7 Best Website Builders For Nonprofits

Finding the best website builders for nonprofits, can be overwhelming, especially when having a compelling website is essential for any nonprofit organization (NPO). Whether you’re advocating for change, raising funds, or simply spreading awareness, a well-crafted site can be your gateway to success online. This article will look at our 7 best website builders for nonprofits in 2024. We’ll help you choose the right option for your NPO to build a stunning site representing your mission and resonating with your audience.

Website Builders Explained

Website builders can be invaluable tools for Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs) to effectively communicate their message and engage with a broader audience.

That’s because they offer a practical solution for building an online presence. Site Builders are also a cost-effective alternative to custom web development, allowing nonprofits to direct more resources toward their causes. These platforms provide the tools needed to build a fully functioning, great-looking website without the need for advanced technical coding.

With their user-friendly control panels and dashboards, a range of pre-designed templates, and drag-and-drop functionality, website builders allow you to create a site that represents your NPO quickly and efficiently.

With the right one, you’ll be able to showcase your story, projects, and initiatives to encourage support from donors.

Website Builder Checklist for Nonprofits

Your website builder should simplify the process of setting up your new site, allowing you to focus on building support and collecting for a cause. This checklist will show you the essential features that you need when choosing your NPO’s site builder.

User-Friendliness

First, it needs to be user-friendly. It should have a straightforward interface, allowing staff with varying levels of technical skills to create and manage the website efficiently.

Cost-Effectiveness

Your website builder should fit within your budget. It’s important to consider both initial and ongoing costs, including any additional fees for extra features and upgrades.

Performance

A good website builder should optimize speed and performance, as this affects user experience and search engine rankings.

Customization

Pre-designed templates save time and help ensure the website’s look aligns with your mission. Customization options will allow you to further personalize your site and provide a user experience in line with your brand.

Mobile Responsiveness

With the increasing use of mobile devices to surf the web, a responsive site is a must. Your website builder must support responsive design for viewing on multiple devices.

Payment Processing and Third-Party Integration

As a nonprofit, the ability to process donations securely needs to be your top priority. Your website builder should integrate reliable payment gateways to facilitate this. Additionally, it should allow your site to integrate with third-party tools for fundraising, donation forms, social media, and email.

Social Media Integration

Interacting and engaging with your audience on social media is crucial. Your website builder should offer easy-to-implement widgets or plugins that link to your NPO’s social media accounts and let you share content across different social platforms.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Analytics Tools

SEO tools help ensure that your website ranks higher on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS) increasing your visibility on the Internet. This makes it easier for potential donors and supporters to find your page. Access to analytics tools can give insights into visitor behavior, measure your content’s effectiveness, and let you make data-driven decisions to improve your online presence.

7 Best Website Builders for Nonprofits

Now that you know what to look for, here are our 7 best website builders for nonprofits in 2024 so far. We have listed them in no particular order and highlighted their key features to help you make an informed choice.

1. WordPress

WordPress is a popular Content Management System (CMS) for nonprofits looking for a powerful, flexible website builder. Its open-source format allows NPOs to tailor their sites to their needs. Thanks to the many free themes and plugins available, it is a cost-effective solution for nonprofits with limited budgets. Key features include:

• A large library of free and paid themes and templates for diverse types of websites.
• Access to free and paid plugins for added functionality like donations, social media, calendars, and forms.
• Its intuitive CMS allows for easy updates and edits to your site.
• SEO tools to help improve your website’s visibility on search engines.

WordPress does have a steeper learning curve when compared to other site builders. It may therefore take longer to set up than some of the others on this list.

2. Hosted.com’s Website Builder

Hosted.com’s Website Builder is the epitome of user-friendliness, providing a straightforward drag-and-drop interface that makes website creation accessible to everyone. Nonprofits can benefit from a variety of pre-designed templates and customization options that allow for a professional-looking website without the need for technical expertise. You get:

• Access to over 200 professionally designed templates that you can tailor to the needs of your NPO.
• Responsive design to ensure that your site is accessible and visually appealing across all devices, which is crucial for user engagement and search engine rankings.
• Drag & Drop Widget functionality which simplifies adding essential features to your website, such as donation forms, event calendars, and volunteer sign-up sheets, without the need for coding.
• 1-Click installs for plugins like social media and contact forms which save time and enhance your website’s functionality.
• E-commerce integration which provides payment gateways and the tools to set up an online store. These can be used for fundraising through the selling of products or accepting donations directly on the site.
• A Free SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Certificate which encrypts and helps protect your website and visitors’ sensitive information. This is essential for maintaining user trust and improving SEO rankings.
• Built-in SEO and analytics tools to help your NPO website rank higher in search engine results and track user behavior and content effectiveness.

