Best charity and non profit websites
We’ve all come across websites that stop us in our tracks. Perhaps it’s the visually stunning design work. Maybe an emotive headline draws us into a profound story. Or the user experience is so slick it makes donating a pleasure.
We decided to scour the internet and pull out charity website examples that really spoke to us. We also included some of the projects we were particularly proud of being involved with.
Here are the results, in no particular order, together with what each site excelled at:
1. Best Charity Landing Page – Action for Children
Consistent with the charity’s name, this page is all action:
- Impact stats tick up to their current value as you scroll.
- Sliders automatically scroll through features and services with clear pause and play buttons to give the visitor control over their experience.
- The ‘get involved’ dropdown box provides a shortcut for motivated visitors.
2. Best Donate Button – Save the Children
Many charities highlight the practical impact a specific level of donation will deliver to beneficiaries. Save the Children have taken this a step further by creating a neat sliding button that automatically adjusts the figures depending on what value you select. For example, sliding the lever from £10 to £15 increases the impact from 37 food sachets and 1kg of maize to 55 sachets and 2kg of maize. Want to add a food basket or medical treatment for a child? Select £50 or £60 respectively.
3. Most Immediate Impact – Children International
Encouraging visitors to sponsor a child is a priority for this charity, and they waste no time getting you started. The option to choose a country and gender is placed front and center, making it crystal clear what they want you to do.
We were also impressed by:
- Engaging photographs of children.
- Powerful messaging directed at the reader emphasising empowerment and togetherness.
4. Best at Communicating Cause and Intent – Womankind
A charity we are proud to have worked with. Womankind use their customisable content management system (CMS) to quickly and easily adjust user journeys and add fresh content. The result is a website that powerfully communicates the charity’s values and mission.
Features include:
- Easy navigation with clearly defined user journeys.
- Customisable campaign pages linked to buttons prominently placed beside the donate button. At the time of writing, Womankind were inviting people to promote their acts of ‘everyday feminism’ via an engaging poster board.
5. Strongest Photography – RNLI
OK, so the subject matter lends itself to dramatic pictures, but we still commend the RNLI for the quality of their photos. It really ensures the site packs a punch. We also liked the:
- Simple user journeys.
- Cool interactive map. Visitors can see the date and time of the last ‘shout’ and zoom in to specific areas of the country.
If you want to follow in the RNLI’s footsteps, make sure you read our blog post about the importance of photography on your website!
6. Best at Optimising Every Stage of the Donor Journey – Dreamflight
We enjoyed working with Dreamflight on improving conversions through implementing some proven optimisation techniques. The results: a 216% increase in conversion rate over two years.
Features include:
- When potential donors abandon a donation form, they get a pop-up to consent to a gentle email reminder in the future.
- While scrolling down the child nomination page, visitors are prompted to consider donating.
- Discreet notifications inform visitors of recent donations and prompt them to join the cause.
7. Most Streamlined User Journey – WWF
The web developers have clearly spent a lot of time considering the various stakeholders of this large, multi-faceted charity and refining the user journeys to fit. We were impressed by the ‘less is more’ navigation concept.
Other strengths include:
- Strong photography.
- Valuable content enriched with impact stats and frequent CTAs.
8. Best Illustrations and Visuals – Ferne Animal Sanctuary
Our design team poured their creativity into this project. With its easy on the eye colour palette, organic dividers and tasteful use of complementary colours, we challenge you to find a more aesthetically pleasing site.
We especially like:
- How the content blocks are separated through subtle shading and stylish line-work.
- The beautiful graphic elements.
- The overall attention to detail.
9. Most user friendly – Rethink
Some charities excel by cutting through the noise and presenting visitors with clear, focused messaging. This is the case with Rethink who get straight to the business of asking readers to write to their MP. A lot of research has clearly gone into designing the user experience.
Standout elements include:
- Powerful directive asks (get involved, get advice, get help, etc.)
- Plentiful links to resources.
- Strong focus on services for beneficiaries.
10. Most Engaging Mobile Experience – Childline
Childline’s mobile interface immediately hooks viewers by asking how they’re feeling. The set of activities and resource links instantly update depending on what the child chooses.
Childline provide a variety of engagement options from games and message boards to videos and advice guides. This ensures that children can tailor their support needs to their personal content preferences and current mood.
We’re sure you have your own opinions about which charities are using their websites to support their cause, so please feel free to get in touch. Which sites have made an impact on you? What do you think separates a good website from a great one?
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