The contributions of Non-profit organisations in addressing social concerns and enhancing society are invaluable. They can go beyond these concerns and even seek resources to implement possible solutions. Nevertheless, for the organization to be able to target a wider public in the process of raising funds and even promoting its mission an efficient website for Non-Profit Organizations has to be developed. Developing an efficient website for non-profit organizations to state their goals can be challenging. The web design must be intuitive and easy so that visitors can find the content they are looking for without difficulties. With a consistent navigation web design, the users will not only figure out what the organization is all about but will also understand and appreciate how they can get involved in the organization’s projects. It is also critical to ensure that your website is functional and straightforward on all devices such as personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. After all, 92.3% of internet users access the internet using a mobile phone.
Never design a Website for Non-Profit Organizations which would require visitors to exert significant effort to find the information they need. To start with, making a website for Non-Profit Organizations is the most effective way of expressing the objectives of the organization and motivating others to join the mission. The website should also be optimised for mobile devices and regularly updated as well as incorporate, the use of storytelling and social proof, effective design of donation pages and calls-to-action. And a well-experienced web development company like Colourmoon Technologies is worth considering. With us, you can find the ideal nonprofit hosting, economically feasible and server reliable.
Primary Features of a Non-Profit Organization Website
In the modern world that we live in where everything revolves around the internet, a non-profit organization’s website does not only exist but has to be well crafted. It functions as a web-based entry point that encourages visitors, backers and even potential contributors to appreciate and get involved in the cause being advocated for. In other words, creating a non-profit website requires the incorporation of certain basic features to achieve the organization’s goals. Eight key features can turn your ordinary non-profit website into an impactful and highly effective change agent.
1. Clear Mission Statement and Impact Metrics
Your organization’s mission statement should be easily accessible, if not the first thing visitors see when they go to your homepage. This section should also describe your target audience or the people whom you serve, your mission, and all the previous and upcoming projects in an efficient and captivating way that will convince your visitors. Do include some real impact metrics that prove how successful and useful your organization is. Consider infographics and statistics along with case studies to indicate to the prospective donor, or supporter how his or her contribution is utilized. Such policies encourage confidence in the organization and help the reader understand how their efforts result in real achievements. Perhaps you can also offer some additional features such as interactive elements where users can see and understand how these numbers look from different perspectives – for instance, where in the world or country do you operate using interactive maps, or even, how many people have been or are being helped – dynamic counters.
2. Donation System and Payment Gateway
A functional and easy-to-use donation system is largely beneficial for every non-profit-oriented website. The donation process must be smooth, secure, and present in different areas of the site. Introduce several payment methods including credit cards, digital wallets, and regular monthly contributions. Provide different levels of giving and explain in detail what each figure contributes to the cause. Show trust signals like SSL certificates, security badges or payment gateways for the comfort of the donors that their transactions are safe. For international donors, consider allowing the use of different types of currencies and instant generation of tax receipts. The donation interface must be mobile-compatible and needs the user to make a few clicks to finalize a transaction.
3. Volunteer Management Portal
There are several sections with content devoted to encouraging volunteers to register; this includes the registration form, listing of available opportunities, and scheduling. This portal enables users looking to volunteer, to view the listed openings, register for activities and manage their volunteer hours. Provide a broad outline of the responsibilities, qualifications and duration of work for the volunteers. A volunteer management system that schedules volunteer opportunities interacts with volunteers, and keeps them interested is a necessity. Some volunteer testimonials and success stories should be included as motivation for others. The portal should also contain appropriate supplies and training materials, as well as any other necessary information needed by the volunteers.
4. Calendar and Event Registration
Ensure that you have a current calendar of events with all future activities like fundraisers and programs. The calendar should have filters to enable searching by event type, date, and location. Besides, provide the calendar with event descriptions, venues, and registration within the calendar page Only. In addition, include automated reminders to the participants who previously registered and the calendar syncing options. Think about incorporating features that allow the participants to interact virtually through video conferencing tools. The registration should be hassle-free, contain a group registration procedure, and have a waiting list for highly-rated events. And last but not least, include social media buttons for event advertisement and promotion.
5. News and Blog Section
Keep a consistent organizational blog posting all the news relating to the missions, work done and your overall contributions to the community. New content remains important in retaining visitors and enhancing search optimization. Provide different types of content for example; diversity includes success stories, up-to-date projects, flyers about volunteers, and other news in the sector. Add video, image and graphic elements to capture the reader’s attention. Add social share icons and comment boxes to promote interaction with the audience. You may also decide on content sections to assist visitors in locating the appropriate content quickly. The timely updating of the blog also contributes to the content needed for your active social media pages and email newsletters.
6. Resource Center
Build a well-rounded resource centre that offers relevant inventories about your advocacy. This may include facts, research work, materials kits, or how-to manuals. Sort resources by subject, type of audience, and type of presentation for convenience in searching. Provide supplemental material such as soft copies of infant stipulations, conventions, briefs, etc. You may also include animated e-learning courses or learning through virtual seminars. To enhance the user experience and maintenance of the resource centre, new content should be added continuously and there must also be an old buttressed content section. Allow users some ability to type in requests for the particular items they are seeking. Think about restricting access to some content to help you gather information about your users and develop a database.
