Every nonprofit website should include key features to optimize fundraising, promote brand awareness, and attract volunteers. 

An online website isn’t just an advertisement for your organization. Instead, a website is a space you can utilize to increase fundraising, promote brand awareness, and find volunteers.

While many nonprofits need low-cost or free options to handle their websites, Nonprofit Hub said every nonprofit website should treat itself like an investment. Wouldn’t your organization rather spend a little extra money on a website if it means finding more donors and volunteers? When done correctly, an organization’s website should have a high ROI and lasting impression.

Here are eight features your nonprofit website should include:

1. Social media icons

According to Charity Net USA, incorporating social media buttons into your nonprofit website is essential for effective marketing. If your organization maintains an active presence on social media platforms, include social media links on your website. These buttons serve as a gateway to the valuable content that your organization shares through its social media channels.

Including social media icons on your website helps you recruit volunteers, enhance brand visibility, and disseminate content that aligns with your organization’s mission. Encourage visitors to follow your organization on social media for news, events, and volunteer opportunities.

Furthermore, it is equally essential to establish a seamless connection between your social media posts and your online donation page.

When sharing content or announcements on social media, include a link redirecting your followers to your online donation page. This cohesive approach enables your supporters to contribute to your cause with just a few clicks.

In today’s digital landscape, integrating social media buttons on your nonprofit website signifies a commitment to fostering engagement, driving awareness, and facilitating convenient avenues for supporters to contribute. Using this valuable tool, you can extend the reach of your organization’s message and forge meaningful connections with existing and potential donors. Remember, a well-designed website that seamlessly incorporates social media acts as a powerful catalyst for advancing the impact of your nonprofit organization.

2. Donate Now buttons

Including a donation button on every page of your nonprofit’s website is crucial for maximizing your fundraising efforts. Prominently and consistently featuring the button creates a seamless user experience that encourages visitors to contribute to your cause.

Research has shown that the human brain retains information more effectively when presented repeatedly. By placing the donation button on every page, you reinforce its presence in the minds of your website visitors. This repetition increases the likelihood of individuals taking action and reinforces the importance of your cause and the urgency of their support.

However, it’s important to note that strict adherence to this practice may be optional when it comes to your blog or social media pages. Instead of cluttering these platforms with a donation button, providing click-through links that direct users back to your main webpage is more effective. This approach not only maintains a clean and user-friendly design for your blog and social media, but it also helps increase traffic to your website. By enticing visitors to explore your organization’s website, you can engage them with your mission, impact, and, ultimately, the donation button.

When implementing this strategy, create compelling and visually appealing call-to-action buttons that convey the purpose and urgency of donating to your cause. Make them stand out on the page and use language that inspires action, such as “Give Today” or “Support Our Mission.” These small yet impactful design choices can make a significant difference in capturing the attention and generosity of potential donors.

Creating a seamless and intuitive user experience leads visitors to learn, understand, and, ultimately, take action. By strategically placing donation buttons throughout your website and utilizing click-through links on social media, you can optimize the impact of your nonprofit website and effectively drive donations for your cause.

3. A mobile-friendly design

When building a nonprofit website, it’s easy to get caught up in the aesthetics and design of the web pages. While having visually appealing pages is essential, it’s equally crucial to prioritize the optimization of user experience. One key aspect of this optimization is ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly. In today’s digital age, where an increasing number of users access websites through their smartphones and tablets, having a mobile-responsive site is no longer just a nice-to-have but a necessity.

Mobile optimization is especially critical for nonprofit organizations as it directly affects their ability to succeed in their mission. Potential donors and volunteers are more likely to engage with your organization if they can easily access the information they need, regardless of location. By ensuring that your website is accessible on various devices, you open up avenues for individuals to learn about your cause and take action, irrespective of whether they are sitting at a desktop computer or on the go with their mobile devices.

When designing your mobile page, it’s crucial to prioritize the most essential features of your nonprofit. Think about the information visitors to your site would seek first and foremost. Start by prominently featuring your mission statement, as this succinctly communicates the purpose and values of your organization. Make it clear to visitors what your organization does and the impact it creates. Use concise language and engaging visuals to effectively convey your message and capture the interest of your audience.

