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Website design for non-profits is my speciality. I have learned and use the methods other charities found effective in informing their visitors and raising funds.
I recommend a simple approach to your website:
• Welcome your site visitors
• Inform visitors of your services
(Mission, Programs, Accomplishments and
long-term Dreams)
• Tell your story using simple words (8th-grade level)
• Invite visitors to become donors, volunteers,
and advocates
• Motivate site visitors by explaining the need and
how donations are used
• Illustrate your story with many pictures
• Vision Impaired Access just follow simple rules
— Caption pictures
— Use self-describing buttons (Button text is specific
“Detailed Description ” is better than:”More”)
— High Contrast (Black on White not Light Gray on White)
— Use large and simple fonts (Minimum 20 point)
–Add alternative text to describe images Alternative text is read by vision assist
software to interpret the image for a visually impaired visitor.
— Avoid color alone to distinguish items to assist color blind visitors.
(Example “Red items marked with an asterisk * are required”)
Web Design Skills
I retired in 2005, after a career with IBM as a computer programmer and system designer (27 years) and an independent consultant and speaker on OS/400 Security (15 years.
In 2016, the passing of a high school classmate caused me to start a charity to give a college scholarship to a graduate of my high school. I created my first web page www.MVHS-Adams.com to encourage giving by others classmates. I enjoyed web page design, so I joined TAPROOT+ and have completed over 20 website design projects (pro-bona). My IBM experience in user interface design is valuable when I design websites.
I would like to assist you in new website design and the update of existing websites.
As I reviewed non-profit websites, there were similar problems that made the website less effective. See ‘Common Website Mistakes by Non-profits’ documents the common mistakes
This website is accessible for the vision impaired.
See ‘How to Make a Website Accessible for the Vision Impaired” .
While creating over 20 websites, I learned to use the web page editors WordPress, Kix, Site-Builder, and Square space.
- The WordPress editor is the most popular with 28% of all websites. I learned (school of hard knocks) the vast number of options available in WordPress. WordPress allows simultaneous updates to DIFFERENT pages on the same website. This makes WordPress ideal for a website with multiple programmers making updates.
- The KIX and Site Builder editors are easier to use but have fewer software options. All web pages are replaced at the same time so this editor is best used by a single web programmer. If multiple programmers make updates care must be taken to avoid simultaneous updates.
- Square space has a good editor but my experience the fees charged are higher.
The Square-space is only hosted by one company and no competition allows higher fees.
For the cost-conscious, I do not recommend Square-space. - HTML and CPANEL should be used only by experts as these editors require very exact coding (not a what you see is what you get editor). I know enough HTML to make minor changes but I do not want to become an expert.
The MY WORK tab in services on this website has examples of my websites including links to the websites.