7. Contact and Location Information
Compile a contact page where every aspect of how best to reach your organization is provided in detail too. This should also include a contact form, telephone numbers, emails, and the actual physical address. Insert a map indicating the geographical position of your offices and where your services are offered. Provide staff lists containing professional pictures and short descriptive paragraphs about each member. Provide the active links for social networks and the time for their use. Think of adding a chat option in case a visitor needs assistance. Make sure the information provided on how to reach the organization is current and should be checked from time to time. Include contacts for different departments for specific purposes, for example, donations, volunteer services, and media relations.
8. Mobile Responsiveness
Make sure that your website is completely responsive and works perfectly on all devices and screen sizes. Mobile responsiveness impacts not only the user experience but also the search ranking. Check your site’s functioning on a wide range of devices and browsers. Adjust all media files to load quicker and without delays when a mobile phone is used. Also, make sure that all functions such as forms and donation buttons are well optimized for use on a mobile device. You may also need to add touch-enabled navigation and buttons to cater to mobile users. Mobile responsiveness should be tested and improved with the constant introduction of new devices and browsers in the market.
How to Develop a Non-Profit Organization Website in 7 Steps?
Another key component toward building your online presence and appealing to a larger audience is creating a site for your non-profit organization. An impressive site can enhance your organization’s chances of pulling in funds, recruiting people to volunteer, or even conveying its purposes. The following seven steps are intended to help you create a non-profit website with a professional touch that works in line with your organization’s objectives and appeals to the intended audience exactly.
1. Planning and Strategy Development
As can be understood, to make a successful non-profit website a thorough groundwork and strategy need to be in place. Start by stating the main goals of your website and its prospective users. Develop proper user personas for each of the stakeholder groups – donors, volunteers, beneficiaries and partners. Carry out a form of competitive analysis of other websites belonging to non-profit organizations in the field to take a look at what they are doing well and where you might have an edge. Sketch a rough outline of the content and flow of information across the pages of your website, paying particular attention to content organization and user navigation design. Write a content strategy on what content is required, who will provide the content and the frequency of providing such content. Evaluate your entity’s hands and how it is going to maintain and update the website. Make specific and quantifiable objectives regarding the website, for example; the amount of money to be raised through donations, the number of active volunteers to register, or how many people to get the newsletter and so on. Come up with a project schedule indicating the dates and phases of the program and who will perform what activity. Such planning activities should also be done with a consideration of design cost, hardware and software specifications. Also, it should consider integration requirements with existing systems such as CRM or fundraising platforms.
2. Content Creation and Organization
The core of any non-profit website is the quality of the content. As such, you need to start by writing good text about the mission, values, and achievements of your organization. Build a narrative that connects with the audience and makes them want to do something. Write program summaries, impact stories, and beneficiary feedback to prove the work of your organization. Collect and structure the available visual materials such as photos, videos, and infographics that show your work in a positive light. Draft appropriate calls to action that will assist in achieving critical targets like donations or people volunteering. Structure content in a way that the most critical information is highlighted and easily retrievable. Plan for content revisions and updates and blogging by creating an editorial work plan. Optimize each and every content piece with keywords and meta description to enhance search engine ranking. Content accessibility should also be looked at. If the content is too extensive, look for other means of making it available to the target audience or consider translating it into whichever language the audience speaks. Think of having materials that can be printed such as the annual report, fact sheets, and the programme guide among many others. It is also important to keep a consistent tone, style and messaging throughout all the content to ensure that the organization’s identity is not lost.
3. Design and User Experience
The visual design and user experience of your site should build on the professionalism of your organization, while at the same time making it easy for the visitors to navigate and take action. Start with a simple yet modern design, which is in line with your brand and target audience. Wireframes and prototypes should be developed, as one would employ in Design Thinking, for experimentation of layouts and user flows before the design is set. The design should evoke emotions but still be functional and user friendly. Develop a visual hierarchy that is strategically aligned with the content in a way that directs the visitors attention to the content in a natural progression. Pick color schemes, typography and images that suit the culture and objectives of the organization. Start with a mobile interface so that all other screens are definitely responsive. Add navigation bars and search boxes so that it is easy and fast for users to get the information they need. Design strong campaigns and program specific landing pages. Design simple to understand donation, volunteering and contact us forms. Think about also including such options as high contrast, different text sizes and screen reader. Validate your designs with users and make any necessary changes.
4. Technological Deployment
Once the design and content have been finalized, the next step would be to execute the technical aspects of the website. Selecting a content management system (CMS) should be a thoughtful process that considers functions that are necessary, and one that is easy for the team to work with. WordPress, Drupal or some other non-profit-specific solutions are common examples. Make the needed additions to external services used in the website such as donation gateways, CRMs, and emailing tools. No Go Live until all security measures are in place, slicers inclusive, SSL, Backups systems and the like installed. Set up the necessary tools to help in the analysis of the site including the tracking of users. Address all factors relating to web performance especially the loading time through image optimizations, caching, code minification among other practices. These may include on-page SEO tactics such as URL structure, use of meta tags, and creation of a sitemap. Create a sandbox environment where updates can be tested before they are implemented in the live environment. Turn on automatic updates and monitoring for security. Develop methods of accepting and retaining data that meet the requirements of privacy laws. A CDN may be worth considering in order to enhance performance on a worldwide scale.
