4 foundation website best practices

It is essential to give your foundation a digital home to tell its story and connect with current and potential donors. Whether you represent a foundation that’s part of a more extensive health system, a standalone association or a general nonprofit, telling a compelling story is key to activating donors. Here are some tips for creating captivating web content for your health foundation.

4 tips for more compelling foundation web strategy and web content

1. Center your content strategy

Create foundation pages that share community impact through clear language, concise content, captivating visuals and clear calls to action.

Your foundation content strategy may depend on where the copy lives in your site architecture. If your foundation content is part of a hospital website, be sure to eliminate content silos. Make sure your foundation is represented throughout your health system’s website. If your foundation section is separate from your website, make sure you are cross-linking strategically. When you reference specific programs, research initiatives or centers, patient and family supportive services, or community offerings, link to related content elsewhere on the site describing these offerings in detail.

Foundation content needs to live in — and link from — numerous places on your website. Some places you should make sure to integrate foundation content are:

• About us
• Donor press releases
• Patient stories
• Volunteer opportunities
• Community benefit content
• News and awards

2. Answer your current and potential donors’ top questions

Speak directly to donors about how they benefit from supporting your organization. Emphasize your foundation’s responsible and ethical stewardship of their gift.

Addressing donors’ top questions is good for SEO (for your website to be found online among all the many healthcare causes) and for user experience. Donor questions to answer may include:

• What is your mission?
• What are the different ways I can make an impact (donate, events, volunteer)?
• How do you use the funds?
• What impact will my gift make?
• What other funding or grants have you received?
• Which other entities support your cause?
• Is my donation tax-deductible?
• What different types and levels of donation do you have?

3. Showcase your story

Support evergreen foundation content with relevant content marketing assets, such as stories about donors and why they chose to give, as well as patients and families who have benefited thanks to philanthropic giving. Appeal to your supporters’ heads (with data) and hearts (with impactful storytelling).

Depending on your foundation’s content pillars, or core themes, you might also weave in community benefit stories and stories of innovation, research and education.

4. Make it easy to give

A great campaign landing page shares community impact and makes it easy for the reader to take the next step. Whether your readers are waiting for their child’s game to start or sitting on their couch, make it easy for them to donate online.

Make your online donation process fast to complete so that you don’t lose potential donors, and have key foundation team members be available through an email click or contact form.

Questions to ask donors during interviews

Just like interviewing patients or subject matter experts, go in prepared for your conversation. Here are some questions to get you started:

• How did you first hear about our organization?
• What motivated you to get involved?
• Have you been involved in any of our programs? If so, how have they impacted your life?
• What made you decide to give to us?
• Why do you enjoy giving?
• Why are you passionate about this organization?
• What do you hope to accomplish through your donations?
• Is there a favorite program or service that you support?
• What do you think would happen if our organization wasn’t around?
• What do you wish everyone knew about this cause?
• Is there anything else you want us to know about why our organization is important to you?

Examples of effective foundation or donation web content and strategy

We rounded up some examples we love of healthcare foundation website content to give you inspiration and ideas.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

When we think about healthcare foundation storytelling, St. Jude might be the most iconic.

Here’s why St. Jude’s is one an effective nonprofit website:

• Upfront call to action with different options (monthly, recurring, events)
• Engaging graphics showing why the hospital is among the best places to donate
• Education on how your gift — no matter how small — can make a difference
• Tips for setting up a donor fundraising initiative

Cedars-Sinai

As an academic medical center, Cedars-Sinai positions its healthcare giving as a way to further research and education in the Los Angeles community.

What makes Cedars-Sinai’s site stand out:

• Clear navigation quickly connects donors to how their gift impacts research and education
• Compelling giving stories also offer visitors the option to share their story
• A thank you video addressed to donors
• Easily accessible frequently asked questions
• Ways to support the mission go beyond financial donations, including volunteering and blood donations

American Kidney Fund

The American Kidney Fund site blends education, advocacy and fundraising about kidney disease without overwhelming potential donors.

Why the American Kidney Fund’s site design works:

• Mobile-friendly, quick-to-complete donation form on loading the main page
• An alert bar highlights a unique triple-match opportunity
• The tribute wall quickly highlights the sense of community behind the cause
• Animated impact graphics that update in real-time

Team Rubicon

While spotlighting current needs following two hurricanes, Team Rubicon doesn’t hesitate to communicate and prepare for the next crisis.

What we like about the Team Rubicon site:

• Robust ways to give, including options to give today, make a recurring gift and donate crypto
• Compelling videos with strong storytelling about why people get involved with the organization
• Real-time reports on Team Rubicon’s work in the aftermath of disasters
• Powerful photos and stories that connect changes in the weather to the need for more donations

Let WG Content help your foundation or nonprofit tell its story

Broad community support makes a critical difference in financing an initiative, spreading awareness and furthering your brand and foundation mission.
If your foundation or nonprofit needs help creating engaging foundation website content, we can help. Contact WG Content today.

Follow-up questions about foundation websites:

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