501(c)(3) website checklist: what your nonprofit site needs to rank and build trust

If your organization is a registered 501(c)(3), your website does more work than a typical business site. It builds trust with donors, answers grant reviewers, recruits volunteers, explains your mission to the public and, in many cases, qualifies you for programs like the Google Ad Grant. This nonprofit website checklist covers what that site needs to rank, build trust and meet Google's standards.

I'm Zach, and I run White Oak Media. We've been building websites for churches and nonprofits since 2019. Use this list to audit your own site, or hand it to whoever manages it. If you're a faith-based organization, our post on faith-based nonprofit web design goes deeper on what makes those sites different.

The foundation

A clear mission statement on the homepage. Visitors should see what you do within the first screen, without scrolling, in plain words a stranger understands in one read. A grant reviewer, a donor and a first-time visitor all look for it.

Contact information on every page. Phone, email and address (or your service area) in the footer, plus a simple contact form. Consistent contact details also help Google trust where you are.

HTTPS. The padlock in the browser bar. Google's Ad Grants website policy says your entire website must be served over HTTPS, and browsers warn visitors about sites that aren't. Most hosts include a free certificate.

A site that works on phones. Across six client sites we manage, 57% of visits over the last 90 days came from phones. Text should read without zooming, buttons should be easy to tap and the menu should work with a thumb.

Trust and credibility

An About page with real people. Names, roles and photos of your leaders and board. People give to people, not logos.

Financial transparency. An annual report or a one page impact summary, a link to your Form 990 (Candid, formerly GuideStar, shows it) and a plain statement of how donations are used. You don't need to publish a full audit, but the more open you are, the more confident people feel.

Real stories. One or two stories from people you've served, volunteers or partners. They build connection with donors and give search engines original content.

Your EIN and a tax deductible statement. Usually on the Giving page or in the footer. It's a small detail that makes the giving decision easier.

Search visibility

A claimed Google Business Profile. If you serve a community, this is what puts you on the map when people search nearby. Fill in your hours, address, phone, website, description and recent photos. Our Google Business Profile guide walks through it.

Real page titles. Every page needs a unique title that says who you are and what you do, like "Grace Food Pantry | Hartford, CT," not "Home."

Your towns in the words. If you serve a specific area, name it naturally on your homepage, About page and program pages. Google needs to understand where you are and who you serve.

Regular updates. A news or resources section with program updates, volunteer spotlights and answers to common questions keeps your site current and gives people a reason to come back.

Speed. Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights. Oversized images, outdated platforms and too many plugins are the usual culprits.

Google Ad Grant readiness

If you're a 501(c)(3), you may qualify for the Google Ad Grant, up to $10,000 a month in free Google Search ads. Google's Ad Grants website policy sets clear rules for your site, and these are the ones that trip organizations up:

1. You must own the domain your ads point to, and it can't just redirect to a social media page or another platform.
2. Substantial, original content directly related to your mission, not a single page or mostly borrowed text.
3. A clear mission and a description of your activities or services.
4. Working navigation. Google's words: "All links should work correctly." Run a broken link check before you apply.
5. Fast loading and mobile friendly pages on phones, tablets and slower connections.
6. HTTPS across the whole site.
7. No heavy commercial activity or pages full of third-party ads.

Our Google Ad Grant guide covers eligibility and how to apply.

The giving experience

A visible Give or Donate button in your main navigation on every page. Don't bury it in a submenu or give it a clever name.

A short path to give. The fewer steps between "I want to give" and "I gave," the better. Every extra form field or jump to a page that looks nothing like yours is a chance to lose someone.

An easy recurring option. Make monthly giving clearly visible during the giving process, not hidden behind a checkbox.

Your action plan

You don't have to do all of this in a week. This week, check HTTPS, test your site on a phone, claim your Google Business Profile and put contact details on every page. This month, add your mission to the homepage, real photos on your About page, proper page titles and a Give button in your menu. This quarter, add financial transparency, a resources section, stories and speed fixes, and apply for the Ad Grant if you haven't.

If you'd like a quick snapshot of where your site stands, run our free website health check. If you want help, we build custom websites for churches and nonprofits at $295 a month, and our Google Ad Grant management is $395 a month. Grab a time on my calendar or call me at (860) 854-4983.