Today’s charities are in a constant process of developing new and effective fundraising and marketing strategies to assist them with implementing their missions, attracting more donors, and thus, making a positive impact in the community. Since the introduction of the Internet, nonprofits have been embracing a great opportunity to raise funds, promote their programs, and draw interest to their work.

Since the nonprofit world has become competitive, developing a website is usually a daunting task for the nonprofit management. Their goal is to not only advertise services, but also make the website stand out, show uniqueness, and appeal to potential donors.

Before initiating website development, imagine yourself being a potential donor. Understanding what donors are looking for will help you design your website in a way to attract the most attention and positive feedback. A few major things that charities include on their websites have proven to make a difference in their growth and achievements. We summarized them below:

– Your charity’s name, logo, mission, and vision statement.

– A picture gallery of individuals who your organization serves, drives, fundraising events, and volunteers. Include videos as well, if possible.

– Description of past and current projects. Success stories.

– Up-to-date information about upcoming fundraisers, drives, and other events.

– “Search” option to quickly access information by using key words.

– Explanation of how received funds are used to further the exempt purpose.

– A request for donations and volunteers.

– A “Donate” button to accept donations.

– Recognition of donors in the form of pictures and stories.

– An invitation to stay in touch by signing up for the newsletters and updates.

– An option where potential donors can leave their email and other contact information.

– Testimonials of individuals who the nonprofit has helped, volunteers, and influential people in the community.

– Links to social media for the donors and volunteers to follow your updates.

– Infographics to make your website more live and easy to grab attention.

– Google keywords to utilize Search Engine Optimization, which can lead to more visitors.

By following this simple checklist, you will be capable to implement your vision and creativity into a very effective website that will help you achieve your goals.

You’ll do great!