Jun 03, 2025·8 min
Create a Nonprofit Website That Shares Your Mission & Takes Donations
Learn how to plan, build, and launch a nonprofit website that clearly explains your mission and makes donating simple, secure, and trustworthy.
Learn how to plan, build, and launch a nonprofit website that clearly explains your mission and makes donating simple, secure, and trustworthy.
A nonprofit website can’t be everything at once. Before you pick a template or write a single headline, get clear on what the site is supposed to do for your mission—and for the people visiting it.
Most nonprofit sites serve one primary goal and a couple of supporting ones. Common primary goals include:
If you choose “all three,” that’s fine—but rank them. Your top goal should shape your navigation, home page layout, and what you emphasize on every major page.
List your primary visitor groups and what they’re trying to do when they arrive:
When you’re writing content later, you’ll be able to ask: “Which audience is this for, and what question does it answer?”
Pick a short list of actions you want most visitors to take. Typical examples:
These should be easy to spot in the header and repeated in strategic spots—not buried in menus.
Define measurable outcomes that reflect real progress, such as monthly donation conversions, email signups, volunteer applications, or contact form completions. Set a baseline after launch, then aim for steady improvement rather than dramatic targets that push you toward exaggerated claims.
A nonprofit website works best when every page has a job to do. Before you write copy or pick colors, decide what you want visitors to do next—donate, volunteer, attend an event, or simply understand your mission. Then build a structure that makes those actions obvious within a few clicks.
These are the core pages most nonprofits need, even at launch:
Optional pages are helpful when they reduce confusion or support a key audience:
A crowded navigation menu slows people down. Aim for one clear top-level menu with only the most important destinations (often: Home, About, Programs, Impact, Donate, Contact). If you need more, group them under one item like “Get Involved” or “Resources.”
Every page should answer: “What is this page for?” and “What should the visitor do next?” Examples:
If a page is trying to do three things at once, split it—or remove what doesn’t support your main goals.
Your mission message is the line people repeat to a friend, a board member, or a potential donor after a 20‑second look at your site. If they can’t summarize what you do, who you do it for, and why it matters, your donation page will work harder than it should.
Write a single sentence that passes the “new visitor” test. Keep it specific, active, and free of insider language.
A simple structure that works:
We help [who you serve] by [what you do] so that [the change you create].
Examples (adjust to fit your reality):
If you need a longer explanation, treat it as supporting copy—not the mission itself.
Right after your mission sentence, add 2–4 short lines that answer:
Avoid abstract statements like “empowering communities” unless you immediately explain what that looks like on the ground. Replace internal terms with everyday words—for example:
A mission feels real when it’s attached to a human outcome. Share one or two short stories that show:
Keep stories concrete: a moment, a decision, a result. Always get clear consent, avoid identifying details when needed, and say when names/photos are changed for privacy.
A simple story format:
“Before…, [person] struggled with… After…, they were able to… Your donation helps by funding…”
Once you have a repeatable mission line, use it consistently across your home page, /about, and the top of your /donate experience so visitors don’t have to “re-learn” what you do. Consistency builds understanding—and understanding builds donor confidence.
Your home page isn’t the place to tell your whole story—it’s the place to help people choose a next step in seconds. Many visitors arrive with a specific intent (give, get help, volunteer), so the page should act like a clear set of signposts.
Open with a strong hero section that answers “Who are you and what do you do?” at a glance:
Keep the hero visually simple so the message is readable on mobile without scrolling.
Right below the hero, include a small strip of “proof points” that builds confidence fast. Choose what you can support with accurate data:
If numbers aren’t available, use credible alternatives (e.g., “Serving Clark County since 2014” or “Partnered with 12 local schools”).
Don’t make everyone hunt through menus. Provide 3–4 prominent options as cards or buttons:
Each option should include a one-sentence description so people can self-select quickly.
Structure the page as short sections with descriptive headings, generous whitespace, and tight copy. A simple flow that works well:
If someone can scan the headings and understand your organization in 20 seconds, your home page is doing its job.
Donors and volunteers want to quickly understand what you actually do—without marketing hype. The goal of your Programs and Impact content is to make your work concrete, measurable, and honest.
For every program, explain the basics in plain language:
This level of clarity prevents “mission blur” and reduces disappointed expectations.
Impact is strongest when it’s grounded in evidence, not promises. Use outcomes you can stand behind:
Avoid guarantees like “we end homelessness” or “we change every life.” Instead, add a short line about what outcomes depend on (participant choice, housing availability, follow-up response rates).
