Learn More About WEBSITES for Nonprofits
Checkout these articles + discover my tips for your charity’s website
7 THINGS TO DO WHEN YOUR DESIGNER DOESN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WANT
As designers, we often pride ourselves as being EXPERT readers and intuitive listeners. We can often extract the smallest nuance from a discussion and turn it into a key aspect of a design concept, making you fall in-love with it and you don’t even know why. It’s a beautiful gift but sometimes, even us designer’s can get lost and the best communication intentions can get lost in translation.
This week I wanted to give you all the best ways to approach ANY design project when things just aren't translating well.
4 WAYS A PROFESSIONAL DONOR FOCUSED WEBSITE CAN LEVEL UP YOUR CHARITY
When I ask my clients their top three actions they want someone to take on their website…DONATE is always number 1 or #2. As a charity, there is obviously a practical reason for this but have you stopped to think more about why and how focusing your website to be donor focused will level up your visitor experience as a whole?
This week we explore the ways a donor focused website supports ALL desired actions for your charity (not just a donation).
NONPROFITS: HOW TO USE ASANA TO GET ORGANIZED
We all have our preferences but one thing I pride myself on as a provider for NPO’s is helping you find cost effective (*cough*) FREE options where you can that make your life easier. You should be organized, streamlined, automated and as stress-free as possible in the tech sense so YOU can get back to changing the world.
One of my favorite task management tools is ASANA. And this week, I cant wait to show you how a charity can set this up to get your nonprofit grooving like a Trevor Hall jam.
BEHIND THE SCENES: Non Profit Client Branding Guidelines
Get a look BEHIND THE SCENES at my branding guidelines. This is the roadmap and guide on how to keep your branding identity aligned after I provide all of the beautiful logo variations that I sent over after a branding project. REMEMBER THIS BLOG WHERE WE WENT OVER ALL THAT I PROVIDE?
These guidelines have been refined year after year, with over a decade of revisions to truly communicate exactly what others need to know to beautifully execute your brand… from this moment forward. I LOATHE as a designer to get a LOTR-sized stack of branding guidelines that I will never read. They are redundant and often times contradict themselves. My version is concise and lets other designers, printers and creators know what they need to stay on brand.
A WEEK DOWN - BECAUSE OF THE UPS + DOWNS
This past week and a half has been a rollercoaster for sure. I set my blog and business up to run while my little family took a much needed break only to come back to a more tired and ill doggy who we needed to say “goodbye”.
I have been intentional in saying up to date with this blog weekly and will continue to do so but this week, I just dont have it in me… and that’s ok!
SO TODAY, INSTEAD, HUG YOUR LOVED ONES TIGHTER + GIVE THOSE BEAR HUGS TO YOUR FUR BABIES. BE READY FOR MORE SASS AND TIPS NEXT WEEK BECAUSE THIS GIRL ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE.
6 THINGS I NEED FROM YOUR NPO BEFORE I CAN BUILD YOUR WEBSITE
Yeah, its never easy to compile the items needed for a website, even a redesign. MANY clients underestimate the work and time it takes to compile everything. So why do I make you gather all the things below?
Because I am not you. You are the expert and angel who is making the world a better place through your cause.
YES, COULD I SPEND HUNDREDS OF HOURS LEARNING EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR CHARITY AND THEN PULL THIS ALL MYSELF, SURE… BUT THE COST WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE. So to pass on savings to you, I have streamlined the process to make it as painless as possible.
8 PLACES TO PUT YOUR NEW CHARITY LOGO
Now that you got a snazzy new logo for your nonprofit, either from my FREEBIE, or from myself or another rockstar designer…
Where should you put it? What now? Which file version should you use? What the actual frick is a EPS? If you don’t use that new logo, you are not using your $money$ or time wisely. Consistency = Stability
So consistently use that logo in ALL of the following places to level up your stability score + see those donations roll in!
HOW TO UNLOCK YOUR DONOR’S POT-O-GOLD WITH YOUR WEBSITE
It’s that time of year, wether you live in Ireland, tout an Irish sir-name, have an 23&Me to prove your heritage or just love a Guinness - we ALL get to be a bit Irish!
So today, I wanted to take the time to tell you some of my favorite and proven ways to get your donors to give YOUR Nonprofit more of their Pot-O-Gold!
