Website design for nonprofits in Chicago

What visitors need

Visitors to a nonprofit site fall into a few groups: people who need your services, donors, volunteers, partners and journalists. Church and parish visitors want service times, location, sacraments information and community events. Each group needs a clear path from the home page.

Newcomers are often nervous about a first visit or a first request for help. Tell them what to expect, where to park, what to bring and who will greet them. Donors want to see how gifts are used. Plain, warm language works better than institutional wording.

Page structure for mission-driven organizations

• Home with the mission in one sentence and clear buttons: get help, donate, volunteer.
• About: history, leadership roles, board, and tax-exempt status where applicable.
• Programs or ministries, one page each, with who they serve and how to join.
• Events calendar with registration where needed.
• Donate with one-time and recurring options.
• Volunteer with roles, schedules and a signup form.
• For churches: service and Mass times, livestream links, bulletins, sacraments and parish registration.

Donations and data

Online giving should use an established donation or payment platform, so card data is handled by the processor and not stored on your website. We connect the platform you choose, keep the giving page fast and simple, and test the full process before launch.

Donor and member lists are personal data. We keep admin access limited, use secure connections and avoid collecting more than you need. Recurring giving, campaign pages and year-end reminders can be added as your organization grows.

Accessibility and languages

Community websites should serve everyone, including older adults and people using assistive technology. We build with readable type, contrast, keyboard access and alt text, following guidance available at ADA.gov.

Many Chicago-area parishes and community organizations serve Polish-speaking members. We work in English and Polish and can build bilingual pages. Polish Network, our own network of 120+ of our own websites and portals, is an optional channel for announcing events to Polish-American audiences.

Easy updates for volunteers and staff

Nonprofit teams change often. With Szef Editor, staff and volunteers can update text and photos, such as event details or service times, without technical training. Monthly plans can cover hosting, updates and support, so the website does not depend on one volunteer’s knowledge. See website maintenance.

Related