Charity Website Best Practices: Design, UX, and Conversion Tips

Your charity's website is often the first impression potential supporters have of your organisation. It needs to quickly communicate your mission, build trust, and make it easy for visitors to support your cause – whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading awareness.

This comprehensive guide covers the essential best practices for creating charity websites that truly make an impact.

Core Principles for Charity Websites

1. Clear Mission and Impact

Your website should immediately answer:

What does your charity do?
Who do you help?
What impact are you making?

Best Practices:

Above the Fold Place your mission statement and value proposition prominently on your homepage, visible without scrolling.

Use Concrete Language Instead of: "We help disadvantaged communities" Try: "We provide 10,000 meals every month to homeless people in Bristol"

Show Your Impact Use specific numbers and results:

"Supported 2,500 families last year"
"Planted 50,000 trees across the UK"
"Provided education to 800 children"

Tell Stories Individual stories create emotional connections:

Case studies of people you've helped
Volunteer experiences
Donor testimonials
Before and after stories

2. Build Trust Immediately

Visitors need to trust your charity before they'll donate.

Trust Indicators:

Display Credentials

Registered charity number (clearly visible)
Regulatory body logos (Charity Commission, etc.)
Awards and recognitions
Professional memberships

Show Transparency

Annual reports
Financial statements
Impact reports
How donations are used
Leadership team information

Social Proof

Partner logos (corporate sponsors, other charities)
Media coverage
Testimonials from beneficiaries
Number of supporters/volunteers
Celebrity or influencer endorsements

Professional Design

Modern, clean design
High-quality images
Error-free content
Fast loading times
Mobile-friendly

Visitors should find what they need in 2-3 clicks maximum.

Navigation Best Practices:

Keep It Simple Limit main navigation to 5-7 items:

Home
About Us
What We Do / Our Work
Get Involved / Support Us
News / Blog
Contact

Clear Labels Use descriptive, action-oriented labels:

"Donate Now" instead of "Support"
"Volunteer Opportunities" instead of "Get Involved"
"Our Impact" instead of "What We Do"

Prominent Calls-to-Action Make your main CTAs stand out:

Donate button in the header (always visible)
Contrasting colours
Larger size
Clear, action-oriented text

Search Functionality For larger sites, include search to help visitors find specific information.

Homepage Best Practices

Your homepage should serve as a compelling introduction and clear signpost.

Essential Homepage Elements

1. Hero Section

Powerful headline stating your mission
Compelling image or video
Primary call-to-action (usually "Donate")
Secondary CTA (e.g., "Learn More")

Example:

Headline: "Ending Homelessness in Bristol"
Subheading: "Every night, 200 people sleep rough on our streets. Together, we can change that."
CTA: "Donate Now" | "How We Help"

2. Mission Statement

Clear, concise explanation of what you do
Who you help
Your approach or unique value

3. Impact Statistics Visual presentation of key metrics:

People helped
Services provided
Geographic reach
Years of operation

4. Featured Programs or Services Highlight 3-4 main programs with:

Clear titles
Brief descriptions
Relevant images
Links to learn more

5. Latest News or Success Stories Show you're active and making a difference:

Recent impact stories
Latest news
Upcoming events

6. Call-to-Action Sections Multiple ways to get involved:

Donate
Volunteer
Fundraise
Subscribe to newsletter

7. Trust Indicators

Partner logos
Charity registration info
Awards or certifications

Donation Pages That Convert

Your donation page is arguably your most important page.

Donation Page Best Practices

1. Remove Distractions

Minimal or no navigation
No sidebar content
Focus solely on the donation process

2. Clear Suggested Amounts Make it easy to choose:

Pre-selected donation amounts
Show what each amount achieves:
- "£10 provides a hot meal for a homeless person"
- "£50 provides school supplies for a child"
- "£100 funds a week of counseling sessions"
Include "Other amount" option
Consider recurring donation options (monthly giving)

3. Multiple Payment Options

Credit/debit cards
PayPal
Apple Pay / Google Pay
Direct debit for recurring
Bank transfer details

4. Transparent Fee Handling

Option to cover payment processing fees
Clear explanation of where money goes
Gift Aid option (UK) prominently displayed

5. Short, Simple Forms Only ask for essential information:

Name
Email
Payment details
Optional: phone, address (for communications)

6. Security Indicators

SSL certificate (padlock in browser)
Secure payment badges
Privacy statement link
Clear data usage policy

7. Thank You Page After donation:

Immediate acknowledgment
Clear next steps
Social sharing options
Additional engagement opportunities
Email confirmation promise

8. Progress Indicators For multi-step processes:

Show where they are in the process
How many steps remain
Ability to go back if needed

Donation Page Layout Example

Headline: "Your Support Changes Lives"

[Impact Statement]
"Every donation directly funds our support services. Last year, donations like yours helped 3,000 families access emergency housing."

