important:
High contrast between text and background colors ensures readability for users with visual impairments, including those with color blindness or low vision.
Poor contrast can make text difficult to read and increase eye strain, leading to a frustrating user experience.
How It’s Done:
Choose color combinations that meet the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) recommended contrast ratios.
Tools like this free color contrast checker from the ADA can help you determine if your color choices meet accessibility standards.
The Takeaway:
Ensuring high-contrast colors improves readability and user experience for all visitors, particularly those with visual impairments.
33. Provide Text Resizing Options
Why It’s Important:
Users with visual impairments often need larger text to read content comfortably.
Allowing text resizing gives these users control over their viewing experience, improving accessibility and comfort while navigating your site.
It ensures that your content is accessible to everyone, regardless of their visual abilities.
How It’s Done:
Ensure your website supports text resizing through browser settings, and consider providing on-page controls to adjust text size.
Use relative units like percentages or ems for font sizes in your CSS to allow for easy scaling.
Test your site to ensure text resizing does not break the layout or functionality.
The Takeaway:
Text resizing options empower users to customize their reading experience, making your content more accessible to those with visual impairments.
This feature enhances the overall usability of your website.
34. Add Captions to Videos
Why It’s Important:
Captions make video content accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing users by providing a text equivalent to spoken dialogue and important sounds. This ensures that all users can understand and engage with your multimedia content, regardless of their hearing ability.
How It’s Done:
Provide accurate, synchronized captions for all video content. Platforms like YouTube offer automatic captioning, but it’s important to review and edit these captions for accuracy to ensure they convey the correct information.
The Takeaway:
Adding captions to videos makes your multimedia content accessible to a wider audience, including those with hearing impairments.
35. Provide Focus Indicators
Why It’s Important:
Focus indicators show users which element is currently selected or active, which is essential for those navigating with a keyboard.
Without visible focus indicators, users can become lost or confused, hindering their ability to use your site effectively.
How It’s Done:
Ensure that all interactive elements have visible focus indicators, such as outlines or color changes, when they are tabbed to.
Use CSS to customize the appearance of focus indicators to make them stand out and be easily recognizable.
Test your site to ensure that focus indicators are present and functional across all elements.
The Takeaway:
Visible focus indicators improve navigation for keyboard users, making it clear where they are on the page at any given time.
This feature enhances accessibility and usability, ensuring that all visitors can interact with your site effectively.
36. Test with Accessibility Tools
Why It’s Important:
Regular testing with accessibility tools helps identify and fix issues, ensuring your site remains compliant with accessibility standards and provides a good user experience for everyone.
Continuous testing is crucial for maintaining and improving site accessibility, helping you stay ahead of potential problems.
How It’s Done:
Use tools like WAVE, Axe, or Lighthouse to regularly audit your site for accessibility issues.
These tools can identify problems such as missing alt text, poor contrast, and issues with form labels, providing actionable insights for improvement.
Regularly review and address the issues identified in these audits.
The Takeaway:
Continuous testing and improvement ensure your website remains accessible and usable for all visitors, keeping your site compliant and user-friendly.
Regular audits help maintain high standards of accessibility, benefiting all users.
Further Reading
Ensuring your website is accessible to everyone—including people with disabilities—isn’t just a matter of inclusivity. An accessible website can significantly broaden your nonprofit’s audience and enhance your site user experience for all visitors.
You can learn more about accessibility for nonprofit websites in this article:
Nonprofit Website Content Tips
Design and layout are important, but they won’t matter at all if your website’s content isn’t up to snuff.
Here are 13 tips that you can use to create awesome website content that translates into real audience engagement
37. Develop a Content Strategy
Why It’s Important:
Content is the substance of your website and will be key to marketing your organization and appealing to your donors.
Developing a content strategy ensures that all content is cohesive and consistent with your brand and goals. Plus, when donors feel like there’s an intention behind your content, they’re more likely to be swayed by it.
How It’s Done:
To develop a content strategy, start by asking: What goals do we hope to accomplish with our website? How do we hope to frame our organization, work, and cause to get to these goals?
