This article is part of our Digital Skills series!
Every post is packed with expert tips, time-saving tactics, and best practices to help you raise more money, faster.

 ‣ Levelling Up Your Social Media Marketing

 ‣ Using Al to Make Your Fundraising Easier

 ‣ How to Raise More Money with Every Email

 ‣ How to Create a Digital Fundraising Strategy (feat. Zoe Amar)

 ‣ 4 Top UX Improvements for Your Charity’s Website

Your charity’s website isn’t just a place to host information. It’s the front door to your mission.

Whether someone’s looking to donate, volunteer, or learn more, their experience on your charity’s website can make or break their decision to take an action.

UX encompasses every touchpoint your audience has with your organisation, online and offline, from first impression to final action.

Let’s explore why UX is especially important for charities and what you can do to improve yours today.

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What’s good UX for a charity website?

Good UX is more than how something looks. It’s about empathy: how easy something is to use, how intuitive it feels, and how effectively it helps users achieve their goals. In other words, good UX helps people find what they need quickly and feel confident doing it!

This means simple and thoughtful UX, paired with emerging technologies like AI, can make all the difference. And for charities, good UX results in more completed donations, more newsletter sign-ups, and more engaged supporters.

4 ways to improve your website’s UX

Our research highlights the importance of timing and trust. Every click, scroll, and form field can either deepen a supporter’s connection or cause them to disengage.

But many charity websites run into similar issues: cluttered layouts, unclear calls-to-action, slow load times, and non-mobile friendly designs. These are all frustrating, create friction, and unintentionally put distance between your cause and your supporters.

The good news is you don’t need a full redesign to make meaningful improvements! Start by doing these four things to improve your charity website’s UX.

1. Streamline your homepage

When there are less decisions, it’s more likely someone will make one! Streamline your home page or the main page on your website to focus on one or two key actions: your current campaign, a call-to-action for donations, or info on your next fundraising event.

2. Simplify your donation forms

When it’s easy to sign up, more people will. Simplify your forms by reducing unnecessary form fields and offering suggested donation amounts that correspond with actual outcomes (e.g. £25 provides shelter for one night).

Check out how you can customise your charity’s JustGiving Profile Page with Suggested Amounts!

3. Use clear, concise language

According to the National Literacy Trust, many people best understand short, straightforward texts on familiar topics. We recommend, where possible, keeping your language as clear as possible, written so it can be understood by anyone – no need for jargon or technical terms!

4. Optimise your website for mobile devices

Responsive websites (those optimised for mobile devices) are more accessible, easier to read and navigate, and provide a better experience for everyone.

Strategic asks: getting the timing right

Donors are emotionally invested. The peak-end rule tells us that people remember emotional highs and how an experience ends.

This means designing for emotional impact at the right time is critical: and your thank-you page is a critical UX moment.

“Th-asks” are ‘thank-yous’ followed by asking someone to do something. And using them strategically can be powerful. One example could be saying thanks just after someone donates, with a prompt to share how they’ve helped.

But the timing has to be right. Asking too soon might interrupt or minimise the positive impact and emotions the donor is experiencing. Consider thanking supporters multiple times before inviting further action.

You can reinforce their pride, connection, and impact further by including visuals, stories, and clear next steps like recurring giving, volunteering, or sharing your mission.

Accessibility is inclusion

Accessibility isn’t just a technical requirement; it’s a moral one.

Charities serve diverse audiences, including people with disabilities, older users, and those with limited digital literacy.

Inclusive design ensures everyone can engage with your mission. Here are simple steps to improve your website’s accessibility:

• Use alt text for images, so people who are blind or have low vision can understand what the image shows.
• Ensure good colour contrast to help people with colour blindness read content more easily
• Make forms keyboard navigable to help people who can’t use a mouse.
• Write in plain language, so everyone can understand your content, including people with learning disabilities or those who speak English as second language.

By prioritising accessibility, charities demonstrate a commitment to equity and inclusion and make their digital spaces more welcoming for all. See examples of accessibility best practices for charities with these examples from Guide Dogs.

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UX isn’t just about how your website looks. It’s about how it feels, how it works, and how it supports your mission!

By understanding donor motivations, avoiding common pitfalls, and leveraging tools like AI, charities can create digital experiences that honour generosity, inspire continued support, and make it easier for people to engage, donate, and get involved.