It’s time to shift your Not-for-Profit efforts into full gear by upgrading and streamlining your website with as many features as possible. You want to appeal to your target audience in a way that makes signing up for services, engaging with volunteer opportunities, and donating some much-needed funds easier than ever.
The digital presence you create should inspire action. It should reflect your brand identity and NFP culture in a way that sets you apart from the rest, but makes it clear as day how you serve and support Australia and the rest of the world.
Here is a quick checklist our expert website designers and developers at Web 105 recommend you follow to get the most ROI out of your site.
What Web Pages to Include?
Let’s start simple with the essential pages you must have. The “Big 5” are the home, about, services, contact, and donate pages, but we wanted to include additional ideas that seem to bring in the most engagement with audiences.
- Landing/Home Page: The SEO-optimised first impression you make that is visually compelling, mission-focused, and answers the who, what, where, why, and how of your NFP.
- About Us: Highlighting your nonprofit’s history, mission, values, and the bios of your top passionate team members or stakeholders.
- Services/Products: Explaining the programs you offer, how they impact your geographic area, and what initiatives your organisation provides.
- Volunteer Page: A single page dedicated to providing information about volunteer opportunities as well as featuring stories from volunteers that tug on heartstrings.
- Donate Page: Where you capture donations and maintain funding campaigns for one-time, short-term, and lifelong donors.
- What We Do: This is different from the About Us or Services page. It is used to showcase testimonials, public support, and other social proof the services you offer make a difference.
- Contact Page: An Easy-to-use form for visitors to fill out when they wish to engage with your NFP for questions or help. This page should include location details, phone numbers, emails, and any other contact data.
- Footer Essentials: You need links to required policies like privacy, cookies, or other regional legal notices.
- Events Calendar: You can skip making this page if you have an app or extensions allowing you to plug in your calendar on donation, volunteer, and home pages.
- Our Impact: An optional page featuring statistics and financial information about donations, resources, and other funding sources that build trust and transparency with your audience.
- Blog: A great way to share updates, stories, and educational content about your NFP that keeps your audience engaged and builds your online authority.
These essential pages ensure all visitors can find the information they need without getting frustrated. Stick to the “Big 5” first, and then expand as needed.
What Design Elements Must Be Present?
Design elements are different than website pages. These extensions, apps, and features enhance the user’s experience. Every NFP website will vary, so you want to include the elements that seem natural to your website’s purpose and workload.
- Easy-to-Read Layout: A clean, uncluttered design that allows users to quickly skim through the content without feeling eye strain or needing in-depth comprehension of materials.
- Mobile Responsive Elements: Everything should be automatically adjusted when viewing your NFP website on a screen of a different size (tablet, smartphone, PC, laptop, etc.).
- High-Quality Imagery: Video, photos, images, graphics, and infographics that load quickly without sacrificing quality and work for those with visual impairments.
- Engaging Logo: An excellent logo that represents your brand identity and is the same across all platforms and digital presences.
- Easy-to-Find Search Box: Usually at the top of the website or along the menu bar so users can quickly find relevant information.
- Clear Donate Button: Make a button that stands out so users know precisely where they can contribute.
- Concise Copywriting: Use persuasive, mission-driven language that inspires readers to take action by contacting your NFP.
- Clear Navigation: Menus in traditional spaces (header, footer, sidebars, etc.) that automatically adjust to the size of the viewer’s screen.
- Contact Links: Actionable links for emailing your NFP or getting phone numbers and forms.
- Social Media Icons: Small, circular icons that fit the rest of your website design, pointing readers to your Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and other social platforms.
- Email Sign-Up Form: A small, but visible form for receiving up-to-date news and information about your NFP’s activities.
A good design isn’t just about having a stunning aesthetic. You want something that is highly functional and offers a modern appeal to visitors. When you work with professional designers like our team, you get these solutions in ways that won’t clutter the website, but enhance its effectiveness.
What Backend Ideas Must Be Leveraged?
Launching a powerful website means resting on a strong infrastructure. There are ideas you need to automate in the background of your online presence, so everything is well-maintained and streamlined. This way, you can have one or two members of your NFP keeping the site up and running without needing a large instructional manual for all the bells and whistles.
- SEO: Content, headers, image alt tags, and keywords strategically placed throughout your website to help it appear higher in search results – especially locally based inquiries.
- Visitor Analytics: The ability to track engagement and adjust strategies based on real-time reporting from backend enhancements.
- Email Sequencer: A series of follow-ups and engagement emails automatically sent based on the visitor’s interest in questions, donations, and volunteer opportunities.
- Security Apps/Extensions: Advanced methods to protect your website and visitor-submitted information from online threats.
- Easy-to-Use CMS: A content management system that ensures anyone on your team can maintain and update your website without a lot of background knowledge.
- Auto Updates: All your apps, plugins, and extensions should be automatically updated so you don’t have to manually take the time.
- Sales & CRM Integrations: This helps you better manage donor relationships and track volunteer interest.
- Calenadr Integration: Not only so you can display upcoming events, but so everyone on your team (who needs access) can make edits, add events, or adjust details.
Most modern websites will have options for these features, including a shopping cart if you have products you wish to sell.
One more thing you should consider is a modern Press Kit. This is an easily downloadable package with a video about your NFP, a document about its history, mission, goals, and impact, and instructions on how to contact the NFP for engagement.
Such a kit saves you time and energy whenever you wish to distribute a Press Release or answer questions from local/national media outlets.
Final Thoughts
The final nonprofit website design checklist you keep should be based on your unique needs, but this list is a great place to get started. It will provide you and your team with the foundational elements you need to better reach mission crucial goals and support your local area.
If you want advice and help from a trusted team with years of experience building and updating websites for Australian NFPs, government agencies, and healthcare providers – contact us at Web 105. We are your leading resource for an engaging, mobile-responsive website your visitors will appreciate.
FAQs
What should be included in a charity website?
Any Australian charity website must have clear messaging, a donation page, information on upcoming programs, and how you positively impact the local community.
What type of website is best for nonprofit organisations?
There is no “one-size-fits-all” website for NFPs. As long as it is tailored to your needs, mobile responsive, easy to navigate, and contains engaging information, you should be good to go.
Do nonprofit websites have to be ADA-compliant?
ADA is something in the US. It means the American Disabilities Act. While Australian websites don’t need to comply with the ADA, it is a good benchmark for ensuring your website is accessible to a broad audience. The W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) has better standards you may want to check out.