Look for the HELPERS
It’s no question that the world has become scary over the past few days. More so than say 2019. 😊 Our family in particular has dealt with quite a few emotions with the fall of the Afghanistan government, just months after my brave husband was over there, HELPING people heal, no matter the side. Now we see more unrest, more division, more scary things, more unknowns. If there is one thing that has been a constant in how we have approached the past 2 years, it has been to look for the good, the HELPERS and to try and be one ourselves.
I wanted to show you, amazing charity workers + nonprofit champions, that humans are stepping up and making a difference. It might feel impossible right now but look at the small bits that will overwhelm the world. Take heart. See the GOOD. Look at the HELPERS.
SPOTLIGHT - Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches
SPOTLIGHT - Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches Meet Fiona Wade, Board Member of the 2021 Charity of the Year Winners - Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches. Not only is Fiona a passionate, articulate and effective leader in the non profit arena but also a dear friend. Together, Fiona and the HTCPB Board President Laura Cusack allowed me to work through their old website to create something new and polished that will grow with them for years to come.
HOW TO GET A FREE WEBSITE FOR YOUR NONPROFIT (NPO)
Yep! You can get a FREE website. Learn more about my Charity of The Year Award.
WHY YOUR ALL-IN-ONE CHARITY CRM IS HURTING YOUR NONPROFIT
So as I discussed last week, one of my biggest of PET-PEEVES of new trend in donor processors and management systems is the ALL-IN-ONE solutions. I honestly do not see ANY benefit of allowing a donor management to also control your website. Put Simply… They have no business in web design. Sure, logging into one place for everything sounds dreamy but what are you sacrificing for it? Let’s chat about that today!
For Under $500 a month, get a killer charity toolbox of solutions that WORK!
CHECK OUT my UNDER $500 TOOLBOX system of COST FRIENDLY BUT POWERFUL SOLUTIONS for your donations, donor acknowledgements, website, accounting, email campaigns and automations. This complete set up fills all the holes in charity management so you can get back to changing the world.
WHY A SPECIALIZED NPO DESIGNER IS THE BEST USE OF YOUR FUNDS
Jack of All Trades…. fill in the blank. We all know the saying but what happens when you have worked tirelessly for your funding through countless revsions of a grant application or lovingly hounding a loaded donor until they finally helped? Having the responsibility of not only morally caring for your cause (cough and changing the world) but ethically managing the funds is DAUNTING. So I get why hiring a specialist would seem like a luxury expense… but let me explain why its not.
BEHIND THE SCENES: Non Profit Client Branding Homework
Get a look BEHIND THE SCENES at my exclusive branding homework and questions that get to the root of your charity. This questionnaire is usually only available to my client but this week I wanted to share with you the kind of service you get when you work with me. So Let’s Jump In!
INTRODUCING 3-DAY TEMPLATES
Get THE CHARITY DESIGN CO look without the price tag, even connecting useful tech so can get you back to changing the world. Each template comes with a customized workbook + video resources; launching your site in 3 days… EASY!
SPOTLIGHT - Nonprofit Megaphone
SPOTLIGHT - Nonprofit Megaphone Optimize your FREE $10,000 a month from Google for Nonprofits with my friends and industry leaders at Nonprofit Megaphone! Why is utilizing this Google Ad Grant so important? Why do you need to activate this FREE Gift from Google for Nonprofits?
4 MUST HAVES on Your Custom 404 Page
Ah! The dreaded 404 page. How to you keep those hard won visitors on your site and capture their hearts? Here are my 4 MUST HAVES every 404 page needs that will ensure your visitors stay on your site and get to where they ‘wanted’ to go.
Intention To MOVE
Join me in INTENTION TO MOVE. I am not one for resolutions, (especially around a new year) BUT I am one for intentions. I have found and believe that intentions are easiest at “beginnings”. And we have one starting real soon.
Tis The Season To REST
Hear me out… you need to rest too! Too often the givers, the doers, the people who constantly serve are overlooked in others serving them AND they are AWFUL in serving themselves. If you are like most charities, the holidays are a BLUR of actives, duties, madness and community support. But by this time, you probably feel like a stuffed raisin. Full of joy but depleted in self. So, here, my friend, is some ways to serve yourself because you need to!