Web Design VernonWhat a non-profit's website needs so donors give, volunteers sign up and people find help
A non-profit's website has three visitors who want three different things. A donor wants to know the money is going somewhere real. A volunteer wants to know how to start. A person in need wants to know if you can help them, and what to do first.
- Donor: Is this real, and where does my money go?
- Volunteer: How do I start?
- A person needing help: Can they help me, and what do I do first?
I read four Vernon society sites: a hospice, a Salvation Army centre, a drop-in mission and a small diversity society. They differ a lot in size, and they all do the first two jobs well. None does the third well.
1. Donor: Is this real, and where does my money go?
All four have a donate button, and all four show their charity registration number in full. That's the baseline. A donor looks for the number, because it tells them a tax receipt will be real, and a site without it loses the gift.
Only one of the four goes further: it has annual reports, a financial page and a strategic framework. Another one shows "Community Impact" in numbers. That is what turns "I might give" into "I gave", because a donor wants to see what $50 does.
Put a plain sentence next to the button:
> $50 feeds a family for a week. $200 pays for a month of drop-in meals.
Use your own real figures. Two of the four thank their partners and funders by name, which tells a donor that others have trusted you first.
One rule worth knowing: being a society doesn't let you issue tax receipts. Only a charity registered with the CRA can. If you are a society and not a registered charity, don't promise a tax receipt on your page.
Nobody lists what they need in goods. Not one of the four has a page of the food, clothing or supplies they'd take. Many people prefer to give items, and without the list they either give the wrong things or give nothing.
2. Volunteer: How do I start?
All four have a volunteer page. Of everything on this list, that's the item every site gets right.
Make it a first step they can take in a minute: what you need, how many hours, and one button that says "Apply". Two of the four name their board and leadership. A volunteer reads that, and so does a funder.
3. A person needing help: Can they help me, and what do I do first?
This is the visitor with the most at stake, and the one the least served.
Two of the four tell them what to do. One says to call a number or come in to make an appointment with an intake worker, and what to bring. Another has a clinician referral page. The other two leave the person to guess.
None of the four says who the service is for. Not one answers "is this for me?" in plain words. A person who is hungry, or grieving, or afraid, won't phone to find out whether they qualify. They'll assume they don't.
Four lines do it, near the top of the page:
> Who this is for. Anyone in Vernon who needs a meal. You don't need to sign up or prove anything.
> When. Monday to Saturday, 11 to 1.
> Where. The address, and the door to use.
> First time? Come in and say hello. Someone will sit with you.
Use your own rules, and say them plainly. Two of the four give hours. Three give a street address. A person looking for a meal at noon needs both, in words, without scrolling.
What every visitor needs
Three of the four open with what the society does, in a sentence. All four give a phone or email. All four show news or events, which tells a visitor that someone is home. Do all three, and put the sentence at the top.
The three answers nobody gives
- Who your service is for, in plain words.
- A list of goods you need.
- A short "where your money goes", which only one of the four has.
Add those and the three kinds of visitor each find their answer on the first screen.
Where this goes on your site
One sentence on what you do, the donate button, and the hours and address go at the top of the home page. The "who this is for" lines come next, then the volunteer button and the list of goods you need.
Want it done? Text me your business name at 778 808 5385. I'll look at your site and tell you what I'd change, and the rebuild is free. Here are sites I made up, so you can see what they look like.
