Heart-tugging appeals are still surefire ways to get people to donate to a cause, but even the most high-minded mission can benefit from having an organizational Website that offers compelling content and a structure that is pleasing to the eye and comfortable to navigate.

During the 2013 Bridge Conference, representatives of Big Duck New York City and the Environmental Defense Fund offered advice about the content and structure of a nonprofit organization’s Website.

They suggested the following:

• Review the Website’s information architecture (content groupings, layout and navigation) and explore restructuring if needed. Make it easy for visitors to find content they’re looking for.
• Writing clearly is necessary but not enough in itself. If necessary, rewrite the Website text in a Web-friendly style with short paragraphs and visual elements like bullets and subheadings to break it up.
• Create a content strategy plan for the site and define priorities based on the audience’s needs.
• Develop a realistic Website maintenance plan and schedule, making sure to define staff roles and responsibilities.
• Make sure content is up to date.
• Make sure content will be up to date in three months. Be honest about this.