Resources
The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Website Design, Development & Hosting
First Impressions
Your website may be the first place someone goes to learn about your organization.
It’s where a potential donor may decide whether or not to give. A volunteer may look for an opportunity. A family may search for services. A member may register for a program. A community partner may decide to contact you.
1. Start With Your Goals
Before you start talking about colors, photos, or page layouts, start with a more important question:
2. Organize Your Website Around Your Visitors
Nonprofit websites can be complicated because nonprofits often serve many audiences. Donors, volunteers, members, program participants, families, partners, board members, job seekers, and community members may all come to the same website looking for very different things.
3. Design for People, Not Just for Appearance
A professional website should look good, but good design is about much more than appearance. It should make information easier to understand and actions easier to take. That means using clear headings, readable text, logical page layouts, noticeable calls to action (CTAs), and navigation that feels natural.
4. Make Accessibility Part of the Plan
Accessibility should be considered from the beginning of a website project, not added at the end.
5. Choose Technology That Fits Your Organization
There is no single website platform that is right for every nonprofit.
6. Make Your Website Work With the Tools You Already Use
Your website probably isn't the only technology your organization uses.
7. Think About SEO and AI Search
Your website needs to work for people, but it also needs to be easy for search engines and AI-powered search tools to understand.
8. Make Giving Easy
For many nonprofits, the website is an important part of the fundraising experience.
9. Don't Overlook Website Hosting
Hosting is one of those parts of a website that most visitors never think about. And that's a good thing.
10. Remember That Your Website Needs Ongoing Care
Launching a website is an important milestone, but it is not the finish line.
11. Make Sure Your Team Has People to Turn To
A website partner should be more than the company that builds your website. You should have real people you can turn to when you have a question, need to learn something new, or aren't sure what to do next.
12. Choose a Website Partner for the Long Term
When you compare website companies, it is easy to focus on the design, the feature list, and the price.
Is It Time To Redesign Your Nonprofit Website?
You may not need a completely new website.
But it is worth taking a closer look if your site is difficult to manage, hard to navigate, outdated, inaccessible, slow on mobile devices, difficult to find in search, or no longer reflects the organization you are today.
Your Website Should Support Your Work, Not Create More Work
Your nonprofit has enough to manage.
Ready to take a closer look at your nonprofit website?
Explore OneEach's Nonprofit Website Design & Development Services →
Frequently Asked Questions About Nonprofit Websites
How much does a nonprofit website cost?
The cost depends on the size and complexity of the website, the amount of content, design and development requirements, integrations, accessibility needs, and ongoing services such as hosting and support. When comparing proposals, look at the complete scope of work rather than simply comparing the initial price.
How often should a nonprofit redesign its website?
There is no set timeline. A redesign makes sense when your current website no longer meets the needs of your organization or visitors. Difficult content management, outdated design, poor mobile performance, accessibility concerns, weak search visibility, or changes in your organization can all be signs that it is time to take a closer look.
What should every nonprofit website have?
Every nonprofit website should clearly explain who the organization is, what it does, who it serves, and what visitors can do next. It should also have clear navigation, useful content, accessible design, mobile-friendly functionality, current information, contact information, and an easy way to support the organization.
What is the best website platform for a nonprofit?
There is no single platform that is best for every nonprofit. The right choice depends on your organization's size, complexity, staff, content needs, integrations, growth plans, and available support. OneEach specializes in building on Drupal and WordPress.
Does a nonprofit website need ongoing maintenance?
Yes. Both content and technology need attention over time. Keeping information current and addressing security, software updates, backups, performance, accessibility, and other technical needs helps protect the investment you've made in your website. OneEach guarantees 99.95% uptime and manages ongoing maintenance.
Can a nonprofit website connect with our fundraising platform or CRM?
Often, yes. The specific approach depends on the systems involved and what information needs to be shared between them. Integrations should be discussed during the planning stage so they can be evaluated and built into the project appropriately. OneEach also provides a fundraising platform called Mindful Giving that offers donors opportunities to give from a wishlist or make cash donations.
What is AEO for nonprofits?
Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, is the practice of creating and organizing website content so it’s easier for search engines and AI-powered answer tools to understand and use. For nonprofits, that means answering the real questions your audiences ask in clear, useful language.
What should a nonprofit look for in a website hosting provider?
Look at reliability, security, backups, performance, scalability, technical support, and what happens when something goes wrong. Price matters, but so does knowing who will be there to help when your organization needs it.
Final Thought
A nonprofit website is a long-term investment in your organization.
Start with a free, honest look at your site
We review your site against current best practice and walk you through what's working and what isn't. There's no cost and no obligation.