To say that Emani was excited about developing a new website for her nonprofit was an understatement.

“I’m embarrassed to send people to our current one,” she confided. “It’s so outdated and hard to navigate.”

But as she prepared for a meeting with the web development team, she realized that, “Make it better than it is,” wasn’t enough direction.

She had a general feeling of what she liked, but she needed specific features and guiding principles for the new site. Having a few good examples to point to certainly wouldn’t hurt, either.

How do you feel about your nonprofit’s website? Are you proud to send supporters to it? Does it center your donors, tell your story, and inspire people to support you?

….Or not?

Whether you’re refreshing your website, doing an entire remodel, or building a new website for the first time, it can really help to look at some good examples. These 50 nonprofit websites, in no particular order, are a great place to start.

And don’t worry: having one of the best nonprofit websites doesn’t mean you need a big budget. Although some of the websites I’ve listed here are from national nonprofits, others are local branches or small organizations that have used simple nonprofit website builders to create a click-worthy layout.

Read More: 6 Steps to Create a Donation Website for Your Nonprofit + 10 Great Examples

1. Invisible Children

Invisible Children packs a lot of information into an easy-to-understand  format. You can scroll down their homepage to see different aspects of their work. They use graphics and visual organizers to highlight information, and the donate button follows you as you scroll.

2. Canadian Blood Services

Canadian Blood Services prioritizes the information most people will be looking for — how to donate blood. Visitors can watch a video or learn more, but if they just want to find a location for donations, they can immediately enter their location and get started. This is a good user experience, since it means users don’t need to go hunting for the information they want.

3. charity:water

It seems like charity:water appears on every “good example” list, and that’s because their online work is so outstanding! Their homepage is focused on the impact donors have, explains their mission, and immediately offers more ways to get involved. They also use compelling images and are telling a positive story about changing the world.

4. Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society centers storytelling by featuring survivors’ own narratives about their experiences. They also offer different menus to different audiences — this makes sense, since cancer researchers and doctors are looking for different information than people with cancer and their families.

5. National Wildlife Foundation

If you want to see the difference stunning visuals can make, visit the National Wildlife Foundation’s website. They use photographs and illustrations to call attention to their mission and showcase the animals they seek to protect. They also use a simple navigation menu to corral a ton of information.

 

I got inspired by these great nonprofit website examples — which one do you like best?

6. Heifer International

Heifer International’s website is all about action. Its simple, clear layout prioritizes making a gift and making a difference. It explains the need, the mission, and what you can do in a few words, then gets straight to the donate button.

7. Illinois Digital Educators Alliance

The Illinois Digital Educators use bright pops of colour to make sure their home page is eye-catching. Their menu titles are simple but descriptive, making it easy for visitors to their site to navigate around.

8. Power for Parkinson’s

If you’re thinking, “Of course giant organizations have great websites, they have giant budgets!”, don’t give up. A simple website can work very well — just take a look at Power for Parkinson’s. They have a simple home page that clearly demonstrates their mission, and also helps deliver their programs.

“I love how they feature their workout videos on a section of the site, since this is so central to their mission and helping those with Parkinson’s manage their symptoms,” says Stacy Caprio, founder of Growth Marketing.

They even include video workouts so that people who can’t come to their classes can still benefit.

9.  Campus Bound Scholars

A nonprofit website must make the case for support. Campus Bound Scholars does a great job explaining the problem they’re trying to solve, and what they’re doing to address it. This immediately establishes their need and encourages visitors to support them.

Ciara Hautau, a lead digital marketing strategist who worked on the website, advises: “I think the best practice for designing a nonprofit website is making it clean, easy to navigate, and resourceful. You want users who visit the site to know right away what the mission and purpose are of the nonprofit and provide resources on how they can help or how your organization can help them.”

10. Give Kids the World Village

Give Kids the World Village uses engaging photos, a simple layout, and a cheerful tone to show their mission of providing joyful moments to sick children. You can scroll a single page, or use the sidebar menu to get around their easy-to-navigate site, and the distinctive donate button follows you.

“Additionally, their fundraisers and their correspondence are fabulous!” said Dawn Veslka, co-founder of Chronic Warrior Collective.

11. Warrior Rising

You want visitors to your website to do something, right? Whether it’s signing up for emails, making a donation, or watching a video, you should always provide them with a next step. Warrior Rising features several calls-to-action on their site.

Elena Ludlow led the design at Red Olive, and she explains,” When the Warrior Rising homepage loads, there are five calls to actions immediately visible: one in the main Navigation, one on the side of the page, and three at the bottom.