On program pages and your /impact page, include a simple, specific sentence that matches your real budget and restrictions:
If certain gifts are restricted (or not), say so.
Choose images that reflect partnership and consent. Avoid “poverty porn,” identifying details, and photos of minors without explicit permission. Captions can add meaning without oversharing: “Volunteer-led pantry distribution, March 2025.”
Close each program section with links to deeper details—like /programs and /impact—and include a contextual Donate button (“Support this program”) near the end so people can act while their motivation is high.
Your donation flow should feel quick, calm, and predictable—especially on a phone. The goal is to help a supporter complete a gift in under a minute without second-guessing where their money is going or whether the payment worked.
Start with two clear choices: One-time and Monthly. Monthly giving is easier to sustain for many donors, so make it visible—just don’t guilt people into it.
Suggested amounts help donors decide faster. Use a small set (for example: $25, $50, $100, $250) and label them with plain outcomes only if you can stand behind them (e.g., “supports one tutoring session”). If you can’t reliably map dollars to outcomes, use neutral labels like “Most common” or “Helps today.” Always include an “Other amount” option.
Every extra field costs donations. Keep the form focused on what’s required to process the payment and send a receipt.
Ask only for essentials (typically name, email, payment details). If you need more information (phone number, address, dedication, newsletter opt-in), consider making it optional or collecting it after the donation.
Mobile details matter: large buttons, readable text, and minimal scrolling. If your payment tool supports it, enable wallet options like Apple Pay or Google Pay for faster checkout.
Place a compact reassurance block near the “Donate” button. Keep it simple and specific:
This is also a good place for links to /privacy and /contact, without forcing donors to leave the page.
Some supporters can’t (or won’t) donate online. Include a short “Other ways to give” section below the form with options like:
If you maintain a separate “Ways to Give” page, link to it below the form—but keep the primary donation path clean and distraction-free.
When someone is about to donate, they’re quietly asking: “Is this real, and will my gift be used well?” Your website can answer that without sounding defensive—by making the basics easy to verify.
Place credibility cues where donors make decisions: on your donation page, in the site footer, and on your About page.
Include leadership names and roles (with short bios if possible). Add partner or funder logos only if you have permission and the relationship is current. If you have public recognition—press mentions, awards, or short testimonials—use a few specific quotes with names and context rather than a long carousel of vague praise.
A small “Financials & Policies” section can do a lot of work. If you have them, publish:
Keep the files easy to find from your footer, and add one sentence explaining what each document is and the year it covers.
Donors trust organizations that are reachable. Provide clear contact details—an email address, phone number (if you have one), a physical address (or service area if you don’t have a public office), and a simple contact form.
Put this information in the footer so it appears on every page, and create a dedicated Contact page for people who want more.
A concise FAQ can prevent hesitation and support tickets. Cover:
Link to the FAQ from the donation page so answers are available right when donors need them.
An accessible, mobile-first site helps more people understand your mission and complete key actions—especially donors and volunteers who are browsing on a phone, using assistive technology, or dealing with a slow connection.
Mobile visitors shouldn’t have to pinch-zoom or hunt for what to do next.
Screen readers rely on page structure to “understand” content.
Use descriptive headings in a logical order (H2 → H3). Avoid vague headings like “More” or “Info.”
For images, add alt text that explains meaning, not decoration. If a photo is purely decorative, use empty alt text so screen readers can skip it.
Some visitors navigate without a mouse (keyboard-only users, switch devices, some screen reader setups). Test that:
A mobile-first approach is also a performance mindset.
If you want a quick baseline, compare your pages against WCAG guidance and run a simple mobile speed test before launch and after any major update.
The best nonprofit website is the one your team can keep current. Before you choose tools, be honest about who will update pages, add events, post news, and fix a typo when a board member spots it.
Most nonprofits land in one of two buckets:
A quick rule of thumb: if updates will be done by staff or volunteers who don’t touch websites often, prioritize a tool with simple editing, built-in forms, and easy page templates—even if it’s less customizable.
If you need more custom workflows (like a tailored volunteer intake, program applications, or a donor portal) but don’t want a long dev cycle, a vibe-coding platform like Koder.ai can help. You can describe the pages and flows in chat, generate a React-based web app with a Go + PostgreSQL backend when needed, and still keep control via source code export. Features like planning mode, built-in hosting/deployments, custom domains, and snapshots/rollback can also make updates safer for small teams.
Your domain should match your organization name as closely as possible and be easy to say out loud.
Aim for something:
If your ideal .org isn’t available, consider a small variation that still reads cleanly, then redirect any alternate domains to your main site.