[Donation Amounts - Button Layout]
[£10] [£25] [£50] [£100] [£250] [Other]

[Impact Description for Selected Amount]
"£50 provides..."

[One-time / Monthly Toggle]

[Payment Method Icons]

[Simple Form]
- Name
- Email
- Payment details

[Checkbox] Cover payment fees (+ £1.50)
[Checkbox] I'm a UK taxpayer - add Gift Aid (adds 25%)

[Large "Donate Now" Button]

[Trust Badges: Secure Payment, Charity Registration Number]

About and Impact Pages

About Us Page

Tell your story compellingly:

1. Your Origin Story

Why was the charity founded?
What problem were you addressing?
Key milestones in your history

2. Mission, Vision, Values

Clear mission statement
Long-term vision
Core values that guide your work

3. Leadership Team

Photos and bios of key staff
Board of trustees
Expertise and experience

4. What Makes You Different

Your unique approach
What sets you apart
Why supporters should choose you

5. Transparency

How you're funded
How donations are used
Links to annual reports
Financial information

Impact/Results Page

Prove your effectiveness:

1. Overall Impact Statistics

Total people helped
Services provided
Geographic reach
Key outcomes

2. Annual Impact Break down by year to show growth and consistency

3. Program-Specific Results For each major program:

Goals
Activities
Outputs (what you did)
Outcomes (what changed)
Impact (long-term difference)

4. Case Studies Detailed stories of real impact:

Individual beneficiaries
Community transformations
Program success stories

5. Financial Breakdown Show how funds are allocated:

% to programs
% to admin
% to fundraising Visual pie chart or infographic

6. External Validation

Third-party evaluations
Research findings
Awards and recognition

Volunteer and Get Involved Pages

Make it easy for people to help beyond donations.

Volunteer Page Best Practices

1. Clear Opportunities List specific volunteer roles:

Role title
Brief description
Time commitment
Skills needed
Application process

2. Show the Impact Explain how volunteers make a difference:

What they'll do
Who they'll help
Skills they'll gain

3. Volunteer Stories Testimonials from current volunteers:

Why they volunteer
What they enjoy
Impact they've seen

4. Simple Application Make signing up easy:

Short form
Clear next steps
Quick response promise

5. Other Ways to Help Beyond traditional volunteering:

Fundraising
Corporate partnerships
Skills-based volunteering
Advocacy
Spreading awareness

Content Best Practices

Writing for Charity Websites

1. Use Active Voice

"We help families" not "Families are helped by us"
"You can make a difference" not "A difference can be made"

2. Focus on Benefits and Impact

Not just what you do, but what changes
Real outcomes for real people

3. Be Specific

Use concrete numbers and examples
Avoid vague generalities

4. Show, Don't Just Tell

Use images and videos
Share real stories
Provide evidence

5. Use Emotional Connection

Appeal to emotions, but don't manipulate
Balance emotion with facts
Respect dignity of beneficiaries

6. Include Calls-to-Action Every page should guide visitors toward action:

Donate
Volunteer
Subscribe
Share
Learn more

Photography and Imagery

1. High-Quality Images

Professional or high-quality amateur photos
Properly lit and composed
High resolution

2. Authentic Images

Real beneficiaries and situations
Avoid generic stock photos
Show your actual work

3. Respectful Representation

Maintain dignity of subjects
Get proper consent/releases
Avoid "poverty porn"
Show empowerment, not just need

4. Diverse Representation

Show the full diversity of your work
Include various ages, backgrounds
Represent staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries

5. Images with Purpose Every image should:

Support your message
Show your impact
Create emotional connection
Be relevant to the content

Technical Best Practices

Mobile Optimisation

Over 60% of charity website traffic comes from mobile devices.

Mobile Essentials:

Responsive design that adapts to all screen sizes
Touch-friendly buttons and links (minimum 44x44 pixels)
Easy-to-read text (minimum 16px font size)
Simplified navigation for small screens
Fast loading (critical on mobile networks)
Mobile-optimised forms (appropriate input types)
Click-to-call phone numbers
Easy access to donate button

Performance

Slow websites lose visitors and donations.

Performance Best Practices:

Optimise images (compress without losing quality)
Minimize HTTP requests
Use caching
Minimize code (CSS, JavaScript)
Use a CDN for global reach
Lazy load images below the fold
Avoid auto-playing videos

Target Metrics:

Page load time under 3 seconds
Time to interactive under 5 seconds
First contentful paint under 1.5 seconds

Accessibility

Make your website usable for everyone.

