The complete guide to charity website development in 2025

How important is a professional website for modern charity success?

Here's a striking statistic that might surprise you: 99% of UK charities are now online, yet many still struggle with outdated, ineffective websites that fail to drive their mission forward. 

Think about your own browsing habits. When you land on a website that looks unprofessional - or like it hasn't been updated since 2010 - what's your first instinct? Stay, or click away? 

Beth Kanter, author of "The Networked Nonprofit," says:

"Networked nonprofits are transparent organisations. They engage people in shaping and sharing their work in order to raise awareness of social issues, organise communities to provide services, or advocate for legislation." 

This really captures why charity websites should be designed to engage visitors before their attention is lost. Your work is important, and your website is often the first place people will discover it.

How your website actually impacts your charity

Let's be honest - given the crazy workloads and tight budgets most charities face, websites often get pushed to the back burner. Should it be a priority though? Absolutely. Organisations that invest in their digital presence see real, measurable results in everything from donations to volunteer recruitment. 

Here's a few of the differences an effective charity website can make to your team:

Making donations simple and accessible

Donations are the lifeblood of your charity, but if people can't easily give on your website, you're missing out on huge opportunities. Your donation process should be front and centre, with clear 'donate' buttons wherever it makes sense to include them.

But here's the key: don't just ask for money. Tell people exactly what their donation will achieve and how it connects to your mission.

Top Tip: Try and connect with potential donors on an emotional level by sharing personal stories from the people your campaigns have supported. Not only can this tug on the heartstrings, but it also provides a strong trust signal that you are a legitimate charity organisation.

Showcasing your amazing work

Let's face it - people want to know their money is making a real difference. Your website gives you the perfect opportunity to show off the incredible work you're doing. Think of it as your digital trophy cabinet where you can share:

• Real stories from the people you've helped
• The specific problems you've solved
• Concrete examples of how donations translate into impact
• The human stories behind your statistics

Not only does this provide evidence that you are a reputable charity, but it also highlights to supporters that their donations contribute towards tangible benefits.

Top Tip: Case studies are a great format to showcase your success stories. Remember to include authentic images and videos where possible to increase the chances of the potential supporter finding an emotional attachment to your content. You can make these more powerful still by providing simple data points to support your stories e.g. 'your donations have helped X amount of people last year'.

Ability to connect with social media accounts

While many potential supporters can land on your website organically, you should use other platforms to help promote it. And with 59% of the world's population using social media, directing traffic to your website from social media is an essential digital marketing strategy. Your social media accounts will allow you to share content relevant to key areas including:

• Charity campaigns
• Event advertising
• Volunteer opportunities
• Case studies

Top Tip: Where social media is concerned, you can easily fall into the trap of focusing on latest platform trends - avoid this mistake! Rather than spread yourself too thinly over several social media platforms, focus on the ones you know your audience are most likely to be using.

Assists with measuring your engagement

You want to gain full visibility of your website's performance to find out whether users are able to successfully land on your website, interact with its content, and perform a certain action such as sign up for an event or make a donation.

Although there are a wide selection of metrics you can choose to adopt, we would suggest using Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track the following metrics:

• Users – The number of unique visitors to your webpage
• Sessions – A single visit to your website
• Bounce rate – The percentage of visitors who navigate away from your webpage after only viewing a single page
• Pages per session - The average number of pages a person views during a session
• Average session duration – Measures the average amount of time spent per session on your website
• Goal completions – Measures the number of people that complete a specific action such as making a donation or signing up to a mailing list
• Conversion rate – Percentage of visitors to your webpage that perform a desired action

Top Tip: You can gain further insight into your donor or service user journeys by integrating your website with a charity CRM system as this can provide information on how they have interacted with your website at any stage of their journey.

How your website impacts your supporters

Now we've covered the benefits to you, what about the people who are looking to support your cause?

A great user experience

Subject to optimising your webpages correctly, your charity website can provide a clear pathway for potential donors or service users to engage with you. Do this, they'll appreciate it - nobody likes a frustrating website experience! Once a user lands on one of your webpages, they should be greeted with clear messaging that is structured in a way that is accessible, and will encourage them to not only engage with the respective page but also click on the next step of their journey.

Top Tip: Map out different journeys that you want users to experience and ensure that the final part of this will, wherever possible, lead to an end goal such as making a donation, signing up for an event or signing up for a volunteering opportunity.