Once you have a few goals in mind, think about what content you can include and how you can structure your content to reach your ideal outcome.
Remember, content can mean a blog post, a video, a webinar, etc. And content you create for your website can also be repurposed for other channels like email, social media, or even direct mail!
SEO should also figure into your content strategy. Not only can you target search phrases and keywords that prospective supporters are likely to use, but regularly updating your site with new content will help improve your site’s performance in search results.
The Takeaway:
Determining a content strategy before you build your website ensures that everything you post will be directed and cohesive.
If you want to learn the nuts and bolts of creating content for your nonprofit’s website, check out the Content Strategy section of our article, Creating Nonprofit Websites: Your Complete Guide.
38. Highlight Your Impact
Why It’s Important:
Demonstrating the impact of your work in your website content will build credibility and show visitors the difference their support can make.
When potential donors and volunteers see the tangible results of your efforts, they are more likely to feel confident in contributing.
How It’s Done:
While your website content should include some statistics to demonstrate the full scope of your impact, the key to connecting emotionally with website visitors is going to be focusing on individual people.
Feeding 10,000 people doesn’t have nearly the same effect on a reader as the story of one person who no longer has to go hungry.
By sharing success stories and testimonials from those who have benefited from your work, you’ll forge a more personal connection with your supporters.
In addition to seeing this content throughout your site, you can create a dedicated impact page or section on your website that regularly updates visitors on your ongoing progress.
The Takeaway:
Highlighting your impact reassures supporters that their contributions are making a tangible difference. This transparency builds emotional connections and encourages continued and increased support.
39. Take a Donor-Centric Approach
Why It’s Important:
When supporters get to your website, they aren’t really looking to learn about your organization; they’re looking to learn about how people like them became involved and made a difference.
Furthermore, your organization wouldn’t get very far without the help of your generous donors. They deserve to be highlighted on your website!
How It’s Done:
Consider creating a page on your website dedicated to donors and stewardship where you can highlight the contributions that helped your organization make big strides.
When telling your organization’s story, share how your donors and volunteers played a part in getting you to where you are today.
One easy way to tell if your website is donor-centric is if you count more uses of the word “you” than “I” or “we.”
The Takeaway:
Donors are the true lifeblood of your organization. By centering your website around them, you’ll provide them with the information they want and give them the recognition they deserve.
40. Share Volunteer Stories
Why It’s Important:
Featuring volunteer stories can inspire others to get involved and highlight the impact of volunteering.
Personal stories can resonate with potential volunteers, showing them the tangible benefits and rewarding experiences of contributing their time.
How It’s Done:
Collect and share stories from volunteers, including their experiences and contributions. Use quotes, photos, and videos to make these stories engaging and relatable.
The Takeaway:
Personal stories can motivate new volunteers and showcase your nonprofit’s impact, encouraging more people to participate in your mission.
41. Highlight Organizational Events
Why It’s Important:
Frequently updating your website is important to maintaining your credibility. One of the easiest ways to do this with your content is by posting about current events within your organization.
Not only will posting about events let donors know what’s going on at your nonprofit, but consistently featuring new content also makes your organization appear more relevant. If you’re not updating your site periodically, supporters might misinterpret it to mean you aren’t interested in communicating or even that you’re inactive.
How It’s Done:
Promote upcoming events by maintaining an events calendar, and document past events so you can share current organizational news with your supporters.
For example, soon after an event is over, you could have one of your staff members or volunteers write a short article about it that includes photos of your team and attendees enjoying themselves.
The Takeaway:
Keep your content current by posting about events. When prospective donors see all of the fun times you’re having, they’re sure to join in on your good work!
42. Make It Engaging With Multimedia
Why It’s Important:
Including multiple forms of media on your website provides you with the best chance of capturing and keeping your supporters’ attention.
Furthermore, people have different preferences when it comes to how they receive information. Multimedia will ensure all of your bases are covered.
How It’s Done:
While most of your content will either be text or photos, think outside of the box to come up with some creative ways you can use media to share your information and bring your website to life.
Videos and sound clips are always popular options, but if you can make your website even more interactive (for example, you could include surveys, quizzes, maps, virtual tours, etc.) you’ll strike gold!
