After more than a decade of designing and building websites for charities and purpose driven businesses we’ve seen our share of website’s that miss the mark. If your charity’s website is failing to inspire your audiences it might be time for a review of the design to see why.
Some people come to us with websites that are broken; broken links, broken navigation, broken forms, and errors. While others approach us because the website simply isn’t gaining traction or doing the job it needs to. If that sounds like your organisation then read on, because these five design tweaks for charity websites can make a world of difference to your site and the impact you can have.
1. Typography – Less is More
The first challenge is the use of too many fonts or font styles that don’t align with the values of the brand. Worse, your charity’s website fonts may be unreadable. While beautiful intricate fonts can look great on wedding invitations, they can be hard to read on a website. And if people can’t read the content, it won’t matter how stunning it looks. Whether you have a love of “fancy” fonts or you’re dealing with a website that’s be built by a string of volunteers who each added their own style, it’s worth checking to see which fonts are used, where, and whether they do the job.
Tip: Stick to simplicity. Select one easy-to-read font for your headings and a different one for the body text. Limit your website to two font families and prioritise clean, straightforward styles over ornate designs. For web typography, clarity always wins over complexity.
2. White Space – Let Your Content Breathe
Most charity websites are packed with content. Inexperienced designers or volunteers often think that filling in every gap would make a site look more “complete.” But the truth is, the more you cram in, the more overwhelming it becomes for visitors.
Tip: Let your content breathe by incorporating white space around text, images, and buttons. White space isn’t empty—it’s a vital design element that keeps your layout tidy, organised, and visually appealing. It also directs focus to the most important elements.
3. Call to Actions – One Focus Above the Fold
Most charities are writing for multiple audiences, the website might need to speak to donors, funders, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders. With so much information to share it may be tempting to start pages with multiple calls-to-action (CTAs), thinking it would offer more choice. But too many options can overwhelm and confuse, leading to inaction.
Tip: Focus on one main call-to-action above the fold. Whether it’s “Donate Now,” “Take Action,” or “Download the Guide,” having a single, clear prompt guides users to take the next step. Secondary actions can be placed further down the page, but keep your primary CTA prominent and focused. This approach boosts conversions—fewer choices lead to more decisive actions.
4. Colours – Simple and Accessible is Best
If your approach to colour is “the more, the merrier” you might be causing problems for your organisation. From poor brand recognition, to incoherent designs, and failing to meet web accessibility guidelines. Your colours help people make sense of your brand and your content
Tip: Opt for a 3-color palette: one primary color, one accent, and one neutral. Using a small color pallet ensures your site stays cohesive and makes it easier to maintain design consistency. The primary color reflects your brand, the accent adds emphasis in select areas, and the neutral tones provide balance. This simple color scheme creates a polished, professional look that feels purposeful and unified. When choosing your colours, make sure you test them for colour contrast to make sure your website is accessible for all.
5. Don’t Forget Website Accessibility
It’s crucial to make sites inclusive for all users, regardless of their abilities. Luckily the third sector has a greater emphasis on accessibility than most businesses but if you’ve been DIYing your website or if this wasn’t a focus during the design and subsequent updates then you should check your website is meeting the latest web accessibility guidelines.
Tip: Prioritise accessibility from the beginning. Use high-contrast colours for readability, add alt text to images for screen readers, and ensure your site is fully navigable with a keyboard. Focusing on accessibility expands your audience, improves SEO, and demonstrates your commitment to professionalism and inclusivity. One of our favourite tools is Wave Accessibility extension, this can be used to check if a website meets some of the most important accessibility standards.
A little extra web design help for charities
For a little extra help here’s a little video I always share with beginner designers or volunteers to help them understand how to make their designs more accessible, cohesive, and easy to navigate.
With these five tips you’ll ensure that your website isn’t just functional anymore; it will be more professionally designed, easy to use, and impactful. If you’re looking to take your website to the next level, start with these five tweaks. Trust me, the impact can be truly remarkable.
Looking for more help? Get in touch with us to chat about your website design and development, or to book an impact day for us to work on your existing site.