Clearly advertised events

A great fundraising opportunity is to organise exciting events, and users want it to be easy to sign up and attend. Your website is crucial to this, and a great website allows you to provide all of the key details such as full event details and how they can book their place. The best websites have ticketing capabilities, so people can sign up there and then.

Top Tip: Direct even more traffic to your event pages by promoting them on your social media and email campaigns. The more channels you utilise to promote your website, the more people are likely to engage with it!

Simplifies the volunteering process

Most charities are reliant on volunteers to ensure campaigns and events are delivered the way they want them to be. A charity website can be used as an effective recruitment strategy to promote volunteering opportunities for any of the events you are currently running. The whole onboarding process and ongoing work involved is much easier to do with reputable volunteer management software, too.

Top Tip: People who are interested in volunteering are likely to actively search for opportunities. Why not use paid search advertising campaigns to gain more traffic with Google Ads? The best part is that as a charity, you're likely to be granted a free £95k advertising budget from Google Ad Grants!

Which specific features separate successful charity websites from struggling ones?

Certain features consistently separate the winners from the struggling. Research from charity website design agencies shows that charities focusing on user experience and storytelling typically see large increases in online donations and volunteer applications. Here's what you should be looking out for:

The non-negotiable features

Frictionless donation process

This isn't just about having a "Donate" button - it's about removing every possible barrier between intention and action. Best practice insight from the Access experts: 

"The most successful charity donation forms have three characteristics: they're visible from every page, they require no more than three clicks to complete, and they offer suggested amounts that make donors feel confident about their choice."

What this looks like in practice:

• Prominent donation buttons on every page with high-contrast colours
• Pre-filled suggested amounts (£25, £50, £100, £250, Other)
• One-page checkout process with minimal form fields
• Multiple payment options (card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, direct debit)
• Immediate confirmation and personalised thank you messages
• Gift Aid integration with clear explanations of how it increases donation value
• Recurring donation options prominently displayed

Top Tip: Test your donation process on mobile devices regularly. With over 60% of charity website traffic now mobile, a donation form that doesn't work on smartphones is costing you income.

Impact visualisation and transparency

People need to see exactly how their money makes a difference. This goes beyond just saying "£20 feeds a child for a week."

Effective impact visualisation includes:

• Interactive impact calculators ("Your £50 provides...")
• Real-time progress bars for specific campaigns
• Geographic mapping showing where help is going
• Before/after photo galleries with consent-appropriate imagery
• Video testimonials from beneficiaries (30-60 seconds optimal)
• Annual impact reports prominently displayed on homepage
• Program expense ratios clearly explained
• Financial transparency dashboard showing how funds are allocated

Top Tip: Create an "Impact" section that updates regularly with new stories and statistics. Fresh content not only engages returning visitors but also improves your search engine rankings.

Features that build trust and credibility

Security and compliance badges

The ability to display logos and certifications from recognised authorities where applicable, for example:

• Charity Commission registration number prominently displayed
• Fundraising Regulator membership badge
• SSL certificate indicators for secure transactions
• Payment processor security seals (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
• GDPR compliance statements easily accessible
• Data protection policy clearly linked
• Sustainability accreditations 

Social proof elements

• Supporter testimonials with photos and full names (where permitted)
• Media coverage and press mentions
• Partner organisation logos and endorsements
• Awards and recognitions prominently featured
• Social media feeds showing active community engagement
• Volunteer spotlights and success stories

Top Tip: Include your charity registration number in your website footer on every page - it's a legal requirement and builds immediate trust with potential donors.

Advanced features for enhanced engagement

Content management and storytelling

• Regular blog updates with impact stories and sector insights
• Photo galleries showcasing your work (with appropriate permissions)
• Newsletter signup with clear value propositions
• Resource libraries offering valuable content to your community
• Event calendars integrated with booking systems

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Charity website development should always include:

• Local SEO optimisation for location-based searches
• Keyword optimisation around your cause and services
• Meta descriptions that encourage click-throughs
• Image alt-text for accessibility and search visibility
• Fast loading speeds (under 3 seconds ideal)
• Mobile-responsive design across all devices

How to design a website that converts visitors into supporters

The homepage formula that works

One of our experts in charity website development explains: 

"The most successful charity homepages follow a specific formula. Within 10 seconds of landing, visitors should understand: who you are, what you do, why it matters, and how they can help."