In addition to your mission statement, it’s crucial to make it easy for visitors to find information on how to donate and where to volunteer. These two actions are often primary goals for individuals interested in supporting your cause. Ensure that the donation process is straightforward and clearly outlined, whether it’s through a donation form or a designated donation page. Provide options for how individuals can contribute, such as one-time donations, recurring donations, or even planned giving. Make it easy for potential donors to understand the impact their contributions will have and showcase success stories to inspire them.

Similarly, provide clear instructions for individuals interested in volunteering or getting involved. Highlight volunteer opportunities through specific events, ongoing programs, or virtual initiatives. Make the registration or application process intuitive and user-friendly, allowing potential volunteers to find the right opportunity. By facilitating and encouraging volunteer engagement, you benefit your organization and foster a sense of community and purpose among your supporters.

As you optimize your nonprofit website for mobile devices, it’s essential to balance providing the necessary information and keeping the design streamlined. Avoid overwhelming visitors with an excessive amount of content and features. Instead, focus on delivering concise and impactful messaging. Use clear calls to action that stand out and guide users toward your desired actions. By prioritizing and organizing information effectively, you create a cohesive and engaging user experience.

4. An optimized donation page

When creating a nonprofit website, the donation page is one of the most essential elements to focus on. An optimized donation page not only enhances the experience for visitors but also streamlines the process of gift-giving, resulting in improved online fundraising outcomes for your organization.

Select a cost-effective online donation platform that meets your specific requirements. This platform will serve as the backbone of your donation page, offering features and functionalities that facilitate seamless transactions.

Integrate your website’s CRM with the donation page to automatically populate form fields with known donor information. This not only saves time for the donor but also increases the accuracy of the provided information. When the process is simplified and efficient, potential donors are more likely to complete the donation and contribute to your cause.

Speaking of form fields, removing any unnecessary ones from your donation form is essential. The goal is to make the process as streamlined and user-friendly as possible. Only ask for crucial information, such as name, email address, and donation amount. By reducing the number of form fields, you minimize the chances of visitors abandoning the donation process due to an overwhelming or time-consuming form.

In today’s mobile-driven world, a mobile-friendly donation form is crucial. These forms adapt to various screen sizes, making it easy for visitors to contribute regardless of their device and increasing the chances of receiving donations.

Furthermore, the speed at which your donation page loads plays a significant role in maximizing conversion rates. Aim for a load time of 0-4 seconds to provide visitors with a seamless experience. Optimize your page’s images and content, utilize caching techniques, and invest in a reliable hosting service.

Creating an effective and efficient donation page is crucial for nonprofit websites. By implementing a cost-effective online donation platform, streamlining form fields, and utilizing an integrated CRM to auto-fill form fields, you enhance the donation process for visitors. Additionally, ensuring that the donation form is mobile-friendly and has a fast load time increases the chances of conversion. By focusing on these aspects, your organization can achieve the best online fundraising results and effectively engage with potential donors.

5. A blog

A blog is a crucial element of any nonprofit website. It serves as a platform to drive traffic, educate, and engage your audience. Publishing relevant content builds trust with your audience.
It’s essential to provide content with substantial value to your readers. Focus on topics closely related to your nonprofit’s mission and the causes you advocate for. This will resonate with your target audience, helping your organization’s reputation as a reliable source of information and expertise.

Dive deep into the issues your nonprofit addresses, providing insights, success stories, statistics, and practical solutions. Sharing your knowledge and expertise will empower your readers and inspire them to take action. Whether through tips, success stories, or addressing misconceptions, ensure each blog post leaves your audience feeling informed and motivated.

Strategically incorporate keywords potential supporters might use throughout your content to improve your website’s visibility and attract organic traffic.
Promoting your blog posts through various channels, such as social media, email newsletters, and partnerships with like-minded organizations, is essential. Leveraging these platforms expands your reach, attracts new visitors, and cultivates an engaged community of passionate supporters.