Three of these are for our primary goal of donations, with the other two being for sub-goals of the site. You don’t want to overwhelm a site visitor with too many calls to actions as it can seem scam-y or disingenuous and can hurt their trust. However, make sure the calls to action are in visually prominent places. Our header and sidebar calls to action follow a visitor as they scroll down, both serving as a continuous reminder and making it easy for them to donate when they are ready.”

 

12. Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs use (adorable) dog images to bring attention to different calls to action, but they also feature the stories of the people those dogs are helping. Their gallery of stories about people and their service dogs make the mission clear.

13. Wisconsin Writers Association

The Wisconsin Writers Association website is simple and clean, with brighter boxes midway through the homepage to call out their main initiatives. Keeping it simple means it’s easy for visitors to find what they’re most interested in.

14. Veterans Legal Institute

If your website needs to appeal to more than one audience, take some inspiration from Veterans Legal Institute. Deputy Executive Director KellyAnn Romanich advises, “Be clear on sections that are for clients and those who wish to support as donors and volunteers.”

The homepage offers visitors the option to choose between “Get Involved” and “Apply Now” to get the information most relevant to them.

15. Motley Zoo Animal Rescue

The Motley Zoo Animal Rescue uses a down-to-earth tone to explain their mission and how adoption works. They have a lot of information to organize, so they streamline the major categories on their homepage: Donate, Adopt, Foster, Volunteer, Events.

 

16. Free Street

With 50 years of history, Free Street could easily have a cluttered website — they have a lot to talk about. Instead, they focus on right now with a clear statement of who they are and what they do, along with a link to current shows. The transparent menu gives visitors more options.

17. Literacy Partners

Literacy Partners uses a simple format to show their impact: Our Approach, Our Results, How You Can Help. Supporters can easily find the information they need. The images they use are equally down-to-earth, making it clear who they help and how.

Read More: The 22 Features Every Top Nonprofit Website Has

18. Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation

By declaring, “Here’s what knowledge can do,” and focusing on the human stories of people impacted by, or conducting, medical research, Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation makes research emotionally engaging. That emotion fuels the call to action to donate, which is prominently featured.

19. Georgia Arborist Association

The Georgia Arborist Association’s website is firmly rooted in their tree theme both through the colours and images they use. Their blog is also a valuable way to attract new potential members by providing information that people in the industry will find valuable. In this way, it gives them a taste of the educational benefits they can reap by joining.

20. Island Health

People have many reasons to visit the Island Health website, so clear navigation is a must. But the website isn’t purely utilitarian. The vision and goals of the organization are also featured, as well as an adorable photo to make visitors smile.

21. Anova

Anova has to appeal to two distinct audiences: supporters, and people who need their services. They have simple navigation and a feature a donate button, but also protect their potential clients with “get help now,” “hide screen” and “cover your tracks,” options.

22. Tourism Saskatoon

Tourism Saskatoon is bright and colorful, and ties into social media with their hashtag #saskatooning. They use visuals to guide visitors through the website and inspire them to visit in real life.

23. Green Chamber of the South

The font the Green Chamber of the South uses is modern and clean, which befits their mission. Their layout stays consistent throughout their website as well, giving visitors a consistent experience no matter what page they’re on.

 

24. Volunteer Alberta

Volunteer Alberta serves as a one-stop shop for nonprofits and volunteers. They use a clean layout to avoid information overload.

25. CNIB Foundation

Are you concerned about making your website accessible? Check out CNIB Foundation’s site for a great example. Viewers can adjust the visual experience to their own preferences.

CNIB helps visitors easily find the most important information by highlighting Programs and Services, Support Us, and Donate in the navigation menu. Smart!

26. Telus World of Science

Telus World of Science Edmonton has an engaging website full of interesting information. But no one wants to sift through every exhibit and event just to find out when the museum is open, right? They make it very easy for potential visitors by putting the hours and showtimes, along with the phone number, right on the top of the website.

27. Edmonton Public Library

Another Edmonton nonprofit prioritizing the information visitors need most — the Edmonton Public Library! Their Quick Links on the homepage let visitors get straight to business.

28. The Friends of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

The Friends of TMAG is simple and doesn’t include too many graphics on the home page. This means it’s more likely to load quickly and keep visitors around (if your page takes more than 3 seconds to load, around 53% of visitors will leave it).

29. Hal-Con

Your website introduces people to your nonprofit, so it should sound like you. Look at the big dose of personality Hal-Con delivers as “the biggest, geekiest sci-fi convention in Atlantic Canada,” run by “much-too-dedicated volunteers”.

30. Feed Nova Scotia

Your website can be a tremendous tool for fundraising, especially if you don’t keep your homepage static. Feed Nova Scotia directs people to their Thanksgiving appeal from their homepage with a simple call-to-action.

