A nonprofit website is an opportunity to communicate your organization’s mission to a wide group of people. A strong online presence can help convert visitors into donors or volunteers for your cause.
For nonprofits, education about the cause at hand and website functionality that let visitors show their support is key. From creating an inspiring design to growing your reach, here are ten key steps for making a nonprofit website.
Plan a nonprofit website in 10 steps
The key to nonprofit website design is to organize your site around outcomes, like making it easier for donors to give, supporters to sign up for events, and community members to find help. Follow these steps to build a nonprofit website that connects your organization’s goals to visitor actions.
Step 1: Define your mission and target audience
Your homepage should immediately answer three core questions: who you are, what cause you serve, and how you solve the problem. Draft a clear mission statement that you can place above the fold on your website so visitors don’t have to search for your basic purpose.
Step 2: Choose a nonprofit website builder
The right nonprofit website builder makes it possible to take donations, collect sign-ups, and update pages yourself without writing code. The platform should include donation tools and built-in forms so that your organization can accept gifts and manage volunteer applications as needed.
Squarespace offers a complete platform for charities and nonprofits to support your cause, including tools for giving, establishing your online presence, and connecting with your community. A two-week trial gives you plenty of time to explore and get your website just right. Use the code NONPROFIT at checkout to receive a discount on your first payment.
Step 3: Pick a website template and design your layout
Squarespace website templates are built to enable strong nonprofit website design, including accessibility, mobile friendliness, and consistent branding. Visit our template store to get inspired and find a nonprofit website template closest to your goal.
As an alternative, you can also use an AI website builder to spin up a site quickly via prompts.
From there, you can customize your site by adding your own content, including real photos of your events and volunteers. Tweak the template as needed until it feels true to your brand.
Step 4: Choose a clear site navigation structure
Keep your navigation bar clean and simple. Limit your main menu to five or six core items so visitors can navigate your site easily.
Typical nonprofit navigation menus often highlight:
- About: Mission, board members, financial reports, and history
About: Mission, board members, financial reports, and history
- Programs: Direct community impact and current initiatives
Programs: Direct community impact and current initiatives
- Get Involved: Volunteer opportunities, event sign-ups, and career opportunities
Get Involved: Volunteer opportunities, event sign-ups, and career opportunities
- Impact: Annual reports, success stories, and metrics
Impact: Annual reports, success stories, and metrics
- Donate: Direct giving options, recurring donation details, and corporate matching
Donate: Direct giving options, recurring donation details, and corporate matching
Remember that different audiences visit your site for different reasons. Donors might look for financial transparency, while volunteers search for opportunities and clients seek direct services. Group your navigation menu items so each audience can find relevant information.
Step 5: Make your nonprofit website accessible
Web accessibility ensures that all visitors, including those with disabilities, can navigate your website, read your content, and contribute to your cause.
Building an accessible website is a core duty for nonprofits, ensuring that no one is excluded from receiving help or supporting your mission. Accessible pages also give search engines more context, since image descriptions and clear headings help with indexing.
While designing your website, think about maintaining clear visual contrasts and typography. To ensure legibility, be sure to use simple fonts in readable sizes. Use contrasting colors for texts and background elements to help the words stand out.
Follow basic digital accessibility principles across every page on your website. That includes:
- Image alt text: Add descriptive alternative text to all images so screen readers can describe them to visually impaired users.
Image alt text: Add descriptive alternative text to all images so screen readers can describe them to visually impaired users.
- Descriptive link text: Use specific link phrases like "download our annual report" instead of "click here."
Descriptive link text: Use specific link phrases like "download our annual report" instead of "click here."
- Structure headings: Use properly ordered header levels (H2, H3, H4) without skipping levels
Structure headings: Use properly ordered header levels (H2, H3, H4) without skipping levels
- Form labels: Ensure form fields have clear, visible labels so assistive software can identify what information is required.
Form labels: Ensure form fields have clear, visible labels so assistive software can identify what information is required.
Step 6: Establish trust with your website visitors
Visitors must trust your organization before they donate money or apply to volunteer. Demonstrating legitimacy requires open communication about your staff, leadership, and financial stewardship.
Trust grows when visitors can see the real people behind your work and read about where their contributions go. Showing clear organizational details removes doubt and encourages long-term engagement.
Consider creating an About page that features pictures, titles, and short professional bios for your staff leadership and board of directors. For financial transparency, you can post recent annual reports as downloadable files. Don’t forget to display your official tax-exempt status prominently, including your tax ID or registration number. This lets potential donors verify your status quickly and gives them confidence that their donations are tax-deductible.
