The following articles cover some interesting poiints in non-profit web design
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/non-profit-websites-donations/
http://www.nngroup.com/reports/attracting-donors-and-volunteers-non-profit/
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/donation-usability/
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/about-us-information-on-websites/
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/repurposing-vs-optimized-design/
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/mega-menus-work-well/
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/write-articles-not-blogs/
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/top-ten-web-design-mistakes-of-2005/
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/photos-as-web-content/
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/form-design-white-space/
To summarize few points . . . .
Not-for-profit, charity, non-governmental organization (NGO) . . . most of the names emphasize what these organizations are NOT. And when we study .org websites, it's obvious that they differ from the clear value proposition offered by commercial websites. Typically, you visit sites because (a) you want some stuff they have and (b) you'll pay money to get it. Not so with non-profit sites. Non-profits must clearly communicate their value proposition if they want to attract volunteers and online donations. Sadly, such communication is the sore point in the non-profit user experience.
. . . the task of finding out how to volunteer at an organization. Most sites had a simple, direct link to this information from their homepages. And most provided straightforward information about volunteering, including descriptions of typical volunteer duties and hours, which are details that prospective volunteers want to see up front. Many sites also offered fairly simple forms for volunteering. However, people often want to talk to somebody directly before volunteering, so it's important to provide contact information.
Social Media: Secondary
People don't use Facebook to research non-profit organizations or make donations. When we asked users to do this in the study, they were annoyed by non-profits that tried to push products or donations, or tried to get them to sign up for other things, like email newsletters.People weren't surprised that some non-profits or charities used Facebook, but they expected less information there than what they'd find on the organization's official site. Instead of seeking information about the organization's mission and goals through social media, users were more interested in hearing from people who'd benefited from the organization's work. They wanted social networks to showcase stories about real people who'd been involved with the organization. For example, one user gravitated to stories about those who had been helped by Make-A-Wish Foundation, which were featured on the organization's Facebook page. Non-profit and charity organization should use social networks as a way to connect with users through real stories, conversations, and interactions. But they should also remember to include a clear link to the main website for users who want to research the organization more thoroughly.
What Donors Want
We asked participants what information they want to see on non-profit websites before they decide whether to donate. Their answers fell into 4 broad categories, 2 of which were the most heavily requested:
- The organization's mission, goals, objectives, and work.
- How it uses donations and contributions.
Design goals
- text they can read;
- content that answers their questions;
- navigation and search that help them find what they want;
- short and simple forms
- no bugs, typos, or corrupted data; no linkrot; no outdated content.
Images
- Some types of pictures are completely ignored. This is typically the case for big feel-good images that are purely decorative.
- Other types of pictures are treated as important content and scrutinized. Photos of products and real people (as opposed to stock photos of models) often fall into this category.
- People Photos = Good (If They're Real People)
Information-Carrying Images = Good
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