As a non-profit organization, having a professional online presence is crucial to reach a wider audience and achieve your mission.
Wix offers a free website builder specifically designed for non-profits, allowing you to create a website in minutes.
With Wix, you can choose from a variety of customizable templates and drag-and-drop tools to create a website that reflects your organization's brand and values.
WordPress.com also provides a free website builder for non-profits, offering a range of customizable themes and plugins to enhance your website's functionality.
Bluehost offers a free website builder and hosting service for non-profits, allowing you to create a website and store your files online.
Google Sites is another option for non-profits, providing a simple and easy-to-use website builder that integrates with other Google apps.
Weebly is a popular website builder that offers a free plan for non-profits, allowing you to create a website and online store.
Free Website Builders for Non-Profits
Kualo offers a free nonprofit website hosting plan for registered USA 501(c)(3) nonprofits listed on Charity Navigator. This plan supports a single website, multiple subdomains, and up to ten email accounts.
You can also use Weebly to build a free website with drag-and-drop options and appealing templates. Weebly is a great choice if you plan to raise funds, as it has e-commerce features that can help you sell items with your nonprofit's branding.
Here are some free website builders for non-profits:
Kualo
Kualo is a great option for non-profits looking for free website hosting. It currently supports over 1,000 US-based charities.
To qualify for Kualo's free nonprofit website hosting, you need to be a registered USA 501(c)(3) nonprofit listed on the Charity Navigator website. The company is open to receiving requests from a limited number of charities outside the US.
Kualo's Solo plan is fully compatible with popular Content Management Systems, including WordPress. You'll also get access to a free drag-and-drop website builder to create a professional-looking nonprofit site.
Some benefits of Kualo's Solo plan include a 99.9% uptime guarantee, free LiteSpeed Cache, unlimited bandwidth, and 24/7 customer support.
If the Solo plan doesn't meet your requirements, Kualo offers a 50% discount on its entire range of hosting services.
WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular platforms to build free websites for non-profits. It offers 100% customization of your website design whenever required.
WordPress allows you to have a wide banner on the homepage that can immediately make your venture and intentions clear for your audience. This feature is exactly what you need for your non-profit venture.
With WordPress, you can add a newsletter sign up button on the homepage and make it easy for yourself to build a sustainable and long-lasting relationship with the audience. A press coverage section and an interactive map that help your audience find your office and events easily can also be added to your website.
WordPress also allows you to add call to action buttons to your website, which helps you to have dedicated donation, subscription, and membership pages on your website too. These features are beneficial and are sure to make your website effective.
WordPress is free, which gives you more control over your budget. The self-hosted version is free, and you may be able to ask for a nonprofit discount when purchasing a theme, a plugin, or even web hosting.
You can use WordPress to transform your website into anything you want, whether it’s an engine to accept donations, hire volunteers, or organize events. The range of plugins alone is mind-boggling, and with a little effort, you will be able to integrate any kind of SEO or newsletter tool you want.
Here are some key benefits of using WordPress for your non-profit website:
- The self-hosted version is free
- Hundreds of nonprofit themes are available
- Unlimited features can be added with plugins
Weebly
Weebly is a popular choice for building websites for nonprofit ventures. It offers free websites with easy-to-use drag-and-drop options and appealing templates. Weebly has unrivalled e-commerce features that can help you sell items with your nonprofit's branding.
One of the key benefits of Weebly is its ability to streamline your lead generation process and help you reach out to potential donors, volunteers, and loyal supporters. It offers free forms that can make it easy to collect information and stay in touch with your audience.
Weebly is a great option if you plan to raise funds for your nonprofit. It has features that can help you sell items and accept donations, making it a valuable tool for your fundraising efforts.
Popular Website Builders
Wix offers a 70% discount for a 2-year Wix Core Premium plan for nonprofit organizations, which includes a free 1-year domain registration voucher. This discount is currently only available in certain countries.
Wix has more than a dozen website templates designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, including templates for community events, environmental NGOs, and animal shelters. These templates let you begin with an About Us page, an Events page, a Contact page, and a big call to action (CTA) to support the organization.
The Wix AppMarket offers multiple apps to accept donations, including one called Get Funding, which tracks donations directly to a PayPal account and is customizable enough to style it according to your organization's branding.
DreamHost
DreamHost is a top-rated provider that offers completely free web hosting to U.S-based nonprofit organizations.
All you need is either a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) determination letter, and you can claim a single shared hosting plan at no cost.
You'll also get free email hosting, a free domain name in your first year, and a free SSL certificate. Plus, you'll have access to a free AI website builder to help you get up and running quickly.
DreamHost is one of the extremely few "officially recommended" hosting providers by WordPress.org.
If you're a WordPress fan, you can also use WordPress on DreamHost. Their managed DreamPress packages start from $16.95 per month, but you might be able to get a discount if you ask customer support.
