Website design for nonprofits and churches

What a nonprofits and churches website needs, and why

Nonprofits, churches, youth clubs, rescues and community associations rely on people showing up, giving time and sometimes giving money. The site is where a stranger decides whether to try you out, so it needs to answer simple questions quickly: who you are, what you do, when and where to come, and how to help.

Most of these groups are run by volunteers or a very small staff, which changes what a good site looks like. It should be simple enough that whoever looks after it this year can hand it to someone else next year. A site that only one person knows how to edit goes stale the moment that person is busy.

Trust matters even more when you ask for donations. Visitors want to see who you are, what you do with support and a secure way to give. Be specific and honest about your work, and never imply your tax status is something it is not.

What the first screen should do

Put a short sentence on who you are, the next time and place to come along and two clear buttons: one to visit or get involved, one to give. A first-time visitor should know what to expect on their first visit in under a minute.

Follow with your upcoming events, the programmes you run, a few real photos of your community with permission, and a simple way to contact a real person. Keep the pages few and keep them fresh.

Common mistakes to avoid

• An events page that is months out of date. It tells newcomers nobody is home. Make updating events something a volunteer can do in minutes.
• Hiding how to give. If donations matter, the link belongs in the header and the footer.
• Long mission statements full of jargon. Say what you do in two plain sentences.
• Publishing photos of people without permission. Be especially careful with children and vulnerable people.
• Collecting more personal data than needed. Ask only for what you will use, and say how you will use it.
• Only one person has the logins. Keep domain and site logins in the organisation's name and share access with at least two trusted people.
• Overpromising on tax treatment. Say you are a registered nonprofit only if you are, and describe tax-deductibility only if you have confirmed it.

How we build it, and how you keep it current

Your site is designed for your business, built for phones first and made in Sprout, so after handover you can change text, photos and hours yourself. Projects start with a free, fixed-price quote; the process for Texas small businesses explains each step from quote to handover.