Accessibility Essentials:

Proper heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3)
Alt text for all images
Sufficient colour contrast (WCAG AA standard: 4.5:1)
Keyboard navigation support
Screen reader compatibility
Captions for videos
Transcripts for audio
Clear, simple language
Descriptive link text (not "click here")

Why It Matters:

Legal compliance (Equality Act 2010)
Reach more supporters
Better SEO
Better usability for everyone

Security

Protect your charity and supporters' data.

Security Essentials:

SSL certificate (HTTPS)
Regular software updates
Strong passwords and 2FA
Secure payment processing (PCI compliance)
Regular backups
Privacy policy
GDPR compliance
Secure forms and data transmission

SEO for Charity Websites

Help people find you in search engines.

SEO Best Practices

1. Keyword Research Identify terms people use to find:

Your type of charity
Your services
Issues you address
Ways to help

2. On-Page SEO

Descriptive page titles (50-60 characters)
Compelling meta descriptions (150-160 characters)
Header tags with keywords
Descriptive URLs
Alt text for images
Internal linking

3. Local SEO (if applicable)

Google Business Profile
Local directory listings
NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone)
Location pages for each area served
Local content and keywords

4. Content Marketing

Regular blog posts
Impact stories
News and updates
Resource guides
How-to content

5. Link Building

Partner websites
Media coverage
Local directories
Charity databases
Guest posting

Conversion Optimisation

Turn visitors into supporters.

CRO Best Practices

1. Clear Value Proposition Immediately communicate:

What you do
Who you help
Why it matters
How they can help

2. Reduce Friction Remove barriers to action:

Simplify forms
Reduce required fields
Offer multiple payment options
Clear, simple language
Fast loading times

3. Strategic CTAs

Primary CTA in header
CTAs throughout pages
Multiple ways to support
Action-oriented language
Contrasting colours
Appropriate size (easily tappable)

4. Social Proof Build confidence with:

Donation counters
Supporter numbers
Testimonials
Media coverage
Awards and certifications
Partner logos

5. Urgency and Scarcity When appropriate:

Matching gift deadlines
Fundraising campaign goals
Urgent needs
Limited volunteer spots

But avoid:

Fake urgency
Manipulative tactics
Constant "emergency" appeals

6. Testing and Optimisation Continuously improve:

A/B test different approaches
Analyse user behavior
Test headlines, images, CTAs
Monitor conversion funnels
Gather user feedback

Common Charity Website Mistakes

Avoid these pitfalls:

1. Unclear Purpose

Visitors can't quickly understand what you do or how to help.

Fix: Lead with clear mission and calls-to-action.

2. Difficult Donation Process

Complex forms, limited payment options, or hidden donate buttons.

Fix: Simplify donation process, prominent donate CTA, multiple payment options.

3. Lack of Trust Indicators

No proof of legitimacy or impact.

Fix: Display charity registration, annual reports, impact data, testimonials.

4. Poor Mobile Experience

Site doesn't work well on phones and tablets.

Fix: Responsive design, mobile-optimised forms, touch-friendly interfaces.

5. Outdated Content

Old news, events from years ago, outdated information.

Fix: Regular updates, content calendar, remove outdated content.

6. No Clear Impact

Can't see what the charity actually accomplishes.

Fix: Specific outcomes, numbers, stories, annual reports.

7. Information Overload

Too much text, cluttered design, overwhelming options.

Fix: Simplify, use visual hierarchy, break content into chunks, clear navigation.

8. Inaccessible Content

Website doesn't work for people with disabilities.

Fix: Follow WCAG guidelines, test with screen readers, ensure keyboard navigation.

Measuring Success

Track these key metrics:

Traffic Metrics

Total visitors
New vs. returning visitors
Traffic sources
Top landing pages
Geographic data

Engagement Metrics

Pages per session
Average session duration
Bounce rate
Top exit pages

Conversion Metrics

Donation conversion rate
Average donation amount
Total donations from website
Volunteer applications
Newsletter signups
Social shares

Technical Metrics

Page load speed
Mobile vs. desktop traffic
Browser and device data
Error rates

SEO Metrics

Organic search traffic
Keyword rankings
Backlink profile
Domain authority

Conclusion

Effective charity websites share common characteristics:

Clear mission and impact - Visitors immediately understand your purpose
Easy donation process - Multiple payment options, simple forms
Trust indicators - Registration number, reports, testimonials
Mobile-friendly - Works perfectly on all devices
Strong calls-to-action - Multiple ways to get involved
Compelling content - Stories, images, and data that inspire
Fast and accessible - Technical excellence that serves all users

Remember, your website is often the first impression potential supporters have of your organisation. Invest in getting it right, and it will pay dividends in increased donations, volunteers, and impact.

Need help creating or improving your charity website? Get in touch to learn about my free charity web design services – I'll handle the initial design and development at no cost to your charity.