One thing to remember with hosting video: Embedding a video directly onto your page can drastically slow download times, which creates a poor user experience and is really bad for SEO.
Consider hosting your videos on another site (like YouTube) and embedding that code on your page instead.
The Takeaway:
Using multimedia will help your website stand out from the crowd and will keep your donors actively engaging with your content for longer.m the crowd and will keep your donors actively engaging with your content for longer.
43. Create a Media Kit
Why It’s Important:
Media attention is great for your organization because it can help you reach more potential supporters and get the word out about your work and cause.
Creating a media kit ensures that, if someone does choose to feature you in the media, your organization will always be framed in the way you want.
How It’s Done:
The best practice is to assemble a media kit that includes materials such as information about your organization and cause, original quotes, case studies, photos, etc. Then, upload it to your website as a downloadable resource.
A strong “About Us” page can help members of the media write the best possible story about your organization. Make it clear and easy for the press by providing a designated media contact for them to reach out to.
The Takeaway:
A media kit makes it easy for media figures to represent your organization the way you’d like to be represented.
44. Maintain a Resource Library
Why It’s Important:
Providing valuable resources can establish your nonprofit as an authority in your field and help your audience.
Offering educational and informative content not only demonstrates your expertise but also supports your community by providing them with the tools and knowledge they need.
A well-curated resource library can drive more traffic to your site, increase engagement, and build trust with your supporters.
How It’s Done:
Offer downloadable guides, whitepapers, toolkits, and case studies related to your cause. Organize these resources into categories and ensure they are easy to find and access.
If you’re so inclined, you can ask for people’s email addresses in order to download your content, which will help build your email list with people interested in your sector.
Regularly update the library with new content to keep it relevant and useful.
The Takeaway:
A resource library can drive traffic and provide additional value to your supporters, positioning your nonprofit as a leader in your sector and fostering deeper connections with your audience.
45. Create a “Meet The Team” Page
Why It’s Important:
Highlighting your nonprofit’s team can humanize your organization and build trust with your audience.
Showcasing the people behind your nonprofit is yet another way you can give supporters a personal connection to your mission, making your organization more relatable and trustworthy.
How It’s Done:
Create a dedicated page with bios and photos of key staff and board members.
Include information about their backgrounds, roles, and personal motivations for being involved with your nonprofit.
Consider adding quotes or videos to add a personal touch.
The Takeaway:
Personal connections with your team can strengthen supporter relationships, enhancing trust and engagement by showing the faces and stories behind your organization’s work.
46. Showcase Awards and Recognition
Why It’s Important:
Displaying awards and recognition can build trust and highlight your nonprofit’s credibility.
It demonstrates that your organization has been vetted and recognized by reputable entities, which can reassure potential supporters about the legitimacy and impact of your work.
How It’s Done:
Create a section on your website to showcase any awards, recognitions, or certifications your nonprofit has received.
Include images or badges of the awards and brief descriptions of what they signify.
The Takeaway:
Recognition from credible sources can enhance your reputation and attract more support, reinforcing the quality and impact of your nonprofit’s efforts.
47. Embrace Supporter-Generated Content
Why It’s Important:
Supporter-generated content, such as photos and personal stories, can increase engagement and authenticity.
It provides real-life testimonials and experiences that can resonate more deeply with potential donors and volunteers.
How It’s Done:
Encourage your supporters to share their content and feature it on your site with their permission.
Create a dedicated section or page for supported-generated content and highlight it in newsletters and social media posts.
The Takeaway:
Authentic content from supporters can build community and trust, making your nonprofit’s message more relatable and impactful.
48. Incorporate a Newsletter Archive
Why It’s Important:
A newsletter archive allows visitors to catch up on past news and updates, demonstrating transparency and consistency.
It provides a historical record of your communications and can be a valuable resource for new supporters.
How It’s Done:
Create a dedicated page for past newsletters and organize them by date or topic. Ensure the archive is easily accessible from your main navigation or footer.
The Takeaway:
An accessible archive can keep supporters informed and engaged, showing a history of transparency and consistent communication.
