Website Best Practices for Not-for-Profits
Your website is often the first place potential donors, volunteers, and partners engage with your organization. For not-for-profits and charities, it's not just a marketing tool: it's a trust-builder, a storytelling platform and a key path to driving social impact.
But many nonprofit websites struggle to connect, convert, or clearly communicate their mission. If your organization’s site isn’t helping you reach your goals, these best practices will help you identify what’s missing and what to prioritize in a redesign or refresh.
Start With a Clear, Compelling Mission Statement
Visitors should immediately understand:
What your organization does
Who it serves
Why your work matters
Use the homepage hero section to communicate your mission in plain language, avoiding any jargon. A single sentence paired with a strong visual can do more than an entire paragraph. Many charity websites unintentionally bury the mission, so make sure it’s front and centre, not in the third menu tab.
Make It Incredibly Easy to Take Action
Whether it’s donating, volunteering, registering for an event, or signing up for updates, every nonprofit website should make its primary calls-to-action obvious and accessible.
Use clear buttons, not just text links
Place CTAs high on the page and in logical scroll points
Use active language, such as “Donate Now,” “Join the Movement,” “Get Involved”
Avoid making visitors search for how to help, as that’s where engagement really drops.
Showcase Your Impact With Real Stories and Real Images
Donors don’t just fund causes - they fund outcomes. While numbers are meaningful, and can help prompt action, they are best paired with stories that resonate. Powerful on any not-for-profit website are:
Personal profiles of the people or communities you support
Behind-the-scenes glimpses of your work
Testimonials from volunteers or donors
This is where visual design and storytelling come together. A strong layout with intentional photography and focused messaging builds emotional connection and trust.
Keep the Navigation Simple and Intuitive
Many social impact organizations try to fit every initiative, event and update into the top navigation. The result can often be overwhelming. Instead:
Group related items under clear categories (e.g., “About,” “Our Work,” “Get Involved”)
Use a clean, mobile-friendly menu structure
Avoid internal acronyms or terms that outsiders won’t recognize
The best nonprofit websites make it easy for first-time visitors to find what matters to them most, and use smart page information hierarchies to draw visitors into the site.
Optimize for Mobile (It’s Non-Negotiable)
More than half of your site’s traffic is likely from mobile users. A website that looks cluttered, loads slowly, or breaks on small screens can damage credibility and reduce donations or sign-ups. Prioritize:
Fast load times
Mobile-friendly layouts
Clickable buttons and touch-friendly forms
Many donors decide to give on impulse, and if your site doesn’t work well on mobile, that moment can be lost.
Use Design to Build Credibility
Nonprofit and charity websites often rely on passion and heart, but polish matters too. Clean, professional design builds trust. A well-designed site signals that your organization is capable, thoughtful, and worthy of support. Key credibility boosters include:
A consistent brand look and feel
Easy-to-read typography and hierarchy
High-quality photography
Subtle motion effects to promote engagement
A clear explanation of how donations are used
Make Your Site Easy to Update Internally
Many not-for-profits rely on small teams or volunteers to keep their websites current. If your site is hard to update, key information will fall out of date quickly. Use a platform that allows:
Quick edits to pages and blog posts
Simple event and news updates
Flexibility without needing a developer
A strong backend setup ensures your team can stay agile, up to date, and keep your audience continally engaged.
Free Not-For-Profit Website Reviews
For charities, not-for-profits and mission-driven organizations, a great website isn’t just about flashy design or technical bells and whistles. It’s about clarity, trust, and purpose.
Whether you're running a small grassroots nonprofit or a large social impact organization, your website should work as hard as you do, attracting support, engaging your community, and making your mission impossible to ignore.
We offer free site reviews for not-for-profits, providing thoughtful, strategic feedback to help you improve clarity, trust, and engagement.