A nonprofit organization is an organization that focuses on a particular social cause. This is according to Corporate Finance Institute. Being nonprofit, all the money to be earned will be used for meeting their operational costs. So they must use free or low-cost resources to meet their needs.
One of the missions of nonprofit organizations is to spread awareness. This involves having high visibility for many people to know their cause. There are many software, platforms, and tools which are available to meet this goal. But what better way to spread awareness than to create a website?
In this article, we have listed the best website builders for nonprofits in 2021. If you are a nonprofit organization that does not have a website yet, read on to see what are your options!
1. WordPress
WordPress is one of the best content management systems (CMS) out there. It is an open-source platform and is free-to-use. It has many themes you can choose from. It is customizable, which means you can change its available themes however you want.
Even though it does not have a drag-and-drop interface, WordPress is still easy to use. If you are planning to update your site from time to time, WordPress is a good option for you.
However, if you don’t have any programming experience, WordPress can get overwhelming. If you are not familiar with HTML, CSS, and the likes, WordPress can only get you so far. But if you’re willing to take on the challenge, you will find that WordPress has a lot of customizations.
2. Wix
Wix is one of the top website builders to consider for nonprofits. Unlike WordPress, Wix has a drag-and-drop interface which is easier for beginners. It also has pre-made templates which you can use so you don’t need to equip yourself with coding skills.
It is easy to create galleries for your images, post content, and place custom forms on your website. You can even create fundraising pages and track your progress towards your goal.
However, the downside of Wix is that it is not fully customizable. It also has limited features and storage space. The payment options are also limited, and you even have to sign up on one of the paid plans to receive donations.
Plus, once you have chosen a theme, you cannot change it anymore. This is because you will need to rebuild your whole website if you did change your theme. But if these are the least of your concerns, Wix will be your best option.
3. Squarespace
Squarespace has a drag-and-drop interface which makes it easy to use. It also has hundreds of templates that are specific for nonprofits. All the templates have excellent design and have a minimalist look. It also has unlimited storage, custom forms, and a basic email feature.
It also offers a built-in donation button so you don’t have to worry about integrating a third-party tool for it. It also allows you to change your template during and after your design process. It will seamlessly import everything into your new template.
However, the bad news is that Squarespace does not offer a free plan. It only offers a 14-day free trial. Plus, beyond that, you need to pay to publish your site and share it with the world. But if you are okay with spending $12-18 per month, then you should go with Squarespace.
4. Weebly
Weebly is a straightforward website builder that also has a drag-and-drop interface. It has a variety of templates that can give your website a professional look. But, it still has eye-catching layouts. It is great for social media integration as it’s easy to share events, photos, and content. What sets Weebly apart from other website builders is that it has a Weebly store.
Most of the time, it is used for E-commerce websites. But it can also be used by nonprofits to generate funds and allow fixed donations from visitors. Weebly also provides free contact forms to collect your visitors’ information.
However, like WordPress, Weebly requires a bit more coding as it doesn’t include a lot of features. But if you only need to use a few key features and do not need to customize a lot on your website, choose Weebly.
5. GoDaddy
GoDaddy may be known for domain name registration and web hosting, but it is also a good website builder. It is simple and the themes have the same basic format. But you can change the theme’s main color and remove, edit, or add sections to your pages.
It also provides easy image importing and editing, unlike other website builders. GoDaddy also boasts its ability to create backups and restore the website at any time.
However, like Wix, you cannot change your template without re-inserting contents. Furthermore, like Squarespace, it does not offer a free plan. It only offers a 30-day free trial. But with $6-10 per month, you can enjoy added PayPal integration, SSL security, and SEO.
6. Site123
Site123 is also one of the easiest and fastest website builders to use, thus, the name. You can create a website in 3 easy steps. First, choose a template. Next, upload your images and content, Finally, publish your website.
It also has a drag-and-drop interface so you don’t need to be familiar with coding. It also has 24/7 live support to help answer your questions and to guide you in making a website.
However, if you are thinking of having a comments section, Site123 may not be for you. It also does not display categories and archives in your blog section. But if you only have a few contents to share, Site123 should be a convenient choice for you.
7. Jimdo
Jimdo may not look like it, but it is easy to use and also ads-free. That is why it is considered one of the top website builders. It provides suggested layouts to make it easy to build your website. What’s also convenient about Jimdo is that you can edit your website through their Jimdo mobile app. It also allows you to resize your images and add a contact form.
However, Jimdo is more suitable for small nonprofit organizations. Also, when you are editing page contents, a sidebar is not available. Instead, you have to hover your cursor over certain areas on the page and wait for an editor to appear.
It may be difficult to navigate at first, but once you get the hang of it, it makes everything more organized. If this is not a problem for you, you can then select Jimdo.
Final Words
There are many website builders that you can choose from, but it will still go down to your need and preference. Make sure to think it through before you decide on which website builder to choose. WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, GoDaddy, Site123, and Jimdo have their pros and cons. But it’s up to you to weigh them and see which best suits your cause.