49. Create a FAQ Section
Why It’s Important:
A FAQ section can answer common questions about your mission, your work, and how people can get involved.
It provides visitors with quick solutions and information, improving their experience and satisfaction with your site—-and it can provide a nice little boost to your SEO too!
How It’s Done:
Compile frequently asked questions and provide clear, concise answers.
Organize the FAQ section by categories or topics for easy navigation.
The Takeaway: FAQs improve user experience and provide quick solutions to common queries, reducing the need for direct support and enhancing overall satisfaction.
Nonprofit Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tips
SEO is one of the most cost-effective ways to bring in new supporters and constituents to your organization.
After all, a Google Search and a web page are incredibly cheap compared to direct mail, local ads, or community events.
A lot of the content topics we covered in the previous section will have a positive impact on your site’s performance in search results, but here are six more tips that speak to SEO more specifically!
50. Maintain a Blog
Why It’s Important:
A blog helps keep your website fresh and relevant by regularly adding new content.
In addition to improving your site’s performance in search results—making it easier for new visitors to find you—it will also engage your current audience.
Consistently updated content shows that your organization is active and thriving.
How It’s Done:
Write blog posts on topics relevant to your mission, such as success stories, industry news, and expert insights.
Ensure each post is well-written, informative, and optimized for search engines by using relevant keywords and engaging headlines.
You can build links to your website and demonstrate authority by having experts in your field write guest posts.
The Takeaway:
A regularly updated blog keeps your audience informed and engaged while boosting your online visibility.
It serves as a platform to share your organization’s voice and build a community around your cause.
51. Regularly Update Your Content
Why It’s Important:
Regularly updating your content ensures that your information remains accurate and relevant.
It also signals to search engines that your site is active, which can improve your SEO and attract more visitors.
One of the great things about having an active blog is that it partially takes care of this for you by always making sure that new pages are going up.
How It’s Done:
Set a schedule for reviewing and updating your content, such as quarterly or biannually.
Remove outdated information, add new data, and refresh visuals as needed to keep your site current.
We recommend using a content management system (CMS) that makes it easy to update and manage your content.
The Takeaway:
Keeping your content up-to-date maintains its relevance and accuracy, enhancing user trust and engagement.
Regular updates show that your organization is active and committed to providing valuable information to your audience.
52. Include a Sitemap
Why It’s Important:
A sitemap is essential for both user navigation and search engine optimization.
It provides a structured list of all the pages on your site, helping visitors find specific content and ensuring search engines can crawl and index your site more effectively.
This improves your site’s visibility in search results and overall user experience.
How It’s Done:
Create a comprehensive sitemap that includes all your site’s pages and their hierarchy.
Submit the sitemap to major search engines like Google and Bing through their webmaster tools.
Make the sitemap easily accessible to users by including a link in your website’s footer or navigation menu.
The Takeaway:
A sitemap enhances SEO by ensuring search engines can index your site thoroughly while also improving user navigation by providing a clear overview of your site’s structure and content.
53. Utilize Schema Markup
Why It’s Important:
Schema markup helps search engines understand your content better, improving your SEO.
By providing context to your data, schema markup can enhance your visibility in search engine results and attract more targeted traffic.
How It’s Done:
Add structured data to your website’s HTML to enhance your search engine listings.
Use schema.org to find the appropriate markup for your content and implement it across your site.
The Takeaway:
Better search engine understanding can improve your site’s visibility and click-through rates, driving more organic traffic and engagement.
54. Create Evergreen Content
Why It’s Important:
Evergreen content remains relevant and valuable over time, providing lasting benefits for your SEO and audience engagement.
This type of content serves as a reliable resource for visitors and continues to attract traffic long after it is published.
How It’s Done:
Identify topics that are always relevant to your audience, such as guides, FAQs, and educational articles.
Write comprehensive and high-quality content on these topics and update these posts periodically to keep them current and accurate.
Promote your evergreen content through various channels to maximize its reach.
The Takeaway:
Evergreen content drives consistent traffic and engagement, serving as a reliable resource for your audience.
It helps establish your website as an authoritative source of information in your field.
