I just sent out a special issue of the Nonprofit Website Insider. It’s our 50th issue! That’s fifty newsletters filled with practical, usable advice to help you build a website that pushes your mission forward.
In all honesty, this newsletter and the NWI website are my very favorite part of the work that I do. It carries forward what I’ve been doing my entire career: helping nonprofits, especially small ones, make the most of their websites, even with limited resources.
We’re now over 800 strong, and the list grows because people like you stay engaged. You share challenges that shape what I write. You show up for webinars. You ask smart questions. And the work you do, day in and day out, is what keeps this newsletter grounded in reality instead of theory. So I just wanted to say: Thank you.
To celebrate, I’ve pulled together some of the most popular tips and articles from the last 50 issues. It’s a set of greatest hits to revisit whenever you need ideas.
Some of the Best of the 50
A guide to managing your website project tasks
This piece brings together three practical tips—how to prioritize, how to estimate effort, and how to use both to set smart priorities. It also includes a nifty Google Sheets template that calculates priority scores for your own tasks.
Easy ways to make your donation landing page great
Your donation landing page is where people actually complete their gift. It’s one of the most important pages on your site, and improving it doesn’t require a redesign or new tools. A handful of small fixes can build trust, remove friction, and increase donations. Think of it like tightening a loose doorknob: simple changes, meaningful impact.
Ethical and inclusive images—for a better world and website
Images on your site send powerful signals about your values. They can either reinforce tired stereotypes—or show a more inclusive, hopeful world. This tip walks through how to choose images that align with your values and represent your community accurately.
Designing for scanning behavior
People don’t read online the way they read on paper—they scan. They look for quick clarity and jump around the page. This tip explains what that means for your website. (If you’re only half reading this summary… congratulations, you’re scanning.)
What heatmaps reveal about your website
A very practical tip about a tool that not enough people know about: heatmaps. They show you the hot spots where visitors click, scroll, and hover on your website—and the cold zones nobody notices.
Maximize eNews signups
Your email newsletter is one of the strongest tools you have for staying connected to supporters. This tip covers practical ways to encourage interested visitors to subscribe, without the pop-ups or gimmicks that drive people away.
Motivating your nonprofit team to create great website content
Most websites need stories, posts, and expertise from multiple staff members. Getting people to prioritize that work can be hard. This tip breaks down realistic ways to motivate contributors and make content creation part of your team’s rhythm.