Having a stellar website for your nonprofit is key. A website allows nonprofit organizations to tell their stories on their own terms, capture new audiences, connect with donors, and improve their overall communication strategies. 

While building a nonprofit website can be a difficult task, it doesn’t have to be with the right tools and resources. 

In this article, we’ll provide steps for how to build a successful website for your organization and share nonprofit website templates that can act as a guide as you begin to create your own. 

Let’s dive in!

Why Your Nonprofit Needs a Website

First things first: why does your nonprofit even need a website? 

In an increasingly digital world, almost all enterprises and initiatives can only find real traction when they leverage web based applications and platforms—and this includes nonprofit organizations! 

A website acts as a comprehensive hub of information. For a nonprofit, a website typically publishes key information that the public, donors, and other stakeholders need to know. This information includes things like your: 

• Mission
• Vision
• History
• Objectives
• Important news and updates about your work 

Creating a website is one of the first major steps a nonprofit should take when they set out to cultivate an online presence, and it should be a priority for any nonprofit that is just getting started. 

Building a dynamic, functional website will help your organization connect with its community, be transparent about its work, and develop trust with the public. 

Having a website can help ensure to supporters that your nonprofit organization is a legitimate and credible operation. Having little to no online presence may be a red flag for many donors and they could easily choose to support another organization or spend their dollars elsewhere. 

Websites also allow nonprofits to tell their stories and advocate on behalf of the people they serve. For example, the Alzheimer’s Association’s website is a great example of a website that educates others about their cause and makes a case for why donors should give to the organization. 

And since more and more donors are giving online now, ensuring your organization has an accessible and functional donation web page will help your nonprofit grow and meet its fundraising goals.   

6 Steps You Cannot Miss When Building Your Nonprofit's Website

Building a nonprofit website might sound like a daunting task, but with all the free and accessible web building tools, templates, and resources available on the market, you should be able to create your own nonprofit website in no time. 

Let’s take a look at some of the most important steps to take when building your nonprofit’s website. 

1. Choose a Platform

The first step on the road to building a great nonprofit website is to identify a platform to use.

Your best bet is to start with a website builder. These platforms are affordable and typically very easy to use with little to no experience with web development or design. 

Some likely candidates for your own website builder are: 

• Wix
• Squarespace 
• Wordpress 
• Strikingly 
• Site Builder 

Each web builder has its own strengths and key features that will help you bring your nonprofit’s website to life. Most importantly, these web builders offer hundreds of different nonprofit website templates that will help you easily create a beautiful website to engage your audience. 

Squarespace, for example, offers sleek, artistic templates to help users create attractive websites that are focused on great design. Squarespace is easy to use and requires very little knowledge about web design. 

Alternatively, a platform like Wordpress is a little more complex than platforms like Squarespace and Wix. While Wordpress provides more flexibility design and functionality-wise than some of its competitors, it will require a little more effort to learn how to use it and get your website built. 

Be sure to diligently research as many platforms as you can to identify which one meets your nonprofits needs! 

2. Register Your Domain

When creating your website you will want to ensure that your organization is easy to find online. That means deciding on a domain name, registering it, and purchasing a site that will host the domain. 

So what does that all mean? 

In simplistic terms, a domain name is a unique identifier or primary URL. You will need your own domain name when creating your nonprofit’s website. 

Many of the web builders we noted above offer the ability to register for a domain directly with them. Domain names must be one of a kind which means that if your chosen domain name is already taken you will need to get creative. 

For example, you may need to hyphenate your nonprofit’s name or add an additional word to ensure your domain name is wholly unique. You will also need to pick a top-level domain (TLD) like .edu, .com, or .org. 

Nonprofit organizations overwhelmingly use .org for their TLD, which lends a level of credibility and can help build trust with your audience by using it. 

Many of the same web builders we identified in the article have the capacity for hosting and registering a domain (such as Wix) but if you decide to go with a platform that doesn’t offer the ability to register or host a domain you will have to go elsewhere (such as GoDaddy).

While registering and hosting domains is GoDaddy’s primary service, they also offer simple web design templates you could use as well. 

3. Identify a Template 

We have mentioned several platforms that offer a wide variety of web templates your nonprofit can make good use of. 

When choosing a template one of the primary features you want to consider is readability. Remember that the reason you are creating a website for your nonprofit is to communicate with an audience. You want the user to be able to understand what your nonprofit’s name is, what your mission is, and who you serve right off the bat. 

Be sure that you choose a template that can incorporate text and images throughout. You want to intersperse each webpage with images that help to illustrate your work and your impact. Be sure to choose a template that can allow for this kind of dynamic design. 

Many website builders curate their templates so that you can easily find a layout that speaks to your organization’s work. 

For example, Squarespace offers a wide selection of website templates that are custom designed to fit the needs of nonprofit organizations. The layouts allow space for both text and images so you can inform your readers about your organization without sacrificing good design.

Browse through their community and nonprofit collection for inspiration!