55. Implement a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Why It’s Important:
A CDN improves your site’s speed and reliability by distributing content across multiple servers.
Faster load times enhance user experience and reduce bounce rates, while improved reliability ensures that your site is accessible even during traffic spikes.
How It’s Done:
Use a CDN service to cache your content and deliver it from the server closest to the user.
Popular CDN providers include Cloudflare, Akamai, and Amazon CloudFront.
The Takeaway:
Faster load times and improved reliability enhance the user experience, making your site more efficient and dependable for all visitors.
Further Reading
Want to learn more about SEO best practices for nonprofits? Check out this article!
Nonprofit Donation Page Design Tips
A great nonprofit website will inevitably lead visitors to your donation page. But that’s only half the job!
Once visitors have reached your page, there are a ton of actions you can take to create a seamless donor experience and improve your conversion rates.
Here are 11 of the best ones!
56. Incorporate Brand Elements
Why It’s Important:
A donation page should feel like any other page on your website. Otherwise, donors might get nervous that something’s amiss and that their financial information is about to get stolen.
By extending your website’s branding to your donation forms, you’ll build trust and reassure your donors that their contributions are going to the right place
How It’s Done:
Use your nonprofit’s color scheme, logo, and typography on your donation page. And make sure that the branding on this page specifically mirrors the branding on the rest of your website.
Taking these steps will create a seamless experience for donors moving from your website to your donation page and (potentially) improve your conversion rates.
The Takeaway:
Brand consistency on your donation page reinforces your nonprofit’s identity and will increase donor confidence as they fill out your form with their sensitive financial data.
57. Use a Multi-Step Form
Why It’s Important:
A multi-step donation form can improve user experience by breaking down the donation process into manageable parts.
This can reduce the overwhelming feeling that comes from seeing a long form and can help increase completion rates.
How It’s Done:
Organize your donation form into clear steps, such as choosing a donation amount, filling out personal information, and entering payment details.
Use progress indicators to show donors where they are in the process and how many steps remain.
Take a look at the multi-step format that is built into all Neon CRM forms:
The Takeaway:
Multi-step donation forms can make the donation process feel less daunting and more user-friendly, encouraging more people to complete their donations.
58. Highlight Campaigns and Funds
Why It’s Important:
Allowing donors to choose specific campaigns or funds to support can make their giving experience more personal and meaningful.
It helps them feel directly connected to a particular aspect of your cause, enhancing their emotional investment.
How It’s Done:
Provide clear options on your donation form for donors to designate their gift to particular campaigns or funds.
Include concise descriptions for each option to guide their decision and help them understand the impact of their donation.
The Takeaway:
Highlighting specific campaigns and funds gives donors a sense of control and personal connection, potentially increasing the frequency and amount of their donations by aligning with their personal interests and values.
59. Enable Recurring Donations
Why It’s Important:
Recurring donations provide a steady and predictable source of income, helping nonprofits plan and sustain their activities more effectively.
They build long-term relationships with donors, who often contribute more over time.
How It’s Done:
Offer an option for donors to set up recurring donations directly on the donation form.
Highlight the benefits of recurring gifts, such as providing consistent support and allowing for better planning and resource allocation.
The Takeaway:
Enabling recurring donations fosters long-term relationships with donors and ensures consistent financial support for your organization, making it easier to plan and sustain ongoing activities.
If you want to learn more about the power of recurring donors, check out our comprehensive study: The Recurring Giving Report: Data-Backed Insights for Sustainable Generosity.
60. Simplify Your Form Fields
Why It’s Important:
A complicated or lengthy donation form can deter potential donors. Simplifying your form can lead to a smoother donation process and higher completion rates.
How It’s Done:
Limit the number of fields to only what’s necessary. Consider which information is essential for processing the donation and communicating with the donor.
Use field validation to help users correct errors in real time and provide clear instructions for any information requests that might be confusing.
The Takeaway:
A simplified donation form respects the donor’s time and patience, leading to a better user experience and higher conversion rates.
61. Use Imagery and Impact Statements
Why It’s Important:
Visuals and impact statements can connect donors emotionally to your cause, reinforcing the importance of their contributions.
