To Print or Not to Print

Ann Green fundraising, marketing

Photo by Portland Afoot via Flickr

Nonprofit organizations are doing more of their marketing and fundraising electronically – by email, on their website, and through social media.  It makes sense. It’s more cost effective, good for the environment, and most of us are very connected to our computers and mobile devices.

Does this mean that print is obsolete? No. Print still has a place in your marketing and fundraising. How much depends on your audience. If your donors and other supporters are older, they may respond better to print pieces, although many of us are now connected electronically.

Often you’ll want to use print and electronic mediums together in your marketing and fundraising campaigns. This means all your messages need to be consistent.

Are there times that you should still use print pieces?  Sometimes, yes.  Here are a few examples:

Fundraising letter
I think you should still mail out a fundraising letter. Direct mail fundraising continues to be strong, although online giving is on the rise.  According to a study by Target Analytics, 81% of 2011 gifts came in through direct mail. If you only send out your fundraising appeal electronically, it could get lost in your donor’s barrage of email messages. We get far more email than print mail.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use electronic methods as well. You can send out an email message telling donors to look out for your latest fundraising letter. You can also send out reminders by email and social media and post donation appeals on your website.

Thank you letter
Even if someone donates online and gets an electronic acknowledgement, I think you should mail out a thank you letter or card (within 48 hours, of course). The email receipt is more of a reassurance to the donor that their contribution didn’t get lost in the netherworld.  The advantage of a letter is that you can personalize it with a handwritten note.  A letter or a card is always more personal than email.  
Event invitation
If you are holding a fundraising event, I would recommend a print invitation over an evite. Your higher dollar, older donors may respond better to a print invitation with a reply card. And, and if done well, it can look really classy.

Again, this doesn’t mean you can’t use electronic channels to promote your event.  You can email out a save the date announcement. Of course, you should also have an option for people to reserve and pay online, and you can promote your event by email, on your website, and through social media.

If cost is an issue, you could get a printer to create your invitation pro bono or ask a business to sponsor it.

Brochure
I still think nonprofit organizations should have a brochure or some type of information piece to hand out to donors, potential volunteers, people who visit your office, or event attendees.  It doesn’t need to be fancy, but it should be eye catching and look professional. You could even do it in house.  I realize most organizations have a website, but if you are at a recruitment event and only give a potential volunteer a link to your website, they may not go there.  A brochure can capture the highlights of your organization in an instant.

These are a just a few examples of marketing and fundraising materials that can work well in print. What types of materials do you still print?

Don’t Use Jargon

Ann Green marketing, writing

Capacity building, return on investment, leverage, impactful. How do you react when you see these words?  Do you embrace them or do they make you cringe?

These are just a few examples (unfortunately there are many) of jargon. I think people use jargon because it’s an insider language, and it makes them feel like they are “in the know” in their professional world.  

People need to understand you to connect with you
But what happens when jargon creeps outside of your insular community and into the public?  People won’t understand you. We are all guilty of it. I remember talking to someone about a program and using the terms capacity building and direct service, and the person had no idea what I was talking about.

When you use jargon with your donors and other supporters, you are not connecting with them. You won’t get your message across if your audience doesn’t understand it.

Use fresh language
Sometimes we get lazy and use jargon when we can’t think of anything fresh and original. The next time you are writing something for your organization, look it over carefully to see if it contains words found in these links.  
Jargon Finder
Philanthropy Jargon Generator
If it does, replace them with plain, but fresh language that your audience will understand (see links below for examples). Not all of the words in the links above are jargon. Some are awkward or pompous words and phrases that you should also avoid.

Garbl’s Plain English Writing Guide

24 lazy corporate verbs you need to fire

Get rid of all your jargon
Eliminate jargon from all your written materials including grant proposals. Even if your potential funder might understand some of the insider language, your proposal is one of many being submitted, and will be much more readable if you if to stick to a simple, conversational style. 

It may be easier to catch these dreaded words when you are writing, but also be careful when you are speaking. Do the words that come out of your mouth contain jargon? They shouldn’t if you are talking to a potential funder or someone not familiar with your work. Even if you are speaking to someone in the nonprofit community, ditch the jargon.

