How to Effectively Showcase Your Non-Profit Organization Website to Reach Donors

Anyone who has ever worked at a non-profit organization will tell you that one of the greatest challenges of raising money is finding like-minded individuals who will continually support your cause. A non-profit organization not only needs to interact with donors in person or through cold calls and mailing solicitations, but it needs a strong web presence as well.

A non-profit organization website can’t just be a conglomeration of your program and services, complete with pretty yet random pictures. While such a website may be aesthetic, it won’t necessarily be effective in getting through to donors who care to read more information before giving a contribution. Below are a few aspects that non-profit organization websites must have in order to appeal to prospective donors.

Attractive Homepage

It is important for non-profit organizations to create websites that resonate with individuals on an emotional level, and that starts with the homepage. When prospective donors arrive at the homepage, they should be greeted with clear tabs as well as either snippets of information about the organization or links that lead to more information. This will prompt donors to read further, learn more about the organization’s cause, and eventually give their support.

Relevant Photos

Non-profit organizations can communicate their message to compassionate individuals by incorporating visually engaging pictures that highlight the organization’s mission and values. Whether the images are original or stock, they must be displayed on the website in an effective way. Images must carry across the organization’s values and reach prospective donors.

Concise Processing System

Having an efficient processing system is crucial for turning prospective donors into donors. There is nothing that will cause a prospective donor to change their minds and X out the page more than a processing system that takes a long time to load. Whether the non-profit organization has an IT person on staff or uses remote IT services, it should check the website often to make sure there are no glitches in donation processing. Even if a prospective donor was planning to give $2 and decided not to, the organization not only loses the donation, but the possibility of a relationship and future donation.

Upcoming Events

Informing prospective donors about any upcoming events will allow them to interact with the non-profit organization and view its work from up close. Events that allow participants the chance to get to know the organization and its supporters better are a great way to connect with like-minded individuals who support the same cause. Prospective donors who value the organization’s mission want to be informed about any events, happenings, or important dates involving the organization.

Clear Opportunity for Donation

There is no faster way to miss out on a donation opportunity than if a prospective donor can’t find the “Donate” button first on the homepage. The “Donate” button is usually large, and should be located on the top right of each page for easy viewing. When creating or updating a non-profit website, make sure that visitors can find the button at least within the first 8 seconds of getting on the page.