How to Make a Charity Website in 9 Easy Steps

Matleena is a seasoned Content Writer with 5 years of content marketing experience. She has a particular interest in emerging digital marketing trends, website building, and AI. In her free time, Matleena enjoys cups of good coffee, tends to her balcony garden, and studies Japanese. Follow her on LinkedIn

Email marketing helps to keep your supporters informed and engaged with different fundraising initiatives and events. To get visitors to sign up for your email list, consider adding a newsletter sign-up form to the footer of your website, or place it strategically on the donating page.

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are great for driving traffic to your website.

Linking your event calendar with social media and email campaigns can further extend your reach and engagement.

How to Make a Charity Website

Choose the right template with Hostinger Website Builder like this:

1. Choose the Right Website Builder and Domain

When your website is ready to launch, promote it across different channels, including social media, email newsletters, and paid advertising platforms.

Selecting a user-friendly website builder for nonprofits is essential for ensuring your charity website is both effective and easy to manage.

• Donation functionality. Make sure the builder accepts online donations, including recurring ones. In addition, make sure it supports your preferred payment methods.
• Drag-and-drop editing. This enables you to create and update your website, even without any technical knowledge.
• Mobile-friendly templates. Choose a builder that offers responsive charity website templates that look great and function well on mobile devices. This is important since many users browse on cell phones and tablets.
• 24/7 customer support. Reliable customer support is crucial in case you encounter any issues while building your website.
• Website cost. Look for a platform that has no hidden costs and preferably a fixed monthly fee for easy budgeting.

Opt for templates that are visually appealing and equipped with charity-specific features, such as a donation page, an embedded donation form, event calendars, and volunteer registration forms. This blends aesthetics with functionality and provides an engaging on-page experience for your website visitors.

In this guide, we will walk you through the steps of creating a beginner-friendly charity website, from choosing a template to adding charity-specific features and pages.

Prioritize a user-friendly interface with straightforward website navigation, especially for critical actions like making donations or signing up as volunteers, to boost engagement and support.

2. Select a Charity Website Template

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Aim for a website structure that calls for action and clearly communicates your charity’s objectives and achievements.

Adjusting your site’s layout, colors, and fonts is simple:

1. Choose and pay for your website builder plan. Select the pre-made template option in the onboarding flow.

2. Click on the Community category to narrow the templates down to charity or non-profit templates.

3. Preview templates to see how they align with your charity’s values and mission.

4. Select a template that looks good and comes with features like a donate button and a volunteer sign-up form. Click on Start building to open the website editor and build your website.

3. Add Essential Pages

The right website template should resonate with your charity’s mission and facilitate key actions like donations and volunteer sign-ups.

For each page, utilize different content elements like text boxes, images, and videos to make your pages engaging and informative. Drag and drop elements to structure your pages, adding or removing sections as needed to showcase your charity’s work:

These pages should have a clear layout and engaging content that conveys your mission, the impact of what your nonprofit does, and how visitors can contribute.

Next, it’s time to customize your website. A charity website should include essential pages like Home, About Us, Our Mission, Donation, Volunteer, Events, and Contact.

1. In the editor, add new pages by opening the Pages and navigation menu and clicking on the Add page button.

2. Choose from ready-made page layouts or create a new blank page. You can also use AI to generate a new page.

3. Click the wheel icon to open page settings.

4. Design Your Charity Website

Apr 18, 2024

To integrate a donate button into your nonprofit website, do this:

Continuous promotion is key to keeping your audience engaged and informed about your charity’s ongoing activities, as well as aware of how they can contribute to your cause.

Hostinger Website Builder’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface simplifies the web development process, enabling anyone to build a website.

Create a new website for your nonprofit organization by following the steps below:

Email Marketing

4. Access all elements in the Add elements menu by dragging and dropping them to the desired spot on the page.

5. Open the settings for each element by clicking on it.

6. Add new page sections by hovering between two sections and clicking on the Add section button.

7. Choose from ready-made sections, create a blank one, or use AI to generate a new section for you.

An event calendar is a must-have for keeping your audience informed about upcoming events and initiatives.

Incorporate stories and testimonials from those impacted by your charity, along with accounts from volunteers and donors, to build trust and emotional connections.

You can get started without prior experience in web development and create a site that looks good for visitors and search engines alike. It also supports various AI and marketing tools, and our 24/7 Customer Success team is at hand if you need help.

Colors

5. Incorporate Donation Features and Payment Gateways

Built-in donation features and mobile-friendly website templates empower charities to raise funds and showcase their causes effectively, all at an affordable price. Our expert Customer Success team is also available around the clock, meaning that you can get help at any point.

Access the Colors tab in Website styles settings to fine-tune your site’s color palette to match your charity’s branding, creating a cohesive look across your site.

1. Open the online store side menu, and click on Manage store to open the Store settings.

2. Select Payments.

3. Set up your desired payment gateways. Hostinger Website Builder supports various payment processors, like Stripe and PayPal, ensuring a secure and seamless process for online donations. You can also accept manual payments, like cash.

6. Implement Volunteer Registration and Sign-Up Forms

Some key things to consider when choosing a website builder for your charity website include the following:

With Hostinger Website Builder, simply use the contact form element and adjust the available fields to collect the names and email addresses of visitors.

