For many nonprofit organizations, the website has quietly become one of the most important tools they rely on every day. It’s where donors give, community members look for help, partners evaluate credibility, and staff manage information that supports programs and services. Yet despite its importance, the website is often treated as a marketing project instead of what it truly is: a core part of the organization’s infrastructure.
This challenge becomes even more pronounced for complex (also known as “federated”) nonprofit organizations. These include national or regional nonprofits with local chapters, organizations with multiple programs and audiences, or nonprofits that serve as hubs for other community organizations, such as United Ways, YMCAs, Meals on Wheels, and other large service networks. In these environments, the website is not just telling a story; it’s supporting real work across many teams and partners.
When nonprofits feel pressure to modernize, the conversation often starts with design. Boards ask why the site looks outdated. Staff struggle with tools that are hard to use. Partners want easier ways to collaborate. The instinctive response is often, “We need to redesign the website.” But redesigning alone rarely solves the deeper problems.
A thoughtful nonprofit website strategy looks beyond appearance. It considers how people use the site, who manages it, how it connects to other systems, and how it can grow with the organization over time. When done well, website strategy becomes a key driver of nonprofit digital transformation, helping organizations work more efficiently, communicate more clearly, and better serve their communities.
This guide is written for nonprofit leaders, managers, and partners who want to better understand what a strong website strategy looks like, and why it matters for long-term impact.
A nonprofit organization does not need to be large to be complex. Complexity usually comes from how an organization is structured and how many people rely on the website to do their jobs.
Many complex nonprofits share common characteristics:
Multiple locations or chapters. National or regional organizations often support local affiliates that need their own content while still following shared brand guidelines.
Many programs and audiences. A single nonprofit may serve donors, volunteers, clients, partners, and the general public, all with different needs.
Shared ownership of content. Marketing, fundraising, programs, and communications teams may all need access to the website.
External partners. Some nonprofits, such as United Ways, support other organizations through training, grants, or shared services and need digital tools that work across organizational boundaries.
Accountability requirements. Accessibility, privacy, and security expectations continue to increase, especially for nonprofits handling donations and their donors’ personal data.
In these situations, the website becomes a shared resource. Without clear direction, it can easily become confusing, outdated, or difficult to manage. A strong nonprofit website strategy acknowledges this complexity and creates structure without making things harder for the people doing the work.
Many nonprofits struggle with their websites not because they lack commitment, but because the tools and approaches they choose are not designed for their reality.
Some common issues include:
Choosing tools that work for individuals, not organizations. Platforms that are easy for one person to manage often become difficult when many people need access.
Focusing only on design. Visual updates can improve first impressions, but they do not fix workflow problems, content ownership issues, or system limitations.
Underestimating hosting and maintenance. Low-cost or do-it-yourself hosting solutions may work initially, but they often lack reliability, security, and support as needs grow.
Disconnected systems. When donation tools, email platforms, and databases do not connect well to the website, staff are left with manual work and inconsistent data.
No long-term plan. After launch, many nonprofits are unsure who is responsible for updates, improvements, and decision-making.
Over time, these challenges create frustration for staff and confusion for users. The website becomes something people work around instead of something that supports them.
Redesigning a website changes how it looks. A website strategy changes how it works.
A true nonprofit website strategy starts with asking practical questions, such as:
Answering these questions can help nonprofits identify how the website can become a flexible platform that can adapt as programs, partnerships, and priorities evolve.
Governance may sound formal, but at its core, it simply means clarity. Governance defines who can make changes, who approves content, and how decisions are made when priorities compete.
For federated nonprofits, clear governance helps:
Keep information accurate. When roles are defined, pages are updated on time, and information does not contradict itself.
Protect the organization’s brand. Shared standards ensure chapters, programs, and partners present a consistent message.
Reduce internal frustration. Staff know where to go for updates instead of guessing or duplicating work.
Support collaboration. Multiple teams can contribute safely without overwriting or undoing each other’s work.
Before: Anyone with access can update the site. Content slowly becomes outdated. Staff are unsure who owns what.
After: Roles are clear. Marketing manages brand and structure, programs update their content, and leadership has confidence in what the public sees.
