The essential elements of a website for a non-profit<\/h2>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/gates-foundation-website.png\")
<\/p>\n
The way you set up and run your non-profit website will obviously be unique, based on your niche, goals, and resources. However, as you begin to plan out your site, there are a few things you\u2019ll definitely want to include.<\/p>\n
A strong non-profit website should have (at a minimum):<\/p>\n
- \n
- A mission statement, telling visitors what you\u2019re all about.<\/li>\n
- Plenty of details on what you do and why it matters.<\/li>\n
- A blog<\/a> or news section, to keep people apprised of the most recent updates and successes.<\/li>\n
- Contact information, so interested parties can get in touch.<\/li>\n
- Headshots and bios for your organization’s key members, staff, or partners.<\/li>\n
- Compelling imagery, incorporated throughout your site.<\/li>\n
- A way to accept donations, if you solicit donations from the public.<\/li>\n
- A Call To Action (CTA)<\/a> prompting visitors to sign up for an email list, volunteer, donate, or do whatever matters most to your organization.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This may seem like a lot, but putting together a site encompassing all of these elements isn’t difficult. All you need are the right set of tools, along with a little time and patience.<\/p>\n
How to build a website for a non-profit (in 6 easy steps)<\/h2>\n
As a non-profit organization, you likely don\u2019t have a lot of time and money to spare. All the same, you want a website that\u2019s attractive, functional, and easy to use. The following six steps will take you through the process of creating this type of site quickly and cheaply.<\/p>\n
1. Choose a platform<\/h3>\n
The first thing you need to do is select a platform to build your website with. There are many choices, but they largely fall into three camps. You can develop a website from scratch, sign up for a website builder, or use a Content Management System (CMS).<\/p>\n
Unless you happen to have some talented developers already on board, creating a site from nothing is usually costly and time-intensive. Website builders<\/a>, on the other hand, are cheap and simple to use. However, they don\u2019t offer much flexibility, nor do they give you much control over your site.<\/p>\n
A CMS is the perfect middle ground. This type of platform is typically open-source, which means you can download the software and use it to build your website for free. What\u2019s more, a quality CMS will provide an easy-to-use interface that lets you customize your site without any technical know-how.<\/p>\n
For a non-profit site, we\u2019d highly recommend WordPress<\/a>:<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/wordpress-website.png\")
<\/p>\nThis CMS is beginner-friendly and has a large community<\/a> willing to help whenever you run into difficulties. Most importantly for your website, it\u2019s free and won\u2019t require you to hire a developer.<\/p>\n
2. Purchase a hosting plan and domain name<\/h3>\n
WordPress may be free to use, but building your website involves a few small costs. You\u2019ll need to register a domain<\/a> name and select a hosting plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The domain name is your site\u2019s primary URL (i.e., mynonprofitsite.org<\/em>). When deciding on a domain name<\/a>, you’re best off naming the site after your organization, or using a short, catchy phrase that summarizes your mission, as in saveourlibraries.org<\/em>.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll also need to choose a Top Level Domain (TLD)<\/a>, such as\u00a0.com<\/em> or .net<\/em>. We\u2019d highly recommend using .org<\/em>, as people are still more likely to trust non-profit organizations using this TLD. If your budget allows, however, you may also want to purchase the .com<\/em> version of your domain name and redirect it to your site.<\/p>\n
In order to get your site online, you\u2019ll also need to sign up for a hosting plan, which is the “engine” that powers your site and makes it available to other people.<\/p>\n
3. Pick out a theme to style your site<\/h3>\n
By this point, you should have a basic WordPress site up and running. Now, you’ll want to give it a design that showcases your non-profit’s mission. Fortunately, this is a task you can ‘fast track’ by choosing the right WordPress theme.<\/p>\n
In a nutshell, your site’s theme<\/a>\u00a0controls how your site looks and is visually structured. This means that even if you\u2019re not a designer, you can select the style and appearance you want.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, there are a lot of themes designed specifically for non-profit sites. This means the style, layout, and elements are customized to match the needs of organizations like yours. Some even come with multiple templates or demo pages, each designed to match a particular type of non-profit organization.<\/p>\n
You can choose from many free options in the WordPress Theme Directory, merely by searching for themes with the keyword \u201cnon profit\u201d<\/a> (or \u201cnonprofit\u201d):<\/p>\n
![\"WordPress](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/nonprofit-wordpress-theme.png\")
<\/p>\nIf you have the budget, you may also want to check out some premium non-profit themes<\/a>\u00a0as they’re often<\/em> a little more flexible<\/a>. General business themes<\/a> often work well, too.<\/p>\n
4. Build your site\u2019s basic pages<\/h3>\n
Once you\u2019ve installed your chosen theme, you\u2019ll want to take some time to customize it. This means adding your own imagery and branding, as well as tweaking the style and design to fit your organization. How you do this will vary by theme, but the best place to start is by visiting the WordPress Customizer<\/a> via your site’s dashboard:<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/wordpress-customizer.png\")
<\/p>\nNext, you’ll want to create the basic pages that will make up your website. Building a page in WordPress is straightforward, and your theme will probably give you plenty of demo content to work with. At a minimum, you\u2019ll want to include the following pages:<\/p>\n
- \n
- A home page that lets visitors know what your organization is all about (preferably with a strong mission statement and lots of visuals).<\/li>\n
- An easy-to-find contact page<\/a>, with multiple ways to get in touch.<\/li>\n
- One or more pages providing information about what your organization does and why it matters.<\/li>\n
- An ‘archive’ page to host your blog or news updates.<\/li>\n
- A page featuring your organization\u2019s key members or partners, with headshots and bios if possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Of course, don\u2019t forget to add in that vital CTA<\/a>. This could be a donate button, a newsletter sign-up form, or a volunteer application. Just make sure it\u2019s prominently placed and stands out from the rest of your site.<\/p>\n
![\"GiveWP](\"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/give\/assets\/banner-772x250.jpg?rev=2979689\")
\t\t\t