The proven homepage structure

Above the fold (what visitors see immediately):

• Compelling headline that states your mission clearly (8-12 words maximum)
• High-impact hero image showing your work in action
• Primary donation call-to-action with contrasting button color
• Brief value proposition (one sentence explaining your unique impact)

Second section:

• The problem you're solving with compelling statistics
• Your unique solution approach explained in simple terms
• Social proof (supporter numbers, years operating, recent achievements)
• Secondary call-to-action (volunteer signup or newsletter)

Third section:

• Recent impact stories with photos and measurable outcomes
• How donations are used with visual breakdown
• Upcoming events or urgent campaigns
• Partner logos and media mentions

Essential page structure and navigation

Clear website architecture

Your website structure ties in with both user experience (UX) and SEO, making it a vital part of planning your website. With 88% of online consumers claiming they are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience, the importance of creating a good user experience cannot be ignored.

Recommended (basic) site structure:

• Homepage with clear mission and multiple entry points
• About Us with staff profiles and organisational history
• Our Work/Impact showcasing programmes and results
• Get Involved with donation, volunteer, and advocacy options
• News/Blog for regular updates and stories
• Contact with multiple contact methods
• Resources for supporters, beneficiaries, and media

Top Tip: Use breadcrumb navigation and ensure every page is reachable within 3 clicks from the homepage.

Topic clusters

Here's a game-changer for your charity website development: organise your content using topic clusters. Good CMS platforms should have a feature that makes this easy! Think of your main donation page as the hub, with related pages like specific cause appeals, success stories, and Gift Aid information as spokes connecting back to it. This approach helps search engines understand your expertise while guiding visitors naturally from interest to action. For example, someone reading about clean water projects can easily discover your water charity donation page, creating a seamless journey from awareness to contribution.

This diagram shows a simplified example of a topic cluster. 

Colour psychology and visual design

Colours aren't just aesthetic choices, they trigger emotional responses that directly impact donation behaviour.

Effective colour strategies:

• Orange increases urgency and action (54% higher conversion for donation buttons)
• Green builds trust and represents growth/environmental causes
• Blue conveys stability and reliability for healthcare/education
• Red creates urgency but use sparingly to avoid alarm

Visual best practices:

• High-quality, authentic photography showing real impact
• Consistent brand colors across all pages and materials
• Readable typography with sufficient contrast ratios
• White space to prevent overwhelming visitors
• Accessible design meeting WCAG 2.1 AA standards

Creating accessible and inclusive design

As a charity, you want to make your causes as visible as possible. Critical to this is making sure your website is accessible to everyone, including those who have disabilities.

Essential accessibility features:

For visual impairments:

• High contrast color schemes (4.5:1 ratio minimum)
• Alt text for all images describing content and context
• Screen reader compatibility with proper heading structures
• Keyboard navigation support for all interactive elements
• Resizable text up to 200% without horizontal scrolling

For hearing impairments:

• Closed captions for all video content
• Transcripts for audio content and podcasts
• Visual alerts for important notifications instead of audio cues

For motor impairments:

• Large, easy-to-click buttons (minimum 44px x 44px)
• Generous spacing between clickable elements
• No time-limited interactions without user control
• Simple navigation structures with clear labels

Top Tip: Use the free WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool to test your site's accessibility and get specific recommendations for improvements.

Which content management system is right for my charity?

This is where many charities make expensive mistakes - choosing the right CMS can make or break your charity's digital success. Here are the seven crucial factors you should weigh up before making your decision:

1. Generic vs Not For Profit CMS - what's right for you?

You'll quickly discover there are two main paths: go with a popular generic platform like WordPress, or choose a CMS built specifically for charities. Both have their place, but let's be honest about what these options mean.

Generic platforms like WordPress are incredibly popular (powering 43% of all websites!) and offer some compelling factors:

• Familiar territory – Most web developers know WordPress inside and out
• Plugin library – There's probably a plugin for whatever you need
• Tried and tested – Chances are, you know someone who can help you in a bind
• Budget-friendly – Great if you're starting with a shoestring budget

But here's the catch: The digital specialists here at Access regularly hear from charities that initially chose a generic alternative for cost reasons, but are then spending three times as much on custom development, security and maintenance.

Alternatively, a specialised charity CMS provides its own advantages. Charity website builders - like Access Raise - come with everything you actually need built right in:

• No technical wizardry required – Drag-and-drop simplicity for your team
• Purpose-built features – Donation forms, volunteer portals, event management and Gift Aid handling out of the box
• Ongoing support – Teams who actually understand charity operations and challenges

Bottom line: If you want to focus on your mission rather than wrestling with plugins and security updates, a charity-specific CMS is probably your best bet.

