Posted 6/29/26
Coming from the for-profit, basically a website minimally contains products and/or services, and a “shopping cart.” It involves a transaction. I would consider myself a “Street” marketing person, meaning I had no formal training in marketing and would not consider myself an expert by any means, but working in smaller or newer organizations forces one to problem-solve and learn to wear many “hats” including marketing/promotion. I learned “on the run” or was self-taught out of necessity.
Being involved in several growing organizations (both for-profit and nonprofit) whether as a volunteer or employee, I have observed and experienced a somewhat consistent challenge when it comes to marketing. In creating websites for nonprofits, for example, there are basically two main types of visitors that need to be addressed, among others. The first include those looking for assistance, requiring general information or solutions to their needs, how to access helpful programs and services and other pertinent information to support the target population.
The second type of visitor includes those who are interested in learning more about the organization with the possibility of supporting the mission (either monetarily, as a volunteer, or both). These two groups of visitors to the website require different communications and are searching for specific information. On many websites, the services provided typically take precedence over donor information. These usually show up first when entering the site, and fundraising information, other than a “Donate” button for payment, often requires some navigating to locate. Now it is understood that a website should not be solely relied upon to raise funds, as ideally the fundraising team should manage donor relationships, and it should also not be taken for granted that a click on the “donate” button will result in a gift. From a fundraising standpoint, the website and other marketing materials such as brochures should be seen as a support to those assuming fundraising responsibilities, and not be solely relied upon to raise funds (at least in my experience).
The conundrum comes when looking for a place to post the specific information that is easily accessible to both types of visitors without an excess number of clicks to get there. Many sites I have seen, upon clicking the “donate” button, simply contained a place to make a payment, (credit card, ACH, etc.), which you do want to have readily available, but somehow there needs to be an easily accessible location for donor information such as testimonials, videos, and/or stories, impact information, supportive numbers/statistics, and donor recognition. These can reinforce the interest of making a donation, in addition to the information on programs offered.
My point is that many nonprofits focus attention within their websites on services and how to access, which is absolutely necessary. However, potential donors do look at impact numbers and can be moved to give through compelling stories of mission success as well as noticing that others also donate. It is a difficult situation for the website manager/designer as site navigation needs to be simple in order to retain visitor interest, and the unique information for both groups should be as easily accessible as possible. Therein lies the conundrum. Every organization is different, and the purpose of this post, from a fundraising perspective, is somehow to satisfy both types of visitors through simple clicks on the website. You may want to consult with a marketing professional if you are not familiar with marketing strategies or how to address this conundrum. Once again, the non-profit is often unique from business and requires some creativity to please those interested in the organization.
Photo by Olia Danilevich – www.Pixels.com