In addition, before you put a quote from your Executive Director or Board Chair in your annual report, newsletter, or a press release, check to see if it contains jargon. I’ve seen many that do. Here again, you are trying to connect with people. Speak to your audience.

Don’t get sent to jargon jail
Nonprofit Consultant and radio host Tony Martignetti has a jargon jail on his radio program and sends people there when they slip into jargon Philanthropy Jargon I love that idea.

Let’s all make a pact to not use jargon and to stay out of jargon jail.

What are some examples of jargon that make you cringe?

Image by Gavin Llewellyn via Flickr

How To Get Everyone In Your Organization To Be Consistent In Messaging

Ann Green brand identity, marketing, writing




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If you got your staff or board together and asked them to write a few sentences about what your organization does, would you get a variety of different answers? You would if you don’t have a consistent set of messages to use.
   

Creating a message platform

Your first step is to create a message platform, which consists of a tagline,positioning statement, talking points, and an elevator pitch.  Before you start, ask yourself:


What do you want to achieve?

Who is your target audience?  You may need to cater different messages to different audiences.

What is important to them?

As you create your positioning statement and talking points, ask:

Who are you?

What you do?

How do you do it?

Why is it important?

What makes your organization unique?

What impact are you making on the people you serve and in the community?

Your messages should be clear and include a call to action. They should be conversational, so avoid using jargon. Most people respond better to a human interest story than to a lot of statistics.

If you have five different people writing for your organization, your messages shouldn’t look like they were written by five different people. Come up with a single voice and personality.

As far as I’m concerned, Nancy Schwartz is the nonprofit messaging guru. This link from her website Getting Attention will explain the process in more detail and give you examples. The 4 Cornerstones of an Engaging Message Platform

Using your key messages
Now that you have come up with a set of consistent messages, use them across channels  –  print, e-mail, website, and social media.

Instruct everyone in your organization
Go over your key messages with your staff, board, and other volunteers. As new people join your organization, include messaging in their orientation.

Put your key messages in your organization’s style guide. If you don’t have a style guide, I strongly recommend creating one. It’s a great tool to help you stay consistent, not only in messaging, but in writing style and design. Create a Style Guide for Your Organization

Get your board on board
It’s especially important to make sure that your board knows your message platform. Ideally, you want your board to be representing you the community. They might be meeting with a prospective funder or with the local chamber of commerce. But since board members are not part of the day to operations, they are not as exposed to your key messages. They need to be.

Everyone in your organization, no matter what they do, should be able to communicate your key messages, whether it’s part of their job or if they are having a casual conversation with a friend.

Stick with it 
You need to choose messages that you are going to use for awhile. You can revisit your messaging periodically to see if it’s still relevant. For example, if you emphasize that your organization provides services to children under 12, and you just started serving teens, your messages should reflect that.  

Don’t worry if you get bored with your messages. Your audience is getting information from a bunch of different sources besides you.  Sometimes people need to see your message six to eight times before it sinks in.

If you think carefully about the messages you come up with, they should resonate with your audience for awhile.

Elevator pitch role play exercises
A great way to make sure everyone in your organization is consistent in their messaging is to do an elevator pitch role play exercise with your staff and board. An elevator pitch is a 30 second description of what your organization does. Elevator Pitches and Consistency in Messaging 

Divide into small groups of three or four.
  • Scenario one – You are at a conference and it’s five minutes until the keynote address. The person next to you asks you where you work. How do you respond? 
  • Scenario two – Your organization is holding a fundraising event. You are talking to an attendee who asks you to tell her/him more about what you do. How do you respond? 
Come up with your own exercises and keep practicing!

Take some time to come up with a consistent set of messages and make sure everyone in your organization is using them.
Photo by  Matt Hampel via Flickr

How To Create a Great Tagline

Ann Green marketing, writing

Does your organization have a tagline?  If you do, is it descriptive and memorable?    


Short and sweet
A good tagline should depict what your organization does in no more than eight words. With so few words, you need to choose carefully. Use strong verbs and the active voice.  A tagline needs to work both verbally and in writing, so no jargon. Your audience needs to connect with it. 