2. Ease of use - will your team actually use it?

It's unusual for a charity to have a full-time web developer on staff. Your CMS needs to be simple enough that your marketing manager, or other team member, can update content - easily.

Think about your daily website tasks:

• Adding new blog posts and success stories
• Creating donation forms for specific campaigns
• Managing event pages with registration and ticket sales
• Updating volunteer opportunities and application forms
• Processing payment and donation acknowledgments
• Keeping plugins and security up to date

The key question: Can your least tech-savvy team member handle these tasks confidently? If the answer is no, you're looking at the wrong platform.

3. Responsiveness - more than half your visitors are mobile

Here's a stat that might shock you: over 60% of charity website visitors are browsing on their phones. If your site doesn't work perfectly on mobile, you're literally turning away more than half your potential supporters.

Your CMS must handle mobile optimisation for:

• Every webpage looking great on phones and tablets
• Donation forms that work seamlessly with mobile wallets
• Images and videos that load quickly and display properly
• Contact forms that are easy to fill out with thumbs
• Navigation that makes sense on small screens

Pro tip: Test any CMS you're considering on your own phone. If you get frustrated trying to make a donation, that's probably how your supporters feel.

4. Digital awareness and integrated fundraising capabilities

Here's something most charities don't always consider until it's too late: your website shouldn't just look pretty - it should be a fundraising powerhouse that builds awareness and drives your mission forward.

What to look for in a fundraising-focused CMS:

• Built-in campaign management that lets you create, track, and optimize fundraising campaigns directly through your website
• Donor journey mapping showing how supporters interact with your cause from first visit to long-term advocacy
• Multi-channel integration connecting your website donations with offline fundraising, events, and volunteer activities
• Real-time impact tracking that automatically updates supporters on how their contributions are making a difference
• Automated awareness building through social sharing tools, email marketing integration, and supporter engagement features

Why this matters: Your website should do more than just accept donations, it should actively grow your supporter base and deepen engagement with your cause. Platforms like Access Raise are designed specifically to turn your website into a comprehensive fundraising and awareness-building machine.

Top Tip: Look for platforms that can show you the complete supporter journey, from the first time someone visits your website to becoming a regular donor or active volunteer.

6. CRM integration 

Integrating third-party platforms with your website is a great way to bring key areas of your charity together. One of the most important integrations? Your charity CRM. Your CMS should automatically capture and organise information about everyone who interacts with your site.

Essential integrations include:

• Automatic contact creation when someone donates, volunteers, or signs up for emails
• Interaction tracking showing which pages supporters visit and what content resonates
• Personalised communication based on someone's interests and giving history
• Event participation automatically updating supporter records
• Email marketing sync keeping all your communications coordinated

Real-world example: When someone attends your fundraising event (captured through your website), they should automatically receive follow-up emails about similar events, not generic newsletters about things they've never shown interest in. Integrating with your CRM helps you keep things relevant and personal.

6. Ongoing support

Here's the truth about websites - they're never really "done." You'll have questions, need updates, and occasionally run into technical issues. The question is: will your charity website builder provider help you?

Questions to ask potential providers:

• What does support actually look like? Real humans or just help articles?
• How quickly do you respond when something goes wrong?
• Do you understand charity operations or just generic website issues?
• What's included in your ongoing support vs. what costs extra?
• Can you help with strategy or just technical problems?

Top Tip: Ask to speak with current customers about their support experience. A good provider will be happy to connect you with happy clients.

7. Understanding the true cost

Last but not least, let's talk money – because nobody likes nasty surprises on their invoice six months down the line.

What you should (minimally) budget for:

• Setup and design – Getting your site looking professional and on-brand
• Monthly or annual fees – The platform's ongoing costs
• Domain and hosting – Your web address and where your site lives online

Don't just ask suppliers "How much does it cost?" Instead, ask:

• "What will it cost for everything we actually need?"
• "What happens when we outgrow the basic plan?"
• "Are there any charges that kick in as we get more successful?"

A platform that seems expensive upfront, but includes everything you need, can often works out cheaper than a "budget" option that penny grabs for every essential feature.

Top Tip: Ask for a detailed breakdown showing exactly what you'd pay in Year 1 and Year 2, including all the features you actually need. This prevents any unwelcome surprises later on.

You now have the complete roadmap for charity website development success - from donor psychology to choosing the right platform for your needs.

Ready to get started? Visit Access Raise to learn how your website can be an awareness and fundraising powerhouse, or speak with one of our charity specialists, who understand your unique challenges.