
According to the 2024 Generational Giving Report, 85 percent of donors, no matter their age, will research a nonprofit by visiting their website before making a gift. Your website is your chance to make a great first impression on donors, participants, and the community.
And I know, I know…You’re likely thinking, “Websites are expensive! We can’t afford a good site.” But let me let you in on a secret: a good website CAN be affordable! But that’s a conversation for another day…
You need a website you can be proud of! Having a good website is crucial for nonprofit organizations for several key reasons:
1. Trust and Credibility
A professional-looking, user-friendly website establishes credibility and trust. This is key, as donors and volunteers are more likely to engage with your organization that presents itself professionally. A poorly designed or outdated website can create doubt about the legitimacy or efficiency of your organization. With recent scandals, especially in Minnesota (Feeding Our Future), demonstrating legitimacy and trustworthiness is paramount.
2. Visibility and Awareness
A well-designed website increases visibility, helping your organization reach a broader audience. Going a step further, a well-optimized website can rank higher in search engines, allowing the nonprofit to attract more organic traffic. Search engine optimization (SEO) helps ensure that people looking for causes or services related to the organization can find it easily online.
In this day and age, when people are seeking services or an organization to get involved with, they head to Google. You want to be sure your organization shows up in their search results!
3. Fundraising and Donations
Online donations have become a key revenue stream for many organizations, and likely yours is no different. A good website makes it easy for visitors to learn about your cause and contribute through a secure, user-friendly donation system, encouraging more frequent and higher donations.
4. Storytelling and Advocacy
Organizations, like yours, need to tell compelling stories to motivate action. A website allows you to share success stories, showcase impact, and spread advocacy messages through videos, photos, and blogs.
5. Volunteer and Community Engagement
As with donors, volunteers are likely to visit your website before deciding to engage with your organization. A strong website can provide information on how to get involved, sign up for events, or contribute time and resources. It can also include forums, blogs, and other features that encourage community interaction and engagement with the cause.
6. Data Collection and Insights (The nerd in me loves this one!)
A website can collect valuable data on visitors, helping the organization understand its audience, track user behavior, and measure the effectiveness of campaigns. This data can be used to improve strategies, target outreach more effectively, and demonstrate impact to stakeholders.
Knowing that 85 percent of donors will visit your website before making a gift should be reason enough to make the investment. But a good website will also help your organization effectively fulfill your mission, improve outreach, and strengthen relationships with supporters, ultimately leading to greater impact.
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