Nonprofit websites carry a lot of responsibility—and the questions that come with them are often complex, spanning strategy, technology, accessibility, and cost. This nonprofit website FAQ is designed to answer some common questions organizations ask when planning, building, or maintaining their digital presence. As a nonprofit branding and website design agency, openbox9 wants to provide clear, practical guidance while helping organizations better understand how thoughtful website strategy, WordPress development, and technical decisions can strengthen visibility in search and connect more effectively with the audiences they serve.
What content should a nonprofit website include?
Your website content should clearly communicate your mission and guide users toward meaningful action. This includes:
- Clear messaging and purpose-driven content. Less mission statement and more promises
- Strong calls to action (what are they doing?)
- Accessible and engaging visuals
- Concise, user-focused writing
Every piece of content should serve a specific goal and support your broader communication strategy.
Should nonprofits include an FAQ page on their website?
In many cases, a traditional FAQ page is not recommended (ahem… but here is ours). FAQs can:
- Duplicate content across your site
- Become outdated quickly
- Create a transactional experience instead of a guided journey
A better approach is organizing your website around clear user pathways, helping visitors find answers in context. (Note: This page is structured for SEO and resource purposes, not as a replacement for strong site architecture.)
What legal requirements should a nonprofit website meet?
Your site should include:
- A clear privacy policy explaining data collection and usage
- Cookie consent functionality (GDPR/CCPA compliance)
- Transparency about third-party tools (analytics, forms, donations)
Consulting a legal professional is recommended to ensure full compliance.
Who owns the website and source files?
Ownership depends on your agreement:
- Retainer (work-for-hire): You own all files created during the engagement
- Project-based work: Final deliverables are included (e.g. code ,graphics training docs), but source files to create the final files may require an additional fee
This approach protects the value of custom design work while giving nonprofits flexibility based on their needs.
What’s the difference between a domain and web hosting?
- Domain: Your website address (e.g., yourorg.org)
- Hosting: Where your website lives
Both are required. Your domain must be connected to your hosting provider for your website to be accessible.
What is web hosting and why does it matter?
Web hosting is the service that stores your website files and makes them accessible online. It directly impacts your site’s performance, security, and reliability.
We recommend using a web host who offers managed WordPress hosting, which is optimized for performance, security, and ongoing maintenance—reducing the burden on your team. More on how to choose a web host.
What accessibility standards should a nonprofit website follow?
Your website should meet accessibility standards (such as WCAG) to ensure all users can access your content. This includes:
- Writing descriptive alt text for images
- Structuring content clearly
- Ensuring readability and usability across devices
Accessibility improves both user experience and SEO performance. Our rigid and details work with the University of California is a great standard for all nonprofits to reach.
How should nonprofits handle redirects when launching a new website?
When redesigning a website, URLs often change. Without proper redirects, users may encounter broken links (404 errors). We recommend:
- Reviewing top-visited pages
- Setting up redirects for key URLs
- Using tools like the Redirection plugin in WordPress
This preserves SEO value and ensures a smooth user experience.
What tools should nonprofits use for website analytics?
Google Analytics (GA4) is commonly used, but it requires additional setup to be fully effective. Best practices include:
- Using Google Tag Manager for tracking actions
- Setting up conversion tracking
- Filtering internal traffic
- Using dashboards or visualization tools for deeper insights
What is the best way to manage website storage and performance?
To keep your site fast and efficient:
- Optimize images before uploading
- Use video hosting platforms (YouTube, Vimeo)
- Regularly clean your media library
- Update or remove outdated content
This improves both performance and SEO.
What are best practices for QR codes in nonprofit campaigns?
Avoid linking QR codes directly to fixed URLs that may change. Instead:
- Use a vanity URL on your website
- Or use a short link service (e.g., Bitly)
This allows you to update destinations without reprinting materials and track engagement over time.
Does openbox9 provide an ongoing website strategy for websites?
In addition to design and development, openbox9 offers an ongoing website strategy to help nonprofits continuously improve their digital presence. This includes:
- Identifying opportunities to improve user experience and engagement
- Recommending content, SEO, and messaging updates
- Evaluating performance through analytics and user behavior
- Prioritizing updates based on impact and available resources
Rather than treating your website as a one-time project, we help you evolve it over time—aligning your site with your mission, audience needs, and organizational goals.
What support does openbox9 provide after a website launch?
Post launch, openbox9 provides a 90 day guarantee to address any issues that arise along with training refreshers. If openbox9 created your website, we also can provide one-time services on a need basis (pay-as-you-go services).
As a service, openbox9 provides ongoing support to help maintain, improve, and troubleshoot your website. When an issue arises, we assess the scope, recommend solutions, and handle updates, testing, and deployment. This service is provided by a standard monthly or quarterly retainer agreement
Most requests include not only technical fixes, but also time for clarification, planning, and quality assurance. This ensures your website continues to perform reliably and effectively.
How much does website support cost?
Support is billed at $120/hour with a minimum of $300 per request. We recommend bundling multiple updates together to maximize efficiency and reduce overall costs.
Got a question?
And that’s just ‘some’ of the many questions we find common — contact us about your project — we’d enjoy knowing how we might be of service to you.