8 Tips to Design a Charity Website

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March 05, 2009

charity1A lot of charities rely on voluntary funding. This funding is carefully distributed and there are often more important things ahead of a generous budget for the website.

So how does a charity get the most out of its website? It needs to let users find out information about the charity, but the main objective of the site is to get people involved with the charity, usually resulting in the user donating money.

In this article, we look at 8 principles that you should follow when creating a charity website.

What makes a good charity website?

1. A mission

A quick tagline to sum up what the charity (or charitable event) is about.

Mission


2. How sponsors will be helping

Let your users know what you do with their money once they sponsor. They'll want to know how they're making a difference to someone's life.

How we help


3. Photos of people the sponsors will be helping

Help users identify and visualize the people they'll be helping.

Photos


4. Donate button

The donate button is most likely the most important asset of a charity website so it should be prominent and obvious. This is the ultimate end goal for users.

Donate button


5. Donations to date

If the website is for a specific charitable event, show how much the charity's raised to date. Current sponsors get to see how useful they've been while possible sponsors can see that there are other people already helping and the campaign is active.

Donations


6. A funding goal

If applicable, share your goal. Having a target gives people something to aim for.

Goal


7. Keep in touch

Sponsors will want you to keep in touch as they now have a vested interested, so make sure they can. Let people sign up and send them an occasional newsletter about what the charity is up to. This will also be helpful when it comes to looking for future donations.

Newsletter


8. How can people help

Donating money is the obvious way people can help, but make it clear they can help in other ways. Suggest fundraising ideas and advise how users can help promote the website and charity via other social networking sites.

What can I do?


Showcase of excellent charity websites


The Worldwide Blogger Bake Off

The Worldwide Blogger Bakeoff


Action for Children

Action for Children


Save the Children

Save the Children


Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bell & Melinda Gates Foundation


World Concern

World Concern


Fifty Thousand Shirts

50 Thousand Shirts


Cards from Africa

Cards from Africa


Change

Change


Stop Child Labour

Stop Child Labour


Sahayata

Sahayata


Miracles in Africa

Miracles in Africa


Take the Walk

Talk the Walk


Wiser

Wiser


Here's Life Mission Africa

Here's Life Africa


Operation Warm

Operation Warm


Manna Food Bank

Manna Food Bank


Global Oneness Project

Global Oneness Project


Red Nose Day

Red Nose Day


Children's Rights

Children's Rights


Sponsor Lee

Sponsor Lee

Written exclusively for WDD by Lee Munroe, a freelance web designer and blogger. You can find more of his writing at his blog or follow Lee on Twitter.

What do you feel makes up a good charity website and can you recommend any? Please share your comments below...


WDD Staff

WDD staff are proud to be able to bring you this daily blog about web design and development. If there's something you think we should be talking about let us know @DesignerDepot.

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