31. C2 Centre for Craft

The C2 Centre for Craft organizes their website into six categories, then uses a simple three-column layout to showcase events and exhibitions, along with their contact information. It’s easy for viewers to go deeper, but the homepage answers the likely most common questions, such as, “What’s in the gallery right now?” or “When is the craft market?”

32. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami has several aspects to their programs, but all are informed by who they are. They highlight their mission and vision with a bold, colourful layout that makes it very clear what they stand for.

33. Leadership Fairfax

The Leadership Fairfax homepage makes great use of social proof in the form of quotes from their community,  which backs up their claim that “Our graduates get noticed”. Their website also makes great use of white space — it uses large blocks and large fonts, but doesn’t feel crowded or overwhelming.

34. Brooklyn Waldorf School

Nonprofit schools use their websites to organize information for current families and attract new ones. The Brooklyn Waldorf School does this with a very simple and clean layout, creating an easy flow of information.

35. Central Park Conservancy

The Central Park Conservancy is a great example of how nonprofits can use marketing tools like a lead magnet and pop-up calls-to-action to engage supporters in fundraising. Their website features a newsletter popup that appears as soon as you open it, making it easy to subscribe for updates — and meaning that they have an audience of dedicated supporters’ emails to call on.

36. Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Oregon & Southwest Washington

The Ovarian Cancer Alliance makes it very clear how to reach them simply by going to their homepage, which is a great way to ensure new sufferers feel supported. They also have large Donate and Subscribe buttons available so it’s easy to show support.

37. Treehouse for Kids

Treehouse for Kids uses video on their homepage to introduce supporters to the youth they’re helping. This lets supporters see their impact in real life, and inspires new website visitors to become more involved.

38. The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)

MOHAI puts visitors first by tailoring information to their visit date. This interactive element makes visiting the website more convenient and personal.

Read More: How to Make Your Nonprofit’s About Us Page Awesome

39. Philanos

Potential members and donors alike can be attracted by the Philanos homepage, which is simple and makes their mission clear. It’s also easy for new visitors to navigate, with small arrows in the menu to indicate additional dropdown options.

40. One Table

One Table lets visitors cut right to the chase and find a gathering near them, or dig deeper with guides, explanations, and more about their mission — and the beautiful photo of delicious food they’ve used on their homepage doesn’t hurt either!

41. Mass Mentoring

Mass Mentoring uses a three-column layout to direct the user experience and then announces time-sensitive information in a dynamic slider. This makes it easy for visitors to find relevant information and stay up-to-date with the organization.

42. Sepsis Alliance

Another great example of appealing to diverse audiences, Sepsis Alliance guides distinct groups to the most relevant information. Patients, Providers, and Supporters all need something different, and the website makes it easy for them to find it.

43. GROW North Texas

Including their logo prominently on their homepage ensures that GROW North Texas’s website is familiar to new visitors who’ve seen their marketing materials in other places. The continuity between their logo and the image they use in terms of both colour and theme also makes it very clear what their site is all about!

44. Guided Discoveries

Guided Discoveries has several different programs, so they devote their homepage to their mission. A clear menu makes it easy to get where you need to go, and a dynamic slider about the mission keeps the homepage interesting.

45. Black Women’s Blueprint

Black Women’s Blueprint has several initiatives, provides services, does advocacy work, and provides prevention education, all in service to their mission of building power with Black women and girls. They highlight their current strategies on their homepage, showing supporters exactly what they’re doing and why.

46. Florida State Parks Foundation

The three main sections on the Florida State Parks Foundation homepage clearly showcase their priorities, and make it easy for visitors to donate or learn more. Their social media accounts are also prominently linked at the top, making it easy for visitors to connect with them.

47. World Bicycle Relief

World Bicycle Relief features storytelling all over their website with videos, stories, and quotes from people whose lives have been changed by a bicycle. They introduce us to issues through a human lens and make a clear case for the need and their solution.

48. To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA)

TWLOHA puts their mission into action on their website. They use web tools, blog posts, and stories to help and inspire people who are dealing with mental health problems, as well as encourage support.

49. Love Anyway

Love Anyway takes a bold chance with their website by paring it down to the essentials. They share one page with calls-to-action, and use a pop-up sidebar to answer frequently asked questions. It strongly influences the user’s experience, channeling their focus.

50. Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code lets audiences self-select, so they get the most relevant information. Students can input their grade and location, and immediately see nearby programs they’re eligible for. The site uses engaging infographics to demonstrate the need for their programs and impact on students, as well as to organize information clearly.

 

Do you know of any other nonprofit websites you think are noteworthy? Comment below and let me know which ones I missed!

And if you’re looking for a new website builder, you can start a free trial of WildApricot today.

Additional Resources:

• 20 Foundation Websites to Get You Inspired
• 12 Donation Website Templates + Examples to Inspire You