5. Testing and Quality Assurance
Testing is a necessary step to take before the website is launched. Ensure that all the features of the site function as they are intended to work. All the interactive features such as: forms, donation systems, and even communication channels with users, should be tested. Ensure that all the links are operational and direct to the appropriate page. Assess how the website looks and works in different browsers, devices as well as screen sizes. Assess the time taken for loading and improve any that looks inferior. Ensure that all the third-party systems are integrated and functioning as required. Test for usability of the web application with respect to WCAG legislation. Evaluate all the automations in terms of emails and notifications from the website functionality. Make sure that every section has the right material presented and that the material is in the right order. Ensure that every legal notice regarding disclaimers and privacy policies is available and visible within the website. Test the service that backs up data and the restoration process to confirm that in case the information becomes corrupted or misplaced it can be fixed. Evaluate the ability of the system to handle security issues. Develop software that keeps track of the bugs that come up during the testing phase and ensures that they are fixed.
6. Launch and Monitoring
You must implement a well-defined rollout procedure to relaunch your site for maximum effect. Start by performing a soft launch to a small audience in order to troubleshoot any remaining issues. If you replace an old website, always use 301 redirects to the new pages in order not to lose SEO. At the time of launching the site, check the server’s performance as well to ensure it will cope with the traffic surge. Ensure that automated monitoring systems are in place to notify you of any down time or errors. Analyze data and start measuring key performance indicators (KPIs) using your analytics tools. Understand customer retention and activity patterns in order to improve the service. Monitor which online donation-related interactions are effective and which are not to improve fundraising efficiency. Use heat mapping tools in order to analyze the traffic flow on the pages. Pay attention to the monitoring of the filling and success of forms in order to detect problems with usability. Measure performance the amount of traffic in respect of a specific keyword and search engine results page ranking. Make sure there are regular updates on performance for stakeholders. Establish an interaction mechanism and a mechanism for processing user suggestions.
7. Maintenance and Continuous Improvement
Maintaining and enhancing your website is a continuous activity aimed at its strategic relevance over time. Set up timelines for the uploading and replacements of content to ensure it does not get stale or irrelevant. Establish a mechanism for periodic refreshing of security patches and other security-related updates. Engage in performance analysis of the site and make adjustments as per the results garnered from analytics. Consistently check and improve all the interfaces and external applications. Schedule content appraisal targets to rectify the inconsistencies in the information. Introduce A/B test form optimization for conversion improvement for the critical areas of the site such as donation forms. To ensure that the site is not monotonous, the visual contents are up to date. Evaluate user feedback and proposals for potential enhancements. Keep pace with new web services that could be useful to the site. Archive all activities, methodologies, maintenance, and other activities carried out by the website. Enlighten your staff on how to manage the site and modify information within it. Formulate a strategy on improvements in the long run depending on the organization’s objectives and actual users’ requirements.
Develop an Effective Website for Your Non-Profit Organization – Contact us Today!
At Colourmoon Technologies, we are very aware of the underlying considerations and possibilities that the digital field holds for non-profit institutions. We have a military force made up of designers and strategists as well as developers who work tirelessly to ensure that missions of non-profit organizations are enhanced through the development of very powerful websites. There is always a clear synergistic effect whereby technical solutions are put in place along with solutions of the non-profit nature to ensure that the sites are not only attractive but also work.
We are equally happy about the way we cooperate with you as we try to learn more about your organization’s needs, objectives, and constraints. Every step of our development cycle includes provision of all domains of your website such as user experience, donation systems and various funnels to reach the goals and carry out actions effectively. We maintain an understanding of advanced approaches to the current technologies available in the web arena as well as the dynamics and patterns of non-profit organization operations up to the current time. Even when it comes to donation increase, expanding your audience or getting more volunteers – we know how to help you with that.
Our work is not limited to launching your Website for Non-Profit Organization. We will also provide support and maintenance services in order to facilitate the effective functioning of your website in adherence to the developments in the organization. From routine maintenance, content management and managing performance of the site to even wider audience engagement strategy, we take care of the relevant technologies so that all you have to worry about is your core focus, your business. Get in touch with us today and let’s brainstorm on some of the solutions we can propose for your non-profit organization to have an impactful online footprint.
Conclusion
Every modern non-governmental organisation or NGO must have an advanced, well-organized, and managed website providing functionalities focused on online interaction, investments, and conveying information about the organization and its achievements. By including some relevant aspects as well as the overall process discussed above, the development of useful Website for Non-Profit Organization to support their activities and connect with their stakeholders is possible. To reiterate, the website is no longer a mere advertisement for the organization, it is a component that if used in the right way, can help the organization to achieve its mission to build a better global society. If managed properly, that is regular updates, the creation of a non-profit website can be an immense help towards fulfilling the aims of the organization and paving a way for change in the society.