NOTE: The Hosted.com Website Builder is only available as an add-on to our cPanel Hosting Plans

3.     Wix

Wix offers several features that directly benefit NPOs. Like others on this list, Wix’s dashboard makes it easy to add, edit, and remove content along with free templates designed for NPOs. Additional features include:

• Payment integration to accept donations directly on your website.
• Tools to create and manage events, including ticket sales and RSVPs.
• Options to recruit and manage volunteers through your site.
• Built-in email marketing tools to engage with supporters and donors.
• SEO tools to help improve your site’s visibility on search engines.

One downside of using Wix for an NPO website is that while it offers a free plan, it includes Wix branding and ads on your site. To remove these and access more advanced features, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan.

4. Neon Websites

Neon Websites are specifically designed with NPOs in mind. It integrates seamlessly with fundraising and donor management tools, streamlining the process of engaging supporters and managing donations. In addition, its features include:

• Professionally designed, NPO-specific templates that can be easily customized.
• A user-friendly interface and CRM for building and editing web pages.
• SEO & performance tools to help increase organic traffic with built-in analytics to help track and monitor user behavior and website usage.
• Social media integration for easy connection with various social platforms.
• Audio and video management options to add multimedia content and a free image library.

There are monthly fees for all the packages on offer, and it is among the more expensive site builders on this list. Some NPOs might find the pricing structure to be a barrier, especially if they are looking for a more budget-friendly solution.

5. Site123

Site123 offers a straightforward way to build a website that can suit NPOs that need to have a site live quickly and easily. It offers a free basic plan along with several paid options. Its features include:

• Charity-based website templates with a free image and icon library.
• A broad range of built-in features including email marketing, calendars, and SEO tools.
• E-commerce capabilities for an online store selling merchandise and products.
• Third-party plugins for scheduling, event management, and form builders.

While its beginner-friendly editor streamlines site creation, it does not have as many customization options available. Additionally, you may struggle with integrating more advanced features like donor management.

6. Shopify

Shopify is commonly known as an e-commerce platform; however, it can also be tailored for an NPO site. It provides tools to accept donations, sell merchandise, and launch fundraising campaigns.

• Transaction fees for sales.
• A range of marketing tools and integrations to help reach donors and volunteers.
• Access to advanced analytics and reporting tools, for insight into visitor donor behavior enhancing data-driven decision-making.
• Worldwide payments and currencies support accepting payments from a wider network of donors.

As Shopify is primarily an e-commerce platform, NPOs focused more on content and community rather than online sales may find it unsuitable. Additionally, it can be expensive as there’s no free plan, and adding extra features could eat into smaller budgets.

7. Squarespace

Squarespace offers a design-centric approach to website building allowing you to build a stylish, modern site. Its intuitive drag-and-drop functionality makes editing and content simple for those new to site creation. Here are a few key features:

• A wide selection of customizable templates, fonts, and color palettes to enhance your site’s look.
• E-commerce capabilities to set up an online store and sell merchandise.
• Appointment Scheduling: Integrated tools for booking and managing appointments.

Compared to the other platforms on this list, Squarespace has few features designed for NPOs. Further customization and integration may require coding knowledge or additional spending.

Hosting a Website for a Nonprofit

Choosing the right web hosting service is as important as building the website itself. Web hosting is not just about keeping the site online; it’s about ensuring that it runs well (aka FAST!) and is secure.

cPanel Web Hosting from Hosted.com

Hosted.com’s cPanel Web Hosting Packages offer streamlined, simplified website management, making it an excellent choice for nonprofits. Thanks to its ease of use, even those with minimal technical expertise can easily manage web hosting accounts, domains, emails, databases, and files.

cPanel is a web hosting control panel that provides a graphical interface and automation tools designed to simplify the process of hosting a website. It’s widely used for its user-friendly design, allowing website owners to manage their sites through a web-based interface without needing advanced technical knowledge.

