Aspire to this: An example of a great website
- Thu, August 13 2009
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Today I had the privilege of presenting to communications, marketing and development staff of Children’s National Medical Center. While I was preparing for my talk last week, I visited their website. And I was blown away.
I’m always being asked, what is an example of a great nonprofit website? Theirs is certainly one of them. Check out their give page here.
Why is it good? It illustrates the four things you need to communicate to your supporters IN SECONDS.
1. Why I should care: The kids’ pictures and stories immediately grab me
2. What my support could do: They use stories to convey their message and they GIVE CREDIT to their supporters. When you click on “Kids” you see: “Meet the kids whose lives you’re changing” They didn’t say “we’re changing”—they said “you’re changing.” I love that.
3. Why now: I dare you to watch this video and not feel motivated to give. Great stories generate a sense of urgency and a desire to give.
4. Who says: That same video is a story told by a parent, and that is what makes it so powerful. This particular dad had me in tears in a way an official representative never could.
Remember: it’s not about what you need from your donors, it’s about the change you and your donors can create together. Show that on your website and you’ll move hearts and minds.
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Comments
Last year I was in a workshop on internet marketing with a couple of staff members from the Children’s Hospital Foundation and they volunteered their website for review and feedback. This is quite a transformation and they’ve clearly done a great job!
This is helpful—so often, I know what I don’t like but can’t pinpoint exactly what works about good sites.
PS—I didn’t comment separately, but I really liked the albino squirrel piece!
I’m thrilled to see the direction CNMC has taken with their website! I was the instructor for the Internet Marketing workshop at the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations. We did a group assessment of the giving pages for the Children’s Hostpital Foundation using an assessment tool our company put together. The group provided a great deal of feedback, particularly on how to make a more compelling case to give to the Foundation and how to make the website more interactive. The staff of the Foundation are to be highly commended for the work they’ve done! It’s NOT EASY to be the focus of “constructive criticism,” but they obviously have made the most of the feedback they received! Kudos on a job very well done!
I think while creating a website we should avoid using bunch of tags in the code because it makes a website complex for the search engines.
Great insight.
If the Children’s Hospital Foundation is reading, take Katya’s “2. What my support could do” comments to heart and review your “why give” page.
“Our Success Stories”
“Last year we provided $56 million…”
It’s a perfect article for us. We are facing a big problem and after that we want to say thanks for this. Good job
Admiring the time and effort you put into your blog and detailed information you offer! I will bookmark your blog and I check up here often!
your example is very appropriate for the people. most people do not understand the matter what is happening. thanks.