According to Nancy Schwartz of Getting Attention, 72% of nonprofits either have no tagline or one that’s not effective. A tagline such as “Making a difference in the community” is too vague.  It needs to be more specific. A really good example of a tagline is this classic one from the United Negro College Fund – 

“A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste”  

It makes a big impact with a few words.


Consistency is key
Your tagline needs to be consistent with your organization’s name and other organizational messaging, such as your position statement and talking points. These include who you are, what you do, how you do it, and why it is important. Of course, your tagline can’t cover all of that, but it should at least convey who are you are. 

“Improving Life, One Breath at a Time”  American Lung Association

Your mission statement is not your tagline
Mission statements are more internal and state the organization’s purpose. They are sometimes wordy and filled with jargon, although they don’t need to be, but that’s a topic for another blog post. However, your tagline should be connected to your mission. Taglines are external and meant for the general public. They should inspire your audience.

“Nothing Stops A Bullet Like A Job”  Homeboy Industries

This article by Joanne Fritz of Nonprofit About.com compares some organizations’ taglines with their mission statements. How to Write Great Taglines and Mission Statements Do a comparison of yours and see how you fare.

Using taglines
If you don’t have a tagline or are creating a new one, choose carefully. It’s a huge part of your brand identity. You want to choose one that you will keep for about 10 years. Your whole organization needs to believe in it. If you don’t, how do you expect the public to? Test out your new tagline before committing to it.


Once you have chosen a great tagline, make it a part of your logo. Use it everywhere. It should be on your website and all of your marketing materials. You can even put it on the back of your business cards.

“Our Vision Does Not Require Sight”  Volunteer Blind Industries

Taglines that work
Here are a few other examples of successful taglines. All are past winners of Getting Attention’s tagline contests.  More are included in the links below.

Some are positive. Some are emotional. Some are fun. But all of them are memorable and make an impact. 

“Instruments of Mass Percussion”  Drums Not Guns

“Where Actors Find Their Space” NYC Theatre Spaces

“Filling pantries. Filling lives” Houston Food Bank

Tagline Resources

Seven Dos and Don’ts for Strong Nonprofit Taglines (Case Study)

The Nonprofit Tagline Database

Create a Perfect Tagline for Your Nonprofit



How To Ensure Effective and Engaged Volunteers – Part Two – Keeping Volunteers Motivated and Supported

Ann Green volunteers

How To Ensure Effective and Engaged Volunteers – Part One – Finding Good Volunteers

In Part One of this series, I wrote about how to find good volunteers. Finding good volunteers is half the battle. You want them to stay, and in order for that to happen, volunteers need to be motivated and supported. Some of the biggest problem areas for volunteers are not having enough work to do, doing work they don’t want to do, and not feeling appreciated.

I mentioned this before, but it bears repeating – Don’t take on volunteers if you can’t support them. If you don’t have something concrete for the person to do on a regular basis, don’t take someone on at this time. Volunteers need structure, as well as effort and engagement from the staff.

Are you ready for your new volunteers?
If you are bringing in volunteers to work in your office, make sure they have a decent workspace and computer to use.

Each volunteer should have a supervisor. Other people in the office may have work for the volunteer, but it should all be directed through the supervisor.

Each volunteer should also have a work plan, which can be transformed from the position description. This link includes some sample workplans. Workplace Template They may be more complex than you need.

I strongly recommend putting together a volunteer manual for all volunteers. This can include information such as history and mission, organizational policies, accomplishments, and key messages. You can also write out specific instructions pertaining to each volunteer’s work.

Here are some sample volunteer manuals.
What to Include in a Volunteer Handbook
Volunteer Manual Template
The second one also includes other sample templates such as a volunteer contract.

On their first day
Before your volunteers start work, give them a good orientation. Show them around the office, introduce them to everyone, and show them how pertinent equipment (computer, copier, etc.) works. 

Go over the volunteer manual and the volunteer’s work plan. The volunteer should have input about the type of work they will be doing. Make sure everything is clear.

