Top 10 Considerations When Choosing Your CMS
Are you considering WordPress for your nonprofit website? Below, we’ll share 10 reasons why WordPress might be an excellent choice for your organization. In fact, 60% of nonprofit websites use WordPress as their content management system (CMS).
1. Cost Considerations: WordPress Can Be a Cost-Effective Choice
Budgets are tight, and WordPress is open-source, which means it’s free to use if you have the skillset to implement it yourself! This allows you to allocate precious funds to other vital areas of your mission. If you aren’t a techie, you may be able to find assistance for a basic setup without breaking the bank.
2. Appearance: Easily Customize WordPress for Your Nonprofit Website
With thousands of themes and plugins, WordPress lets you customize your site to reflect your unique mission. You can also choose a nonprofit theme that visually represents your organization. Whether you’re tech-savvy or not, you can easily create a professional-looking site.
3. Growth: WordPress is Extendable and Scalable
WordPress grows with you. As your nonprofit’s needs evolve, WordPress can handle increased traffic and more complex functionalities. The value of an open-source framework extends beyond cost savings, offering flexibility and a vast ecosystem of extensions to support your mission.
4. Reach: SEO-Friendliness of WordPress for Nonprofits
WordPress is optimized for search engines with its clean code and structure. However, to further enhance your SEO efforts to expand your organic reach, using plugins like Yoast or RankMath can significantly improve your site’s search engine visibility without needing complex SEO strategies.
5. Reliability: Strong Security and Maintenance Options
With regular updates and a large community continuously enhancing security features, WordPress helps keep your site secure. However, your data protection also depends on your hosting provider and whether you have a website care plan to ensure your site remains secure and up-to-date. In addition to the security benefits, regular maintenance is crucial to keep your nonprofit website functioning smoothly.
6. Device Compatibility: Mobile Responsiveness
WordPress ensures your site looks great and functions smoothly across all devices. This is crucial for reaching supporters who are constantly on their phones.
7. Internationalization: Multilingual Support for Global Nonprofit Websites
For global operations, WordPress supports multilingual websites, making it easy to connect with supporters worldwide in their native languages.
8. Extensibility: Extensive Plugin Library
From donation buttons to event calendars, there’s a plugin for almost everything, allowing you to add functionality as your nonprofit grows. Plugins like Charitable or GiveWP for donations, The Events Calendar or Sugar Calendar for managing events, and Gravity Forms or WPForms for creating forms can add significant functionality to your site without extensive coding. There are approximately 60,000 free WordPress plugins in the repository.
9. Keeping Up with Tech: Innovation with No-Code Solutions
Developers are constantly innovating as new technologies become available, making it easier for administrators to take advantage of no-code solutions found in the plugin library. This means you can implement powerful features and updates without needing extensive technical knowledge. This paired with the supportive community means your organization can innovate to your heart’s content.
10. Getting Help: Supportive Community + Expert Web Agencies
The WordPress community is vast and supportive. You’ll find forums, tutorials, and meetups to help you navigate any challenges if you’re wanting to DIY. Additionally, there are numerous freelancers and expert web agencies like CauseLabs specializing in WordPress, making it easier to find help if you need to go beyond your capabilities. For more resources, visit WP101 Tutorials or the WordPress Developer Hub. For in person connections and support, join a WordCamp conference. They are hosted in various locations around the world.
Isn’t WordPress for Blogs?
Not any more. For over a decade WordPress has been used to create an online stores, business websites, community sites, learning management systems, marketing campaigns, landing pages, web apps, and even an ecosystem of connected platforms. CauseLabs has built custom platforms integrated with custom APIs, payment gateways, marketing outlets, business intelligence and CRM tools. As a technology that continues to evolve and is adaptable for custom development, there is a vast array of possibilities.
Is WordPress the Best Option for Your Nonprofit Website?
WordPress empowers your nonprofit to build an engaging website that effectively connects with community members, enhances mission awareness, and drives development efforts. This versatile CMS is trusted by organizations from sectors across the spectrum, including government websites, university sites, corporations, small businesses, associations, and, of course, nonprofits both large and small.
With its SEO-friendly structure, mobile responsiveness, and multilingual support, using WordPress for your nonprofit website helps your organization reach a global audience, enhancing your impact and visibility.
Featured Nonprofit Website Using WordPress
Many successful organizations use WordPress including a recent transition by NASA. Want to see a few examples? Amnesty International, Social Venture Partners, National Geographic Society, Wycliffe Canada, and Tarleton State University use WordPress to power their online presence. These sites demonstrate the platform’s versatility and effectiveness.
Budgeting for a Nonprofit Website Using WordPress
Yes, you can launch a website on a shoestring budget. That would be a DIY option, and if you’re working with limited startup funds, it’s certainly viable. On the other end of the spectrum, you can also spend six figures or more to build an entire ecosystem of digital solutions powered by, or connected to, a WordPress website. Most organizations land somewhere in between.
We recommend working with a trusted partner to help you invest wisely in your digital strategy and online presence. By thinking strategically about your technology, you can better plan for investments across website management, maintenance, engagement enhancements, operational efficiency, capacity building, and more.
Many nonprofits budget for a redesign or receive a grant and allocate that specific amount toward a one-time build. But your website, like any part of your organization, is not static. It evolves, just as your people, your programs, and the technology that supports your operations evolve.
Allocating annual funds to manage and maintain your website, just as you would for a physical brick-and-mortar space, is a more sustainable approach. Choosing professional support for setup, theme customization, and ongoing maintenance can save time, reduce issues, and ensure your site performs at its best while you stay focused on your mission and impact.
Ready to Boost Your Nonprofit’s Online Presence?
Contact CauseLabs today to discover how using WordPress for your nonprofit website can help your organization thrive.