1. Drag and drop the form element from the Add elements menu to the desired spot on the page.

2. Click on Edit form to open the settings.

3. In the Fields tab, customize the fields to capture essential information from volunteers, keeping the process as simple as possible to encourage sign-ups.

7. Feature Success Stories and Testimonials

A simple volunteer sign-up form helps you gather the necessary information without discouraging potential volunteers with lengthy sign-up processes.

Add success stories and testimonials to your nonprofit website like this:

Present these real-life examples in a compelling, respectful manner, underscoring the positive change your charity is making and motivating others to support your mission.

1. Create a dedicated section or a new page for success stories and testimonials.

2. Use text elements, photos, and videos of your charity’s work and the people it has helped, adding authenticity and emotional appeal to your website.

8. Implement an Event Calendar

Start your content marketing efforts by focusing on the following:

Layout

Ensure the calendar is easy to use and always up-to-date with detailed information on each event, including how to get involved.

Using a charity website builder like Hostinger Website Builder streamlines the website design process and helps you create an easily accessible website for your organization.

1. Add the Embed code to your page from the Add elements menu.

2. Open the settings by clicking on the element and selecting Edit code.

3. Add code from a third-party calendar, like a Google Calendar, to your website.

4. Resize the calendar so it fits your overall page design.

9. Launch and Promote Your Website

Creating a charity website allows nonprofits to share their cause globally and boost fundraising.

Instantly check domain name availability.

We recommend using a drag-and-drop website builder, such as Hostinger Website Builder, to build, manage, and grow your charity site.

Find answers to frequently asked questions about nonprofit websites below.

Use color schemes, fonts, and imagery that speak to your cause and resonate with your target audience.

A good charity website design focuses on clear navigation and page layout, with impactful visuals and content to convince people to donate money to your cause. Your chosen platform should also have eCommerce capabilities to accept donations.

In the Fonts tab in Website styles settings, choose fonts for your headings and paragraphs to ensure your text is legible and aligns with your brand’s tone.

• Impact stories series. Share a sequence of posts highlighting real-life stories of how your charity has made a difference. This builds a narrative around your mission and the lives it touches.
• Community content. Encourage volunteers, donors, and other supporters to share their stories and experiences related to your charity. This user-generated content can boost authenticity and your overall reach.
• Live Q&A sessions. Host live sessions to discuss your cause, answer questions from the community, and showcase the impact of donations and volunteer work.

Creating and sharing valuable content helps raise awareness and establish your charity as a thought leader in your cause area. Understanding the basics of search engine optimization (SEO) and keyword research makes it easier to ensure the content on your site gets seen by the right people at the right time.

Manage your pages like this:

A nonprofit website must be transparent, featuring clear mission statements, impact reports, and donation options. Accessibility and mobile responsiveness are crucial to reach a wider audience, alongside secure payment gateways for donor confidence.

Remember that there are plenty of ways to promote your website for free, if you don’t have the budget to start with paid ads immediately.

• Welcome series. Use an incentive, like exclusive updates or stories from the field, to get visitors to subscribe for your newsletter, and then welcome new subscribers with a series of introductory emails.
• Impact newsletters. Send regular newsletters sharing success stories, upcoming events, and the tangible impact of donations, keeping your mission front and center in your supporters’ minds. Read our tutorial on how to create an email newsletter if you’re unsure how to get started.
• Segmented campaigns. Tailor your email content to different segments of your audience, such as one-time donors, recurring donors, and volunteers, to increase relevance and engagement.

Create a volunteer sign-up form like this:

A good homepage should instantly convey the charity’s mission statement with compelling visuals and narratives. A prominent donation button, success stories, and an easy main navigation bar for detailed information about the cause are key to engaging site visitors.

Fonts

• Educational content. Produce blog posts, videos, and how-to guides on topics related to your cause, offering valuable information that supports your mission and engages your audience. For more information, read our guide on how to create SEO-friendly content.
• Share positive impact stories. Use your blog or video channel to tell stories about the people and communities your charity supports, the challenges they face, and how your charity is making a difference. You can share this on social media, too.
• Guest contributions. Invite experts, community leaders, or beneficiaries to contribute content, providing diverse perspectives related to your cause. Get these shared on platforms like LinkedIn for better coverage.

Having a variety of secure, user-friendly payment gateways makes accepting donations easy. This way, you give donors the option to use their preferred payment method and can manage donors from one platform yourself.

Content Marketing

• Targeted campaigns. Use platforms like Google Ads and social media to run ads targeting demographics aligned with your potential supporters, using messaging that resonates with their values and interests.
• Ad grants. Explore programs like Google Ad Grants for non-profits. These schemes offer free advertising to eligible charities, helping you reach a wider audience without the typical costs.

Conclusion

While paid advertising requires investment, it can significantly expand your reach and attract new supporters. If you have the budget, you could get started with:

They help spread awareness about your charity’s cause and engage directly with supporters and potential donors. To get the word out about your nonprofit, consider trying out these specific campaigns:

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Once you have collected some email addresses, test out these strategies:

Download Guide To Using Hostinger

How to Make a Charity Website From Scratch FAQ

Best website builders enable you to make your own website and accept donations online without needing to hire a web developer.

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For post-launch charity website marketing activities, consider adapting these strategies to empower your mission and connect with your audience:

Paid Advertising