Why Every NGO Needs a Professional Website

The Internet has revolutionized the way non-profit organizations interact with their public, as well as how donors and supporters find worthy causes to support. Without an online presence, your NGO will be missing out on funding opportunities, publicity, and most importantly, the opportunity to reach potential volunteers and partners. Here are six reasons why every NGO needs a professional website, now more than ever.

Easy to access information

As an NGO, one of your primary goals is to educate people about your cause. You want to make sure that you’re speaking clearly and in terms that people can understand.

A website is an excellent way to do so. An online presence helps you reach out and teach large numbers of people quickly, easily, and at no cost.

Your site gives you an opportunity to inform readers about your efforts, as well as introduce them to new initiatives that they may not have heard about yet.

If your organization doesn’t already have a professional website, consider hiring a professional website designer who can create one for you today!

Read: Why Your Business Needs a Website: 8 Reasons to Create a Website

Build credibility

Don’t underestimate how important it is to get online and start building the credibility of your NGO. If you don’t have a web presence, you may be losing out on funding and support from local businesses, international aid organizations, etc.

By keeping your name in front of people through blogging, social media (like Facebook), email campaigns and other digital marketing strategies, you can establish credibility as an organization.

Your website is also useful for spreading awareness about what you do, both locally and internationally. People who might not know about your organization or cause are more likely to learn about it if they come across your website.

With a professional website, it’s easier than ever before for NGOs to share their message with larger audiences and connect with people around the world quickly and easily.

And lastly, but certainly not least: when people are inspired by what you do, they often want to help by donating money or time.

Increase donations, funding, and grants

By creating a new online presence, NGOs and nonprofits can increase donations and grants while also expanding their reach.

Today, there are more ways than ever to attract both donors and funding sources: social media, professional websites, blogs—the list goes on.

Although all of these resources can be important to your organization’s success, it’s vital that your website highlights your mission statement in order to attract new interest and viewers.

The first step is figuring out what type of site you need. You should look into different types of options before deciding on one that best fits your needs.

For example, if you want to provide information about past projects or share updates about current ones, then a news or informational site might work best for you.

On the other hand, if you want visitors to donate directly through your website, then setting up an e-commerce store could be right for you.

Regardless of which option sounds most appealing to you or makes sense for your organization’s goals, having a professionally designed website is key for increasing visibility and exposure as well as ensuring ease-of-use for visitors to make donations or apply for grants from your nonprofit.

Read: Website Designer: What to Look For When Hiring One

Improve staff efficiency

Any group of people that works together needs to share information and often in real-time. A professional website will allow members of your organization, as well as potential members and donors, to access important resources—such as event calendars, contact information and more—quickly and easily.

It's also an opportunity for you to share stories with those who are interested in hearing about your work firsthand.

Let everyone know what’s going on behind-the-scenes, show them some of your successes and let them see exactly how their contributions can help create more positive change for your cause or organization.

Expand your outreach

Have you ever wondered why there are so many more Facebook fans for NGOs and nonprofits than there are donors? It’s because social media is all about collecting interest, not cash. Interest, in turn, creates appeal. And websites are all about appeal.

A great website brings together your social media profiles, engaging content, and donation options—helping to create a cohesive online experience that also represents your brand across multiple platforms.

If you're trying to get your cause off of Facebook and into real life donations, it's essential to have an impressive website that inspires trust and confidence in potential supporters.

Don't leave them with just likes, but give them something they can use to actually help you make an impact—online or offline.

In addition to providing valuable information on what you do and how people can help, it will allow people who may be interested in helping with non-monetary ways as well by donating their time, energy, or resources if they want to.

Not only does a professional website increase visibility and brand awareness, but it allows individuals to easily navigate through various programs that best suit their interests; thus allowing an NGO/Nonprofit organization to expand its outreach within any community(ies) through networking connections & strategic partnerships opportunities by simply visiting a site designed for targeted users/individuals who wish to make connections & support organizations similar/like theirs'!

Educate donors about causes you support

Donors are less likely to support causes without knowing how their money will be used.

Your website provides an opportunity to educate your donors about what you do and what causes you support, resulting in more informed donations.

For example, if you run an organization that supports Alzheimer’s research, it’s not enough for your donors to simply know that you are raising money for research; they should know specifically which research projects you are funding and how.

If possible, provide educational material on your website (either as webpages or embedded video), detailing diseases or other conditions supported by your cause.