Step 7: Accept donations online effectively
Accepting donations directly through your website makes giving simple and convenient for anyone browsing on computers, phones, or tablets. You can do this with Squarespace’s donation block, which gives nonprofits and charities a way to fundraise with minimal friction.
Showcase the donation option prominently on your site where visitors are most likely to look, such as your homepage, the header and footer, or program pages. From there, make it as easy as possible to do. Only ask for essential information, like the donor's name, email address, and payment details. Offer preset giving amounts alongside a custom donation field. These preset numbers give donors a clear benchmark for what typical contributions look like.
If you’d like to offer the option of recurring donations, connect your site to Stripe or Squarespace Payments. Monthly recurring donors can provide higher lifetime support than one-time donors, making this a critical option for your fundraising strategy.
Step 8: Recruit and manage volunteers online
Volunteers are the backbone of many nonprofit operations. If you rely on them to help run your nonprofit or charity, your website should make it straightforward for interested supporters to learn about open roles and submit an application.
Clear descriptions of open volunteer positions help you match skills with operational needs while setting accurate expectations for time commitments. In Squarespace, use a form block to collect volunteer applications directly on your site. Collect contact details, background skills, emergency contact information, and availability preferences.
Step 9: Keep your community in the loop
Think about the kind of information that will be interesting to both current and prospective donors. They might want to know what events are coming up, if there are any community initiatives to join, and what the organization’s impact has been so far.
Your website can act as the central hub for upcoming event details, ticketing, and RSVPs. Use clear event descriptions and simple registration options on your site, and make sure to keep schedules up to date.
Sharing your impact also proves to supporters that their contributions make a difference. Present your achievements with a combination of data metrics and personal stories that resonate. This can help keep past donors engaged while showing potential grantors that your programs deliver results.
Email marketing can help you spread the word to whoever’s interested. Add a newsletter block or opt-in form to your site to start building your contact list with Squarespace Email Campaigns.
Step 10: Optimize your nonprofit website for search
Search helps new donors and volunteers find your nonprofit, so don’t overlook search engine optimization (SEO) for your website. If you’re new to this, Squarespace has a handy SEO checklist to help increase your site’s visibility, from page titles, descriptions, and headers to local SEO basics.
Maintaining your site
Building a nonprofit website is definitely not a case of ‘set it and forget it’. It’s an ongoing process of updating content, monitoring analytics, and gathering feedback from your community.
Set time aside to regularly review your donation forms, volunteer signups, and event pages to make sure all features are still functioning smoothly. Think about updating images and design elements every so often to let your community know that the site is a current, monitored resource. A clear, outcome-focused website ensures your nonprofit can grow its reach, build lasting trust, and fulfill its mission.
For step-by-step technical guidance on building your layout, check out Squarespace’s guide to building a nonprofit site.
Frequently asked questions
Does a nonprofit have to have a website?
A nonprofit is not legally required to have a website, but operating without one significantly limits your fundraising reach and operational growth. Most donors and institutional grant makers research organizations online before committing funds or resources.
Having a professional website serves as digital proof of your tax-exempt status, governance, and active work. It acts as an accessible, round-the-clock office where supporters can donate,
What should a nonprofit website include?
A nonprofit website should include a clear mission statement, an About page detailing staff and leadership, a direct donation form, descriptions of community programs, and contact information.
To maximize transparency and supporter engagement, incorporate these essential features:
- Financial transparency details, including recent tax filings and annual reports.
Financial transparency details, including recent tax filings and annual reports.
- Volunteer opportunity listings with embedded application forms.
Volunteer opportunity listings with embedded application forms.
- Impact metrics showcasing real-world outcomes and community success stories.
Impact metrics showcasing real-world outcomes and community success stories.
- Web accessibility features to accommodate all visitors.
Web accessibility features to accommodate all visitors.
What makes a good nonprofit website?
A good nonprofit website focuses on clear user outcomes rather than complex visual decorations. It allows visitors to complete tasks like donating, registering for an event, or finding assistance without friction or unnecessary steps. When your content clearly connects your funding to tangible community results, site visitors feel confident supporting your cause.
What should a nonprofit website look like?
A nonprofit website should feature a clean, uncluttered design with direct visual hierarchy and strong color contrast. Use high-quality photos of real volunteers, program participants, and community projects rather than generic stock photography.
Keep text readable by choosing simple typography and dark text on light backgrounds. Use primary navigation items that direct distinct visitors, such as donors, volunteers, or clients seeking direct aid, to their intended destination in a single click.
