Web Sites for Non-Profit Organizations: Three Key Benefits</h1> <article> <h1>Web Sites for Non-Profit Organizations: Three Key Benefits</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:09:12 GMT</p> <p> 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. <br /><br /><b>Benefit #1: A Web site is an easy-to-access way to communicate your mission </b><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><b>Benefit #2: A Web site helps to drive additional donations or in-kind support</b><br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br /><b>Benefit #3: A Web site helps to build relationships with constituents and volunteers</b><br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div> </article> </main></body></html>