Here are some benefits of using DreamHost:
- Free web hosting for U.S-based nonprofit organizations
- Free email hosting
- Free domain name in the first year
- Free SSL certificate
- Free AI website builder
InterServer
InterServer is a web hosting company that offers a free nonprofit website hosting package to all nonprofits. If you can provide an IRS 501(c)(3) tax identification letter, they promise unlimited space and bandwidth at no cost.
Their free hosting includes unlimited email accounts, which is perfect for larger nonprofits where every staff member needs their own email address. This feature can also help you create separate accounts for different parts of your organization.
The 24/7 customer service is a generous inclusion for a completely free plan. For a nonprofit, around-the-clock support can be a lifesaver.
Here are some additional features you can expect from InterServer's free hosting:
- A SitePad website builder
- Access to over 300 themes and more than 40 widgets
- A free SSL certificate
- Built-in InterShield Security solution for added protection
To qualify for InterServer's free hosting, your nonprofit must be registered and verified as 501(c)(3) with the IRS.
Wix
Wix is a popular choice for nonprofits, offering a range of features and tools to help you create a professional-looking website.
Wix offers more than a dozen website templates designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, including templates for community events, environmental NGOs, animal shelters, and educational NGOs.
These templates make it easy to get started and create a website that matches your organization's branding and goals.
Wix also offers a special discount for nonprofit organizations, which can be obtained by registering with a third-party service called TechSoup.
The discount includes a 70% discount for a 2-year Wix Core Premium plan and a free 1-year domain registration voucher.
However, the discount is only currently available in certain countries, including Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Wix also offers drag-and-drop donation forms that can be customized to match your organization's branding.
These donation forms can be integrated with PayPal, allowing you to accept donations on your website.
Wix's pricing guide is available online, and it's worth noting that while the nonprofit discount can be a big savings, it may not be the most cost-effective option for all nonprofits.
Here are the key features of Wix that make it a great choice for nonprofits:
- Dozens of nonprofit-specific templates
- Special discount for nonprofit organizations
- Drag-and-drop donation forms
- Integrated PayPal payments
- Easy-to-use interface
Overall, Wix is a great option for nonprofits who want a professional-looking website with all the features they need to succeed.
Features to Consider
When choosing a free website builder for your non-profit, it's essential to consider features that meet your organization's unique needs.
Drag-and-drop creation is a must-have, making it easy to rearrange content and create new pages without coding knowledge. A good website builder will also have restricted access/page visibility features, allowing you to make some pages private or only visible to certain people.
Analytics is crucial to see how people are engaging with your website and what they like most about it. A good analytics dashboard will help you understand how people interact with your site so that you can improve it over time.
For online donations, look for a website builder that offers secure payment processing capabilities and built-in donation pages and buttons. This will make it easy to process online payments and raise funds for your non-profit.
A calendar and event management system is also a plus, allowing you to manage and promote events directly from your website builder's dashboard.
Here are some key features to consider:
- Drag-and-drop widgets
- Professionally-designed website templates
- Simple content editor
- Easy uploads for images and other resources
- Password-protected pages for members, volunteers or staff only
- The ability to easily incorporate your non-profit's visual brand
- Built-in donation pages and buttons
- Secure payment processing capabilities
- Contact forms
- Membership management tools
- Event management tools
- Mobile responsiveness
Consider a website builder that offers free e-commerce, responsive design, blogging, and SEO capabilities, such as IM Creator. This will give you a robust platform to manage your online presence and raise funds for your non-profit.
Ultimately, choose a website builder that meets your organization's unique needs and provides the features you need to succeed.
Tips and Resources
Choosing the right resources and content for your nonprofit website is crucial to engaging your audience and driving action. A regularly-updated blog is a community-building tool that provides regular updates on your programming, volunteer opportunities, and fundraising efforts.
Including a blog on your website will give visitors a reason to keep coming back. You can also use your website to house important information for staff and volunteers, such as training webinars and internal process PDFs.
Educational resources for staff and volunteers are essential for your nonprofit's operations. These resources can be housed on a staff-only or volunteers-only page, making it easy for them to access important information.
Impact reports and updates are a great way to inspire people to stay involved and keep giving. These reports should include both hard numbers and personal anecdotes to make a lasting impression.
To make the most of your website, consider including member's only benefits, such as nonprofit discounts and access to educational courses and certifications. A directory where members can network with others in the industry can also be a valuable resource.
Here are some popular resources nonprofits typically choose to include on their sites:
- A regularly-updated blog
- Educational resources for staff and volunteers
- Impact reports and updates
- Member’s only benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Google sites free for nonprofits?
No, Google Sites is not specifically mentioned as a free product for nonprofits in the Google for Nonprofits program, but nonprofits can access Google Workspace products at no charge or with discounted rates.
Sources
- https://wpshout.com/free-nonprofit-website-hosting/
- https://www.springly.org/en-us/free-website-nonprofit/
- https://www.tooltester.com/en/blog/best-website-builder-for-nonprofit/
- https://blog.candid.org/post/a-guide-to-creating-a-free-website-for-your-nonprofit/
- https://www.wildapricot.com/blog/best-nonprofit-website-builder
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