Remember, a blog is not just a traffic booster but a tool to educate, inspire, and mobilize your audience. By consistently delivering valuable and engaging content, you can foster connections, raise awareness, and drive positive change through your nonprofit’s mission.

6. A calendar of events

A constantly updated calendar of events is essential for a nonprofit website. While organizing all events on social media is possible, it is not optimal and does not allow viewers to look at upcoming events.

Incorporating a regularly updated and interactive calendar on your nonprofit website is vital for fostering engagement, facilitating event planning, and illustrating your organization’s impact. By providing viewers with a centralized hub for upcoming events, including attendance features so viewers can click if they’re going, you can create a seamless and enriching experience for your audience. So take advantage of the opportunity to showcase your organization’s initiatives and foster stronger connections with your supporters through a well-crafted and informative calendar on your website.

Moreover, an interactive calendar has the potential to amplify your nonprofit’s online presence and enhance user experience. Reach a larger audience and increase event participation by automatically integrating your calendar with social media platforms to update your pages with upcoming events.

Optimizing your calendar for search engines maximizes the visibility of your events and increases traffic to your nonprofit website. Implementing search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, such as incorporating relevant keywords, descriptive event titles, and engaging event descriptions, can attract individuals interested in related causes or activities to discover your organization.

7. Volunteer and event registration forms

All nonprofit websites should include online forms for various purposes, such as event registration, blog submissions, member registration, contact forms, and donation boxes.

By integrating online forms, nonprofits can streamline their operations and enhance efficiency. Gone are the days of dealing with cumbersome paperwork. With online registration, volunteers and visitors can quickly provide the necessary information with just a few clicks, saving time, ensuring accuracy, and eliminating the need for manual data entry.

Furthermore, online forms offer the advantage of real-time updates. Information submitted through these forms is stored digitally, ensuring that records are up-to-date and readily accessible. This automation simplifies the administrative processes and provides a central repository for managing and organizing data.

Choosing the right online form solution is essential. Cloud-based spreadsheets or online-based form services are excellent options for nonprofits. These services offer a user-friendly interface and customizable form fields, allowing organizations to tailor the forms to their needs. They also often provide data analysis and reporting features, enabling nonprofits to gain insights into their website performance and user engagement.

In summary, incorporating online forms on nonprofit websites is a best practice that can significantly enhance the user experience. By offering interactive forms for event registration, blog submissions, member registration, contact forms, and donation boxes, nonprofits can streamline operations, reduce paperwork, and keep their records current.

8. ADA-compliant accessibility

To ensure the success of your nonprofit website, it is crucial to prioritize ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance. This means making your website accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities. Adhering to ADA standards creates a more inclusive online environment and expands your reach to a broader audience.

When designing an ADA-compliant nonprofit website, consider these key factors.

• Provide alt-text for images to assist visually impaired individuals and improve search engine optimization.
• Include closed captions or transcripts for video and audio content to ensure engagement for those with hearing impairments.
• Make your website keyboard-friendly for individuals using assistive technologies.
• Maintain a consistent heading structure for easy navigation and readability, especially for screen reader users.
• Lastly, pay attention to color contrast to accommodate individuals with visual impairments.

By embracing ADA compliance in your nonprofit website design, you demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and enhance your online presence. Creating an accessible website benefits both individuals with disabilities and all visitors, fostering a positive user experience.

A successful nonprofit website should include social media icons, a prominent “Donate Now” button, a mobile-friendly design, an optimized donation page, a blog, a calendar of events, volunteer and event registration forms, and ADA compliance. These features maximize fundraising, promote brand awareness, attract volunteers, and ensure inclusivity for all website visitors.

After nearly 20 years of redesigning more than 300 websites and award-winning apps for nonprofits and associations, Allegiance Group + Pursuant has developed a full-featured, collaborative process to ensure your nonprofit website redesign meets your audience’s needs and business goals. Learn more about our website development services.

Additional Resources

5 Quick and Easy Ways to Make Your Website More Accessible

Maximizing Nonprofit Fundraising with Google Analytics 4

Does My Nonprofit Need a New Website?

How to Measure and Track Your Website’s Success in Google Analytics