The amount of training you give your volunteers will depend upon their experience. Take time to give them the best training possible.

In addition, do something special for them on their first day. The Volunteer Manager at a place I used to work would always bring in a cupcake for new volunteers. Another good idea is for the volunteers to eat lunch with the staff. You could either go out or have pizza at the office. This is a great opportunity for volunteers to get to know people.

Are they lovin’ it?
Make sure your volunteer’s experience is a good one. While structure is important, be flexible if the volunteer needs to make a change in their schedule. Volunteers should enjoy the work they for you, and they should like coming in to help. Don’t give them work they don’t want to do.

Keep it up
Volunteers and their supervisors should hold a weekly check-in meeting to go over progress and exchange feedback. It doesn’t have to be a long meeting, but it can help volunteers feel engaged, while the supervisor can assess how well the volunteer is doing.

Show appreciation
Volunteers need to feel appreciated. A simple thank you is always good. So is bringing in treats for them, having a regular lunch together, holding a recognition event, and including volunteer profiles in your newsletter or website.

Volunteers like to be included. If it’s appropriate, invite them to attend staff or committee meetings. Keep them updated on your organization’s progress and accomplishments. Good volunteers could even manage other volunteers

Keep showing appreciation, but make sure it’s sincere and specific.  Encourage everyone on the staff to make your volunteers feel appreciated.

Is it working?
While it’s important to show appreciation, you need to give your volunteers honest, constructive feedback. This is why the weekly check-in meeting is so important. Help your volunteers if they need  improvement or give them another task that might be better suited for them. If a volunteer isn’t working work out, it doesn’t benefit anyone if you keep the person on.

Investing the time to keep your volunteers motivated and supported will pay off for everyone in your organization.

Volunteer Resources
What Do Your Volunteers Want?
Developing and Managing Volunteer Programs

Photo by The Big Lunch via Flickr

How To Ensure Effective and Engaged Volunteers – Part One – Finding Good Volunteers

Ann Green volunteers

Photo by WA State Library via Flickr

It’s National Volunteer Week. Many nonprofit organizations rely on volunteers. Some provide services such as tutoring or mentoring and others help out with publicity and administrative tasks.

Taking on volunteers can be very rewarding for an organization, as well the volunteer, but it can also be frustrating for both parties. Two problem areas are finding the right people and keeping your volunteers engaged. In this post, I’m going to write about finding good volunteers.   

If I can offer one piece of advice it would be – Don’t take on volunteers if you can’t support them.  People may contact you seeking a volunteer opportunity.  If you don’t have something concrete for the person to do on a regular basis, don’t take someone on at this time, even if you think you can’t turn away a potential volunteer. Volunteers require effort and engagement from the staff.

What is your need?
If you do have a need for volunteers, take the process seriously and go about it the same way you would if you were hiring a staff member.

First, put together a position description. This will help you assess your needs and what the person will do. Then you can post it when you recruit. The position description can also be transformed into the volunteer’s work plan.  I will go into more detail about that in my next post.

Here are some sample volunteer position descriptions.
Volunteer Position Description Worksheet and Sample
Volunteer Position Job Description – Sample

Training vs. Experience
Decide how much training you want to provide. If you are recruiting tutors, they will probably need to go through a training. However, if you are looking for an administrative person, you will most likely want someone with experience.

Finding someone with experience may take longer, but it will be worth it. Yes, people with experience will be looking for paid positions, but you might be able to find someone who is between jobs, a stay-at-home parent with relevant experience, or a retired professional. Don’t be afraid to be picky about choosing volunteers.

If you do bring on volunteers without experience, make sure you give them a good training and are available for guidance and support.

Finding the right people
Your best bet is to ask people close to you, such as board members, staff, and other volunteers. You would want a personal recommendation like this for higher level work and any type of work done on your website. 

Otherwise, you can post announcements on sites such as Idealist or Volunteer Match, on your website and social media, and on community list serves. 

Ask for a resume, writing or design samples, and references. Do a background check if the person will be working with children.

When you interview potential volunteers, besides assessing whether they have the right skills and experience for the position, see if they are willing to commit to a set schedule. This is often one of the biggest problems with volunteers. Of course, they should also be passionate about your work and fit in with your organizational culture.

