No matter who your constituents are or what kind of services
you provide, every non-profit organization can benefit from a presence on the
World Wide Web.
Benefit #1: A Web site is an easy-to-access way to
communicate your mission
Whether your Web site contains
basic information on your organization or allows users to request services, ask
questions or make donations, every organization can benefit from having a place
on the Web. Any Web site can serve as a
place for people to go to learn about the services your organization
provides. Especially as people
increasingly use the Web for their research, it is important for organizations
to have an online presence.
Increasingly, having a site can lend an air of "legitimacy" to an
organization, especially one that doesn't have a physical location from which
to provide services.
Benefit #2: A Web site helps to drive additional donations
or in-kind support
With the increasing popularity of
online shopping and banking, people are used to financial transactions
online. These financial transactions
include online donations. While there
will always be donors who wish to speak to an individual and where one-on-one
contact is still required, a strong Web site with clear information, the
ability to make a donation and to generate a receipt is often an easy way for
an organization to manage large numbers of smaller donations.
Web sites also are a great place
to advertise events, provide lists of suggested in-kind support, publicize
large national campaign details like United
Way numbers and showcase scores from organizations
like Charity Navigator. All of these
efforts can help drive additional donations, even if those donations are not
processed online.
Benefit #3: A Web
site helps to build relationships with constituents and volunteers
A Web site is an excellent
friend-raiser as well. A site can house
volunteer applications and member newsletters, spread the word about hearings,
public hearings, annual meetings and other gatherings and even serve as a place
where constituents can "weigh in" through the use of blogs. Keeping the site meaningful to users means
ensuring that the information available is accurate and timely.
These are the key benefits-but certainly not the only
ones-that a non-profit organization can realize through the use of a Web site.