The charity website checklist for better performance
A well designed charity website does more than look tidy. It teaches faster, includes more people, removes friction and makes it easier for supporters to donate, sign up and get involved. Here is how design choices translate into real-world impact for your organisation.
Clearer education equals faster understanding
People arrive with questions: What do you do, why does it matter, how can I help? Good design turns those questions into quick answers.
What helps
- Plain language at a reading age of 11–12.
- One headline, one idea per section.
- Short paragraphs and scannable lists.
- Visuals that explain: simple diagrams, captions, before-and-after photos.
- Consistent page layouts so visitors always know where to find the “what, why, how”.
Result
- Supporters grasp your mission in seconds, not minutes. When people understand, they stay. When they stay, they act.
Accessible by default equals bigger, fairer audience
Accessibility isn’t a bolt-on. It’s how more people can use your site on any device or assistive tech.
What helps
- Proper heading structure and real buttons/links.
- Alt text that describes purpose.
- Strong colour contrast and visible focus states.
- Forms that work with keyboards and screen readers, with clear error messages.
- Captions and transcripts for video and audio.
Result
- More people can access your content, apply for services and complete forms. You widen reach, reduce risk and live your values.
Fewer clicks, less friction equals longer, happier visits
If it takes six taps to find a service or donate, you’ll lose people along the way. Good information architecture shortens journeys.
What helps
- A “top tasks” navigation surfacing the 3–5 things people do most.
- Clear signposts from the homepage to those tasks.
- Shallow menus with meaningful, plain-English labels.
- On-page calls to action that match the page intent.
Result
- Visitors find what they need faster and bounce rates fall. People spend their energy on your cause, not your menu.
Streamlined design equals more donations and sign-ups
Design is conversion. Small details on forms and calls to action turn intent into action.
What helps
- One primary action per page: “Donate”, “Join”, “Sign up”, “Volunteer”.
- Donation forms with smart amount buttons and a clear monthly option.
- Fewer fields—only ask what you truly need.
- Clear Gift Aid copy and human error messages.
- Trust signals near the ask: impact stats, short quotes, security badges.
Result
- Completion rates rise. More people finish donations, memberships, bookings and referrals.
Quick wins you can do this month
- Tidy your homepage hero – One sentence that says what you do and for whom, plus one clear button.
- Fix your donate journey – Put “Donate” in the main menu. Send the button straight to the form.
- Make images lighter and described – Compress images and add meaningful alt text (or we can add tools that auto-compress for you). Your pages will load faster and more people will understand them.
- Standardise page layouts – Use consistent blocks for “What we do”, “Who it helps”, “How to help”, “Contact”.
- Write better link text – Replace “Click here” with “Read our annual report” or “Volunteer with us”.
How to measure the difference
- Clarity: Time on key explainer pages stabilises while exit rate drops. Run a 5-second test: can three people tell you what you do?
- Accessibility: Track audit scores before/after; log and reduce support requests caused by forms.
- Friction: Count clicks from homepage to top tasks; aim for three steps or fewer.
- Conversion: Monitor completion rates for donations, sign-ups and contact forms; track average donation and recurring sign-ups.
What to do now
When your website explains clearly, welcomes everyone, reduces clicks and makes the next step obvious, it stops being a brochure and starts working like part of your team. That means more people learn about your cause, more supporters stick around, and more actions turn into donations, members and impact.
Get a quick check of your site
Interested in a light review of your website? We will look at clarity, accessibility, key journeys and conversion and send back simple next steps.