I really recommend taking the time to screen your candidates. Any investment you make up front will pay off in the end for both your organization and the volunteer.

In Part Two, I will write about keeping your volunteers motivated and supported.

Additional Information

Developing and Managing Volunteer Programs

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part Four – Writing For The Web

Ann Green marketing, website, writing

Photo by pigpogm via Flickr

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part One – Your Home Page

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part Two – Your Entire Website

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part Three – Your Donation Page

For the past few weeks, I’ve been writing a series of posts on how to create a welcoming and audience-centered website. In my final post in this series, I want to go into more detail about writing for the web.

But before I go into the actual writing part, we need to focus on getting your website visitor to read your content in the first place. In the previous posts, I explained how important your website’s look is. First impressions are key. If your web pages look cluttered and sloppy, your visitor might not sick around to read your content, no matter how great it is.

You might think you are being creative by using a red background with white type. Don’t do it. Stick to black type on a white background. It’s not boring. You are thinking of your audience and giving them something that’s easy to read. Leave colors for your logo and graphics.


Avoid using fancy type. A simple font such as Ariel or Georgia works well. Sans serif fonts are usually recommended for websites, but simple serif fonts are also good.  

Bigger is better. Use at least a 14 point font, so your visitor isn’t straining to read your content. Here is more information on choosing fonts. Want people to read your nonprofit website content? Start here.

People don’t read copy on the web; they scan it, and they read online content 25% slower than print. Therefore, you need to break up your text with lots of white space and use short paragraphs, lists, bullets, bolded headings, and bolded words. Keep the pages clean, and include links for more detailed information. Using one or two pictures or images per page will also help break up the text. 

Again, your goal is to get people to read your content, but if the type is too small and there are no spaces between paragraphs, you might lose them before they even get a chance to read what you wrote.

Now, about your writing. Several weeks ago, I wrote a post about the 4 Cs of Writing Good Content While this covers all types of copy, it is especially relevant for website copy.

Is it clear? Make sure you know your intention. What results do you want? For example, your donation page should compel someone to donate.


Is it concise? Use as few words as possible, but use strong words and leave out any unnecessary adverbs, adjectives, or filler.

Is it conversational? Write in the second person and don’t use jargon or any words people need to look up in the dictionary.

Is it compelling?  Start with a good opening and keep your reader interested throughout.

Use the inverted pyramid, where you include the most important information first, and make your point right away. Of course, your content should also be well written and free of grammatical errors and typos.
Each page on your website might have a different target audience. For example, people visiting your volunteer page may not know your organization, so include a short description of what you do. 

Remember that you want to create a welcoming website for your audience. If you don’t, your visitors won’t stay long and could miss out on your call to action and other messages.

Resources – Writing for the Web

The Most Important Person Your Website Copy Should Speak To

Writing for the Web: Tips for Nonprofit Organizations

Nonprofit 911:Writing for the Web: Today’s Best Practices


How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part Three – Your Donation Page

Ann Green fundraising, marketing, website, writing
Image by S1m0nB3rry via Flickr

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part One – Your Home Page

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part Two – Your Entire Website

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part Four – Writing For The Web

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been writing about ways you can make your website welcoming and audience-centered. In this post, I’d like to go into a little more detail about your website’s donation page. According to Convio, online giving grew by almost 16% in 2011. It is likely to increase even more in 2012.

Most people will be coming to your donation page because they have been led there by your electronic or mailed fundraising appeal. They may have also been drawn there by social media. To get them there in the first place, be sure your appeal has a compelling message.
Make it simple
Now that you have a potential donor on your donation page, you want them to stay. It’s very important that you create a donation page that’s easy to use, easy to read (no clutter), and has a strong call to action, using the same messaging you have in your annual appeal (to stay consistent).
Make sure you have an easy and secure online donation form. Show how the donation will be used and what different amounts will fund. You can set up a form with different giving levels ($25, $50, 100, etc), but include an “other” field so your donors can give any amount they choose.
Not everyone is comfortable donating online; therefore you need to include your mailing address so your donor can send you a check. Include a downloadable donation form that your donors can print and mail in with their checks. 
In addition, add your phone number to the donation page in case donors want to call in with a credit card number or just ask a question. You should also include a link to other ways of giving, such as planned giving, donating in someone’s honor, or in-kind donations.
Don’t forget to say thank you
After someone has completed their online donation, they should be taken to a thank you landing page so they know that you received their donation and it didn’t end up in the netherworld. They should also receive an e-mail acknowledgement. 