If you use a hosted builder, confirm these are included. If you use your own hosting, make sure you set them up:
For donation flows, don’t treat security as optional—supporters notice when browsers display warnings.
Maintenance is mostly content, not code. Write down a lightweight workflow:
Even a monthly 30-minute review prevents stale events, broken links, and outdated impact numbers—small issues that quietly reduce donor trust.
SEO for a nonprofit website isn’t about “gaming Google.” It’s about making it easy for the right people—local supporters, potential donors, volunteers, and journalists—to understand what you do and where you do it.
Each important page should have a clear, specific title and a short meta description that matches how people search. A helpful pattern is mission + city/region + cause.
For example:
Do this for pages like /donate, /impact, /volunteer, and your mission statement page.
Search engines (and humans) love fresh, real information. You don’t need to post weekly—aim for a realistic cadence like 1–2 updates per month.
Good topics include:
Keep each post focused, and link to the next step: “Support this work” → /donate or “Get involved” → /volunteer.
Internal links help people find what they need fast and show how your pages relate. Add natural links:
Keep it simple:
These small improvements add up to better visibility and a smoother experience for supporters.
Analytics should answer one question: are visitors doing the things that move your mission forward?
Track the actions that signal real intent, not vanity numbers. For most nonprofits, this means:
If you only set up one thing, make it donation form completion. That’s the clearest measure of whether your site is doing its job.
Set up conversion events (sometimes called “goals”) so you can see where supporters abandon the process. On a donation flow, look for:
Treat this like a simple funnel: Donate click → Form start → Completed donation. Each step tells you what to fix.
Make a habit of checking where your best supporters come from: email, social media, search, partner links, or press. Don’t just count visits—compare sources by donation completion rate and email signups.
This helps you stop guessing. If search traffic converts well, invest in your /donate page and your most important program pages. If email drives most gifts, prioritize clear calls-to-action in campaigns.
Create a lightweight monthly report that anyone on the team can understand:
Consistency beats complexity. A 20-minute monthly review will surface the improvements that compound over time.
A nonprofit website launch shouldn’t feel like a “big reveal” and then… silence. Think of launch day as the start of a feedback loop: verify the essentials, announce clearly, then keep improving the parts that directly support your mission and fundraising.
Before you share your site publicly, do a quick sweep on both desktop and mobile.
Run a real donation test from start to finish. If your platform offers a test mode, use it; if not, donate a small amount and refund it.
Confirm:
If anything is confusing, simplify it now—your donation page should feel like the easiest part of the site.
A quiet launch is fine, but don’t miss easy momentum.
After launch, focus on changes that reduce friction and increase confidence.
If you’re iterating quickly (new pages, new forms, new program flows), tools that support safe releases matter. For example, Koder.ai’s snapshots and rollback can help you publish changes with less risk—useful when your “web team” is really one busy staff member and a volunteer.
Treat your website like a living tool. Small improvements—especially around donating—compound over time.
Start by picking one primary goal (e.g., donations) and ranking 1–2 supporting goals (e.g., volunteer signups, awareness). Then design navigation and your homepage around that priority so the main call-to-action is always obvious.
A practical test: if a first-time visitor has 10 seconds, can they tell what you do and what to do next?
Most nonprofits need these at launch:
Add optional pages (Events, Volunteer, Financials) only if they support a real audience need.
Keep the top navigation to 6–7 items max. If you have more, group them under a label like Get Involved or Resources.
Aim for “few clicks to action”: visitors should reach /donate, /volunteer, or /get-help quickly without hunting through dropdowns.
Use a one-sentence structure:
We help [who] by [what] so that [change].
Then add 2–4 short lines that explain the problem and what happens next—without jargon. If you need longer context, treat it as supporting copy, not the mission line.
Design the homepage like signposts:
Keep sections short and skimmable so it works on mobile.
Describe programs like services:
For impact, use outcomes you can verify and add context (limits, dependencies). Avoid guarantees like “we end homelessness” unless you can substantiate it.
Keep the donation page calm and friction-free:
Also include “Other ways to give” below the form so it doesn’t distract from checkout.
Use trust signals you can defend:
Make everything easy to find from /about, /contact, and the footer—right when donors are deciding.
Focus on basics that help real users:
Test donation and signup forms with keyboard-only and on a small screen before launch.
Track actions tied to your mission, not vanity metrics:
Review monthly and look for drop-offs (e.g., lots of “Donate” clicks but few completions). Then fix the most likely cause: slow load, too many fields, unclear fees, or missing reassurance.