It allows for easy management of web hosting accounts and domains. It also allows you to set up emails, install software, and manage your site’s files and databases. It’s a popular choice for its stability, speed, and security features, which can be particularly beneficial for nonprofits that require reliable online services.

WordPress Hosting from Hosted.com

Hosted.com’s WordPress Hosting is the ideal hosting solution if you are using the WordPress platform to build a site. Our WordPress Hosting servers offer an environment specifically optimized for the platform.

Our packages come with everything you need to streamline site management like 1-Click Installs, daily backups and updates. The user-friendly interface of the WordPress Toolkit, also included in our Hosting Packages, allows you to effortlessly create, edit, and manage files and data.

Our server infrastructure uses carrier-grade hardware coupled with trusted software solutions such as Cloudlinux, LiteSpeed, and Acronis, to ensure your website loads fast and stays up.

You also get access to a security suite that includes Patchman, Monarx, ImmunifyAV, and Bitninja to protect you and your visitors from vulnerabilities and threats as well as a freeSSL Certificate.

Additionally, as your NPO’s needs expand, you can upgrade your Hosting Plan, ensuring that your hosting scales along with your website’s growth.

Tips to Make Your Nonprofit Website Stand Out

Creating a successful nonprofit website involves a blend of purpose, design, and engagement. Here are six tips to make your website stand out and leave a lasting impression:

Your Mission and Goals

Consider what you want to achieve with your site, who will be using it, and what information they will need to access. Use this as your starting point and allow it to guide your design, content, and layout decisions throughout the process.

Tell a Compelling Story

Your website is more than just information, it’s your mission statement. People connect with stories, not just statistics. Tell yours in a way that resonates with your audience. Share success stories, highlight impact, and use videos and graphics that reflect your cause. Let your passion shine through and your audience will respond.

Have a Clear Call to Action (CTA)

Place clear CTAs throughout your site to guide your visitors toward the actions you want them to take. Whether it’s donating, volunteering, or signing up for newsletters, your CTAs should be distinct and compelling.

Focus on User Experience

Ensure that essential information is visible and easily accessible. Streamline your layout and navigation with intuitive menus and organized content. Remember, the easier your site is to interact with, the longer visitors will stay on it.

Interact with Your Audience

Show that your nonprofit is not just a website but the heart of your NPO. Engage visitors through blog posts, email marketing, and social media integration. Keep your audience informed by consistently posting blog articles, news updates, success stories, and insights into your mission.

Provide Donation Options

Offer multiple donation methods and explain how donations will be utilized to further your organization’s mission. Include secure payment options and have an SSL Certificate installed to safeguard donor payment details and build trust.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Website builders offer NPOs a cost-effective, user-friendly, and efficient way to create a professional-looking website without coding knowledge.
2. Consider factors like ease of use, cost, performance, design options, tools, and features when choosing website builders for an NPO.
3. Our list of the top 7 website builders for 2024 consists of WordPress, Hosted.com’s Website Builder, Neon Websites, Site123, Shopify, and Squarespace.
4. Choosing the right web hosting service is crucial for the success of a website. It helps ensure optimal performance, security, and reliability while easily managing files and data.
5. Creating an effective NPO website requires clear goals that connect with the audience, effective CTAs, a positive user experience, audience engagement, and clear donation options.

DISCLAIMER: Any pricing reflected on images is for demonstration/reference purposes only and does not constitute actual pricing. E&OE.

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Other Blogs of Interest:

– 6 Best Website Builder for Blogs 2024

– Five Best cPanel Alternatives for Managing Websites in 2024

– How Long Does It Take To Build A Website With WordPress

– How To Create a Website for Affiliate Marketing

– Web Hosting for WordPress Website – 6 Helpful Tips

• About the Author
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Rhett Freeman

Rhett isn’t just a writer at Hosted.com – he’s our resident WordPress content guru. With over 6 years of experience as a content writer, with a background in copywriting, journalism, research, and SEO, and a passion for websites.
Rhett authors informative blogs, articles, and Knowledgebase guides that simplify the complexities of WordPress, website builders, domains, and cPanel hosting. Rhett’s clear explanations and practical tips provide valuable resources for anyone wanting to own and build a website. Just don’t ask him about coding before he’s had coffee.

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