Make sure your message is friendly and personal and doesn’t resemble a receipt you would get after checking out on Amazon. This does not let you off the hook from sending out a thank you letter, which you should mail no later than 48 hours after receiving the donation.
A picture says a 1000 words
Find a compelling photo that captures what your organization does, and put that on your donation page. In the few seconds it takes to view that photo, your donor should get a good understanding of your work.
Recurring gifts
One feature of some online giving platforms is recurring gifts. This is a great way for your organization to raise additional revenue by enticing donors to give larger gifts. A $200 donation might seem more feasible over the course of a year. It also allows you to receive revenue throughout the year instead of at the time you do your annual appeal.
What else to include on your donation page
You can include a link to your annual report on your donation page.  This is an easy way for your donor to look at a list of your accomplishments over the past year.  If your annual report doesn’t have a list of donors, you can put one on your website with a link on your donation page. Be sure to give people the option of not being included on your donor list.  For corporate and foundation donors, consider displaying their logos.  
You can also include links to your 990 forms and any Charity Navigator or other outside reviews you might have.
Online giving will continue to be more prevalent. Make sure your organization is keeping up with the times and has a donation page that is welcoming and donor-centered.
Online Donation Resources

Elements of a Fantastic Donation Page 
Fix that fundraising landing page!

11 Donate Now Best Practices for Nonprofits

Online Giving Grows as Fast as Shopping
Helping Donors Help You: How transparent is your website?
10 Tips That Will Increase Online Donations


How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part Two – Your Entire Website

Ann Green marketing, website

Photo by mcclouds via flickr

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part One – Your Home Page

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part Three – Your Donation Page

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part Four – Writing For The Web

Last week I wrote about how to create a welcoming and audience-centered home page for your website. Now, I would like to show you how to make the rest of your web pages welcoming.


The key is to create pages that are easy to navigate, easy on the eyes (no clutter), and contain compelling content with a clear message and call to action.

Make sure your website has a consistent look on every page and is consistent with the rest of your communication material (both online and print). For example your logo is always in the same place, you stick to a few colors, and you use the same easy-to-read font.  

Update your content frequently and make sure you don’t have any outdated information on your site. In addition, all your links must work!  Have someone check them on a regular basis. You could lose potential donors or volunteers if they end up on a page with a broken link.

Most likely, you already have a website with some of the sections I will highlight below, so now is a good time to check if your pages are welcoming and audience-centered. This is also a good time to make sure that what you are including is relevant and if there is something important that you are leaving out. Use analytics to figure out how often people are visiting your pages.

All Pages
Include a photo on all your pages. If you can use pictures of the people you serve, that would be the most compelling. Stick to one or two photos per page, so it doesn’t look cluttered.

Put a Donate Now button on all your pages in a way that’s prominent, but not tacky. You should also include a navigation bar, social media icons, a newsletter sign up box, and a search feature on all your pages, so your readers don’t have to go back to the home page.  

About Us
The About Us section may be the next place your visitors travel after coming to your home page, and it may be viewed by people who aren’t familiar with your work, so make it captivating. Include your mission, vision, a brief history, and recent accomplishments. You could include a description of your programs and services in this section or create a separate section for that. Be sure your narrative is compelling, but brief. Show how you are making a difference in the community.

Put a staff and board list in this section (include pictures so your audience can put a face to a name), along with contact information, mailing address, hours of operations, directions, and anything else that would be relevant here.

Donation Page
Your donation page should contain a short call to action that emphasizes how the donation will make a difference. Make sure the page is easy to navigate and the donation form is painless. Include options for mailing in donations and contributing in other ways, such as planned giving or in-kind donations. Show appreciation and include a list of donors on your website. Make sure you get their permission first. For corporate and foundation donors, consider displaying their logos.  I’ll write more about donating online in my next post.