Scenario – United Way: A national United Way provides governance guidelines so local affiliates can update program pages while maintaining consistent navigation, branding, and accessibility standards across all sites.
Source: liveunitedms.org
The content management system (CMS) is the foundation of a nonprofit website. For organizations with many programs and audiences, flexibility is essential.
A scalable platform allows nonprofits to:
Create separate sections or sites for programs and affiliates
Assign different permission levels to board members, staff, and partners
Adjust layouts as programs evolve
Avoid rebuilding the site every few years
Before: The website works well for one team but becomes difficult as more people need access.
After: The platform supports growth without forcing constant redesigns or workarounds.
Scenario – YMCA: A regional YMCA uses one platform to manage content for youth programs, fitness centers, and community initiatives, each with its own updates but shared structure.
Source: gastonymca.org
Hosting is often invisible, until it fails. For nonprofits, downtime or security issues can quickly erode trust.
Strong hosting provides:
Consistent performance during high-traffic fundraising campaigns
Protection for donor and participant data
Regular updates and monitoring
Access to real support when issues arise
Before: The site experiences slowdowns during major campaigns, and staff scramble to find help.
After: Hosting is stable, secure, and supported, allowing teams to focus on mission-driven work.
Scenario – ASPCA: During emergency response campaigns, reliable hosting ensures donation pages remain available when public interest spikes. OneEach's in-kind donation platform, Mindful Giving, is a must-have solution for fundraising.
Source: wishlists.aspca.org
Nonprofit websites often need to work with donation tools, CRMs, email platforms, and reporting systems.
When systems are connected:
Data flows automatically
Reporting is more accurate
Staff spend less time on manual tasks
Supporters experience smoother interactions
Before: Staff manually reconcile data across multiple tools.
After: Systems share information, reduce errors, and save time.
Scenario – Meals on Wheels: Local programs can track donations and volunteer sign-ups through connected systems that roll up into regional reporting.
Source: mowsummerville.org
Isn’t redesigning the website enough?
A redesign improves appearance, but without a strategy, it often leaves deeper issues unresolved.
Do smaller teams need this level of planning?
Yes. Even small teams benefit from clarity, especially when multiple people contribute content.
Is a website strategy too expensive?
Planning upfront often reduces long-term costs by avoiding repeated rebuilding.
Who should make the website decisions?
Ownership should be shared, with clear roles across marketing, programs, and leadership.
OneEach Technologies has spent more than 25 years working exclusively with nonprofits, which means we understand not just websites but the realities of nonprofit work. We know how boards make decisions, how staff juggle competing priorities, and how programs, fundraising, and communications all rely on the same digital foundation. Many of our nonprofit customers have stayed with us for a decade or longer, not because they are locked into a contract, but because we continue to show up as an accessible, responsive partner who understands their mission and their audience. That continuity matters.
Too often, nonprofits invest heavily in a redesign with an agency that doesn’t understand the sector and disappears once the site launches. This leaves staff struggling to manage a complex system with little support and no long-term gain. Our approach is different. We partner for the long haul, helping nonprofits build and maintain websites that actually support their work over time, not just on launch day.
Here are a few benefits of working with OneEach:
Specialization in the nonprofit sector. We understand the unique needs and challenges faced by nonprofits and tailor our solutions accordingly.
Comprehensive solutions. This comprehensive approach - website design and development, hosting, fundraising platform, and marketing - allows nonprofits to consolidate your digital needs with one provider.
Customization options. We offer customizable solutions to meet your website, fundraising, hosting, and marketing requirements.
U.S.-based support team. 75% of our staff have experience working with mission-driven groups, with over 200 combined years in the nonprofit sector. Dedicated account managers, technical support, and monthly trainings are just some of our white-glove customer service offerings. Check out this success story about our commitment to unparalleled service!
For complex, federated nonprofit organizations, a website must serve many audiences and support many roles. That requires more than a fresh design. It requires a thoughtful nonprofit website strategy built on clarity, flexibility, and long-term thinking.
When websites are treated as shared infrastructure, they become tools that help nonprofits communicate, collaborate, and grow.
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