4. Create Key Webpages

Once you have a domain, platform, and template identified, it is time to build out each webpage. 

The number of webpages you have on your website will really depend on your specific organization and the amount of information you wish to communicate. 

Just because a website is very sparse does not mean it is not impactful. A nonprofit website that includes one page with the mission statement, brief overview of the organization, and contact information can sometimes be enough for a smaller nonprofit just getting started out. 

As your nonprofit organization grows, your website will likely grow with it. 

Most nonprofit websites will include pages for some of the following content: 

• “About Us” or Organization Overview: Every great nonprofit website will include an overview of the organization, explaining the type of work or actions you engage in, your expertise, and the impact you make. This section can include an organization history if your nonprofit has been around for several years. 

• Homepage: All websites, not just nonprofit websites, have a homepage. A homepage is the introductory page—a place where you can briefly review important information like your mission and vision statements. Many nonprofit websites will also update their homepages frequently with upcoming events, program updates, and other news related to the ongoing operations of the organization. 

• Get Involved: Nonprofit websites are great for connecting to new donors and supporters, and that includes volunteers. A “Get Involved” webpage can include information on how to volunteer with your organization, how to advocate on behalf of those you serve, and directions on how to take action in other ways that support your nonprofit’s mission.  

• Donate: Donating online is becoming more and more ubiquitous and it is up to nonprofits to meet this trend head on. Donation pages should be readable and accessible. Many nonprofit websites include a “DONATE” button on their homepages to ensure giving is front and center. 

• News and Updates: Be sure to include news and updates such as upcoming events, calls to action, or other key information as it becomes available so supporters can be up to date and aware of what your organization is up to. 

These are only some of the most common webpage ideas for your website. Be creative and research different nonprofit websites to get an idea of how many webpages you will need to design and what type of layout works best for your needs. 

5. Iterate 

Even though this is the last step on the list it may be the most important. 

Once you have finished building your website and creating each webpage, you will need to continuously iterate. Your website should adapt to best communicate your nonprofit’s story to an audience and grab the attention of supporters. Update your website as needed and ensure that the most impactful, relevant, and vital information is available to users. 

Nonprofit Website Templates to Inspire You

Now that you understand what it takes to build a really great nonprofit website, it is time to get inspired! 

Below are just a few nonprofit website templates for you to use as you begin building your own organization’s website. Use these as jumping off point as you start the research and identification process of website creation. 

1. Lusaka - Squarespace 

As we mentioned before, Squarespace has a robust collection of nonprofit website templates, with webpage layouts designed to meet the needs of nonprofit or community organizations. 

Lusaka is a great example of a beautifully designed, readable, and functional nonprofit website template. It includes a button for donations, the option to create additional webpages as needed, and a dynamic layout that allows users to incorporate images to help make the website pop!

2. Women Empowerment NGO - Wix

This nonprofit website template by Wix is striking, using bold colors and dynamic fonts to draw users in. 

This website template offers a great layout with sections to put donations, mission, and events front and center. This website template exemplifies the best of nonprofit web design and development, mixing together a strong user interface with engaging visuals. 

3. Comet - Squarespace 

Looking for a template that centers around programming and allows you to incorporate impactful images? 

Look no further than Comet from Squarespace! This nonprofit website template engages audiences who want to participate in programming. To this end, the template features a prominent call to action button encouraging users to explore their programs and to invest in their work. 

Web builder templates provide you with a great opportunity to create your own nonprofit website without starting from scratch. It is also important to take a look at other nonprofit organizations whose websites you like and draw inspiration from their content and designs as well. 

Below are just a few great nonprofit websites to help inspire: 

• RAICES: The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services 
• Yellowhammer Fund
• NORC at the University of Chicago
• The Trevor Project
• Walker Art Center
• Minnesota Freedom Fund
• Equal Justice Initiative

Final Tips to Make Your Nonprofit Website Stand Out

There are so many ways to create a beautiful and engaging nonprofit website. Before wrapping up the article, we will leave you with a few final tips for building an effective nonprofit website. 

1. Don’t neglect the visuals: Remember—you want your website to be dynamic. Incorporate visuals wherever possible to draw in the reader and to better illustrate the impact your work has on the broader community. 

2. Be clear and concise: Do not drop in paragraph upon paragraph of block text. Create content that is pithy while capturing the most crucial information you need your audience to know. Your website should be working to get your audience excited

3. Show your audience what sets you apart: Do not take a look at the list above, stop at find a template, and be done. Every choice when building a website should contribute to a larger narrative about your nonprofit, why your efforts are important, and why investing in your organization is the right choices for donors. 

Wrapping Up: The Best Nonprofit Website Templates

Websites are an essential cornerstone of a nonprofit’s overall communication and marketing strategy. Utilize the templates, examples, and content in this article and begin applying it as you build your own nonprofit’s website! 

Looking for more information about nonprofit management? Visit Instrumentl’s blog today!