Get Involved
Here is an opportunity to reach out to the community. Write a compelling call to action to interest people in volunteering or contacting their legislators about an issue related to your cause. If you are recruiting volunteers, you are most likely engaging with people who either found you through a web search or responded to a volunteer request (e.g. on Idealist) and may not know you. It’s important to make a good impression. Again, if there is a form to fill out, make sure it’s user-friendly. 

Blog
A blog is another great way to reach out. Choose topics you think your audience will be interested in. Promote your blog posts on Facebook and Twitter and encourage two-way communication.

Events  
If you have an upcoming event, put a link on your home page that will lead to this page. Include a short description that will entice your visitor to attend your event. If they can register or pay online, make that easy. Be sure your event page stays current.

News
In this section, include press coverage about your organization, past issues of your newsletter, and press releases. If you get press coverage, post that on social media to bring people back to your website. You can do the same each time you send out your newsletter. Keep this up-to-date and don’t include newsletters and press releases over a year old.

Photo Gallery
Since you won’t have a lot of room on each page for photos, create a separate photo gallery. Action shots, such as children engaged in an activity, are best. 

Annual Report
Include your most recent annual report, if you have one. Otherwise include a list of recent accomplishments.

These are just a few of the sections you might have on your website.  Just keep remembering that your website needs to be welcoming and audience-centered.

Website Resources
Resources for Improving Your Nonprofit Website

Shape Your Nonprofit Website to Generate the Actions You Need

4 Quick Tips for an Engaging Nonprofit Website

The 5 Elements of Great Nonprofit Web Design






How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part One – Your Home Page

Ann Green marketing, website
Photo by VerrdeSamVerdeSam

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part Two – Your Entire Website

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part Three – Your Donation Page

How You Can Create A Welcoming Website – Part Four – Writing For The Web

Even with the advent of social media, websites are still one of the first places people go to in order to get information. That’s why your nonprofit organization needs one that’s welcoming and audience-centered.

What is one of the first things you do before you have people over to your home? You get rid of clutter. Make sure your website’s home page is clutter-free and easy to read (actually,all your pages need to be this way.) Pictures and graphics are great, but go easy with these. You don’t want to overwhelm your visitors. 

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t include pictures on your home page. Put up a few engaging photos of people that can tell the story of what your organization does. Include your logo and tagline or mission statement, too. You can add more information on your About Us page.

Different people will be visiting your website for different reasons. Some folks will know you well, and others might be visiting for the first time. Either way, your home page needs to be audience-centered with up-to-date information on events and whatever else you want to highlight. In this day of instant information, you can’t have content that’s outdated.

You don’t want to include too much information on your home page, because you have other pages people can visit. What you do include needs to pique your visitor’s interest, so they will want to click on your links to find out more. Think of your home page as an entryway.

Engage your visitor by offering them the opportunity to sign up for your newsletter and follow you on social media. Conversely, when you are communicating via social media, invite people back your website by including links in your tweets and status updates.

Your home page should include a Donate Now button that leads to a user-friendly donation page (I’ll write more about this in a future post). If you are recruiting volunteers, post a captivating message, such as Make a difference today and volunteer at our food bank.

Make sure you have a navigation bar that’s easy to use and good titles, so your audience will want to visit your other web pages. You can also include a search button. And, all your links must work!

Use a white background with black type, a simple easy-to-read font (such as Ariel or Georgia), and short paragraphs (more on writing for the web later). 
The key is to create a welcoming home page, which will entice your visitors to stick around and check out some of your other pages. In part two, I’ll write about how to make the rest of your website welcoming.


Resources for Creating a Great Home Page

8 Things Your Nonprofit Home Page Should Have

Website Before and After: Give2Give Hope

5 Tips for Visually Enticing Nonprofit Websites

General Website Resources 

SEO Keywords for Small Non-Profits

Resources for Improving Your Nonprofit Website

11 Website Design Best Practices for Nonprofits