Yes, your nonprofit or foundation should have a website. A website is one of the best ways to tell your own story accurately and in a context of your own choosing. At the very least, a website can provide users with updated contact details and the mission and vision behind your organization.
A well-designed website is also great for improving communications, spreading your reach beyond local advocates, and for building legitimacy and public trust. And the good news is you don't necessarily need a lot of money or technical skills to design a professional looking website.
For nonprofits
If your nonprofit organization currently lacks a website, consider using your Candid profile as a place where your audiences can go to learn more about your work and purpose.
Candid profiles provide a free platform where charities can share their mission statement, activities, finances, outcomes, and more. Tens of millions of people around the world have access to your profile directly on Candid or through our 200+ charitable partners, such as Facebook Fundraisers. Earning a Seal of Transparency unlocks additional benefits for your nonprofit, such as a Seal you can display on your website to showcase your commitment to transparency.
Your Candid profile also appears on community foundation sites and U.S.-based donor-advised funds, such as Fidelity Charitable. Donor-advised funds are the nonprofit sector's fastest-growing fundraising source.
Learn more about Candid profiles and Seals, and get started with our self-paced courses.
To build your own website, here are some excellent articles to help you get started:
- Building a Nonprofit Website in Six Key Steps | TechSoup
- How to Choose a CMS for Your Nonprofit | TechSoup
For foundations
Foundations can also claim their Candid profile and earn Seals of Transparency to showcase their work to the sector. Any foundation (including operating foundations), grantmaking public charity, or corporation that provides funding or engages in direct program work can register for a Candid profile account.
Additionally, foundations can take control of telling their own story by sharing information about the grants they've awarded through Candid's grant reporting initiative. Partners receive free access to Candid's data visualization tool to help illustrate their work to with boards, staff, media, and supporters.
Learn about Candid's data solutions for further tools and resources.
GrassRootsWeb is a nonprofit organization that creates websites from scratch and revamps existing sites for nonprofits and charities pro bono. Their goal is to make web design and development services accessible to everyone, regardless of their budget.
48in48 connects local nonprofits and skilled marketing and technology professionals. At the end of these 48 hours, 48 local nonprofits have new, professional, websites as well as a fresh marketing strategy. Before the main event, each nonprofit takes part in 6-10 weeks of marketing, branding, and impact training.