Nonprofit staff are stretched, so the brief is kept small on purpose. Collect the items below, send what you have and say what is missing. We write the pages from your answers, and your team approves each one before it goes live. Gaps are fine; we plan around them.
Mission and programs in plain words
Write the mission as you would explain it to a neighbor in two sentences: who you serve, where and what changes for them. Skip the jargon; funders and families both read the same page.
For each program, jot down who it is for, where and when it runs, how someone joins and what to bring. These four facts become the top of each program page, which is where most visitors need them.
Facts and documents to collect
- ✓Legal name and any commonly used name — so the site and the donation page match
- ✓Address and service area — including which neighborhoods or counties you serve
- ✓Leadership and board names — only those you want published, with titles
- ✓Annual report or financial summary — as a document you are comfortable linking
Photos and stories you have rights to
Use photos of your own work whenever you can. Ask whether the people shown agreed to appear, and be careful with images of children or clients; when in doubt, show hands, spaces and activities instead of faces. If you have no photos, say so and we plan the layout around type and simple graphics.
Stories work best short. One paragraph with a first name and a detail, shared with permission, says more than a long mission statement. Only send stories the person has agreed to share.
Decisions to make before the call
- ✓Which donation tool will the button open — the one your treasurer already uses, or tell us if you need help choosing
- ✓Who answers contact and volunteer messages — a named person and a shared inbox
- ✓Which languages need pages — tell us if key pages should also be in Spanish
- ✓What the main action is — give, volunteer, get help or attend an event
A program note we can work from
Here is the level of detail that turns into a strong program page: "After-school reading club. Grades two to five. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 to 5, at the library annex. Free. Parents fill out a one-page sign-up at the front desk. Kids should bring their school reading log. Runs September through May." That is seven facts, and every one of them answers a question a parent would otherwise have to ask.
If a program has an eligibility rule, such as an income range or a county line, write it the way your intake staff explain it out loud. We keep that wording plain and put it near the top so people who do not qualify find out before they travel.
Volunteer details people look for
- ✓Roles you actually need — sorting, driving, tutoring, event setup, each named plainly
- ✓Minimum age and any screening — so families and student groups know before applying
- ✓Time commitment — a single shift, a weekly slot or a season
- ✓What happens after someone signs up — who replies and roughly when
Pages funders and partners will check
Grant reviewers and corporate partners often visit before they ever reply. They look for who leads the organization, where you work, what programs exist and whether the information is current. Send your latest annual report, a short leadership list and the year each program began; we place these on an about page so a reviewer finds them without digging.
What to expect, honestly
- ✓We write from your facts — we cannot invent program details or numbers
- ✓We connect your tool but do not hold funds — processing and fees stay with the provider
- ✓We do not publish anything unapproved — each page waits for your sign-off
One example of what your site could look like
This is one sample we designed. Yours is built around your business, your photos and your words, and we have more examples if you want to compare directions.
How it works
1. Consultation
We learn your services, customers and goals, in English or Spanish.
2. We write and design
We draft the words and build the site around your business.
3. 10 revision rounds
You review and request changes until it is right.
4. Launch and care
We launch, then Website Care keeps it hosted, backed up, checked weekly and A/B tested.
Keep reading
What to send a web designer · Nonprofit donation flow · Nonprofit website transparency · Questions nonprofits should ask
