A person reads a moving story on a charity's homepage and wants to help. They look for a way to donate and find a small link at the bottom of the page. The donation form has twelve fields. They also want to volunteer, but the volunteer page just says "get in touch". They donate a small amount and never volunteer.
Charity websites often inspire people and then make it hard for them to act. Here are the common mistakes.
Mistake 1: a buried donate button
The donate button should be visible on every page, in the same place. Visitors who are moved to give should not have to search.
Mistake 2: long donation forms
Every extra field loses donors. Ask only for what is needed to process the gift and claim any tax relief.
Mistake 3: no explanation of where money goes
Donors want to know their gift makes a difference. A clear, honest explanation helps, as described in donor questions that go unanswered on charity websites.
Mistake 4: vague volunteer pages
"Get in touch to volunteer" is not enough. List roles, time commitment, requirements and next steps.
Mistake 5: slow replies to volunteers
Volunteers lose interest quickly. Small charities struggle most, as described in small charities with one staff member and endless messages. Capturing volunteer details and replying within days keeps them engaged. Support for volunteer enquiries is covered in AI assistant for nonprofit volunteers.
Mistake 6: nothing for people seeking help
Many visitors need the charity's services. A clear "get help" section, with crisis contacts, is essential.
Mistake 7: a website built only for desktop
Many donors and volunteers browse on phones. Test every key page on a phone.
Mistake 8: no way to ask a question
Donors, volunteers and service users all have questions. If there is no way to ask, many leave. Gyms make the same mistake with new members, as described in gym website mistakes that lose new members.
Mistake 9: no thank-you after giving
Many donors give once and never hear from the charity again, apart from a receipt. A warm thank-you, and a short update on what their gift helped achieve, makes them far more likely to give again. The same applies to volunteers after their first session.
Mistake 10: events without details
Fundraising events listed without fees, targets or support information lose sign-ups. Each event should have its own clear page.
Mistake 11: out-of-date content
Old campaigns, past events and outdated staff lists make a charity look inactive. Review the site every few months, and remove anything that no longer applies.
Fixing the mistakes
Most of these can be fixed quickly: make donating visible and simple, explain where money goes, list volunteer roles clearly, add a "get help" section and let visitors ask questions.
SpideyChat for nonprofits answers questions from your own pages at any hour, captures volunteer and supporter details and shares crisis information when someone needs urgent help.
A note for trustees
Trustees often focus on governance and funding, but the website is where most supporters first meet the charity. A short review of the donate, volunteer and get-help pages at each trustee meeting keeps them working.
A supporter's-eye check
Ask a volunteer to try to donate, sign up to volunteer and find help, all on a phone, and note where they get stuck. Fix those points first. Then train the assistant on the updated pages; the guides to installing the widget and training your bot explain how.