How It’s Done:
Incorporate images that reflect the impact of donations and include short statements or testimonials about how contributions make a difference.
See Tip #22 for more guidance on including compelling imagery.
But with these particular elements, take steps to ensure that they’re integrated seamlessly and don’t distract from your donation form’s functionality.
The Takeaway:
Adding imagery and impact statements to your donation form can inspire donors by showing the real-world impact of their contributions, potentially increasing donation amounts.
62. Include Security Indicators
Why It’s Important:
Security concerns can be a significant barrier to online donations, and your donation page is an important part of a safe website. Clearly indicating that your donation form is secure can
reassure donors and protect their information.
How It’s Done:
Use SSL encryption for your donation form and display security badges or indicators (like the commonplace padlock icon) prominently.
Include a privacy policy link and ensure your form is PCI compliant. Make it clear that donor information is protected and will not be shared without consent.
And speaking of PCI compliance, check out the article below to learn more about the free PCI compliance program that comes standard with all Neon One products!
The Takeaway:
Highlighting security measures on your donation form builds trust with your donors, ensuring a safe and secure donation process.
63. Use Real-Time Validation
Why It’s Important:
Real-time validation helps donors correct errors immediately as they fill out the form, reducing frustration and improving the likelihood of form completion.
It ensures that all necessary information is entered correctly on the first try.
How It’s Done:
Implement real-time validation scripts that provide instant feedback on field entries, such as incorrect email formats or missing required fields.
Clearly indicate errors and provide helpful tips for correction.
The Takeaway:
Real-time validation enhances user experience by ensuring that donors can quickly correct mistakes, leading to higher completion rates and fewer abandoned donations.
64. Offer Tribute and Memorial Giving Options
Why It’s Important:
Tribute and memorial giving options allow donors to make a gift in honor or memory of someone special, adding an emotional and personal dimension to their donation.
This can provide an additional incentive to give.
How It’s Done:
Include fields on your donation form for donors to specify tribute or memorial gifts.
Offer to send acknowledgment cards or emails to the honoree or their family, recognizing the donation made in their name.
The Takeaway:
Tribute and memorial giving options add a personal touch to donations, making the giving experience more meaningful and encouraging larger contributions by connecting the act of giving to significant personal moments.
65. Provide a Progress Bar or Donation Thermometer
Why It’s Important:
A progress bar shows donors how far along they are in the donation process, reducing anxiety and encouraging completion.
It provides a visual cue that the end is in sight, making the process feel more manageable.
How It’s Done:
Implement a progress bar at the top of your multi-step donation form, updating it as donors move through each step.
Ensure it is clear and easy to understand, offering a sense of accomplishment as they progress.
One of the most popular kinds of progress bars is a donation thermometer!
The Takeaway:
A progress bar enhances the user experience by making the donation process feel more structured and achievable, increasing completion rates by reducing uncertainty and keeping donors informed.
66. Include a Thank-You Message
Why It’s Important:
A sincere thank-you message shows appreciation for the donor’s contribution and sets the stage for future engagement. It can also reinforce the donor’s positive experience, making them more likely to give again.
How It’s Done:
After a donation is completed, display a personalized thank-you message on the confirmation page. Follow up with an email that includes additional thanks and information about how their donation will be used, reinforcing their impact.
The Takeaway:
Thanking donors promptly and sincerely enhances their overall experience, builds goodwill, and encourages continued support by making them feel valued and appreciated.
Further Reading:
Want to see donation form best practices in action? Take a look at this donation form example we created in Neon CRM and learn why it works so well.
Neon Websites: Nonprofit Web Design Made Easy
Designing, building, and running a website is hard work—but it’s hard work that pays off! All the tips listed above are geared towards helping you simplify the website process and focus on the kinds of smart, strategic actions that will help your nonprofit’s site engage users, increase donations, and boost your digital presence.
If your organization wants to do more with your site, Neon Websites can help. It’s a website builder and platform designed specifically for nonprofits. It has mission-specific templates, a no-code interface, tons of helpful features, and—for Neon CRM customers—a seamless system integration that will save your staff tons of time.
Want to learn more? Schedule a personal demo today!
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