Simple Navigation Tweaks That Can Boost Your Nonprofit’s Website Performance
Want your nonprofit website to work harder for you? Start by simplifying the way people navigate it. This guide helps you improve structure, flow, and engagement.
If your nonprofit website is hard to navigate, it doesn't matter how inspiring your mission is, people won’t stay long enough to read your story, sign up to volunteer, or make a donation.
That’s the reality.
Website navigation isn’t just a design issue. It’s a user experience issue and for nonprofits, that means it’s a mission delivery issue.
In this post, I’ll break down what website navigation actually means, why it’s such a game changer for engagement, and exactly how to fix it. Whether you built your site five years ago or just launched it last week, this is your go-to guide.
Checklist to improve your nonprofit website navigation:
- Use clear, predictable menu items
- Keep your main menu under 7 top-level items
- Make the donation button visible on every page
- Add a search bar if your site has more than 15 pages
- Avoid dropdown menus with more than 2 levels
- Ensure your site is mobile responsive and loads quickly
- Test your navigation with real users regularly
What Is Nonprofit Website Navigation and Why Should You Care?
Website navigation is the way people move through your site - from the home page to contact forms, service pages, blog posts, or donation checkout.
For nonprofits, good navigation helps people:
- Understand your work
- Find the information they need
- Take action (donate, volunteer, apply, contact you)
- Poor navigation does the opposite. It creates roadblocks.
And here’s the thing: nonprofit websites often grow organically over time. One program page here, one campaign update there. Before long, you’ve got a digital maze instead of a clear path.
The Most Common Navigation Mistakes Nonprofits Make
Let’s pause here and look at a few real-world examples:
🧭 Overcrowded Menus: A small youth charity had 12 items in their main menu. It was overwhelming on desktop and downright unreadable on mobile. Simplifying their menu to 6 core items increased time-on-site by 28%.
🔍 Missing Search Bar: A health-focused nonprofit had excellent blog content, but no search functionality. Adding a basic search tool led to a 40% increase in blog visits within two months.
🚫 Hidden Donation Button: A faith-based group had their “Donate” link buried in the footer. Once they added a sticky donate button to the top navigation, monthly donations rose by 22%.
These are fixable problems. And the payoff is real.
Key Principles of Effective Nonprofit Website Navigation
Here’s what works and why:
Keep It Simple, Predictable, and Familiar - Your supporters shouldn’t need to “learn” how to use your site. Stick with standard page names and familiar placements.
Example Menu Structure:
- Home
- About Us
- Our Work (or Programs)
- Get Involved
- Events
- Blog
- Contact
- Donate (highlighted or styled as a button)
Design for Mobile First - Over 60% of nonprofit website traffic now comes from mobile devices. If your menu doesn’t work well on a small screen, you’re losing opportunities.
Use a mobile-friendly “hamburger menu,” make buttons big enough to tap, and avoid long dropdowns.
Guide Visitors with Clear CTAs - Every page should answer this silent question: “What do you want me to do next?”
Whether it's reading more, downloading a resource, joining your mailing list, or making a donation, make it clear. Use consistent button styles and simple language.
Use Visual Cues to Help People Find Their Way - Icons, breadcrumb trails, sticky headers, and strategic whitespace can all help guide the eye. A clean layout with plenty of breathing room is not just “nicer”, it’s more usable.
How to Audit Your Nonprofit Website Navigation
You don’t need to be a UX designer to spot problems. Here’s a simple method:
Step 1: Ask a Friend or Volunteer and give them them two tasks:
- “Find out what your organization does.”
- “Try to donate.”
Time them. Ask what felt easy and what was confusing.
Step 2: Use Website Heatmaps or Session Recordings
Tools like Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar (both have free plans) let you see where people click or where they drop off.
Step 3: Try the 3-Click Rule
A user should never be more than 3 clicks away from any key page (like Contact, Donate, Services, etc.)
Tools That Can Help You Implement Changes
You don’t need to overhaul your site alone. Try these nonprofit-friendly tools:
Canva Sites: simple, clean site builder for lean teams.
WordPress + Astra Theme: great for more control and nonprofit plugins
Hotjar: see where users are getting stuck
Navigation Is the First Step to Engagement
Your website is your nonprofit’s digital front door. And navigation is the welcome mat. If people can’t find what they’re looking for quickly, they’ll leave, even if they believe in your cause.
The good news? Navigation fixes are some of the easiest changes to make! And they often lead to big improvements in engagement.
- Start small
- Review your main menu
- Add a donate button if it’s not there already
- Ask three people to test your site this week and see what happens.
And remember: good navigation isn’t flashy. It just works.
Need Help Streamlining Your Nonprofit Site?
If you want help reviewing your website layout and navigation, check out my Website Audit Toolkit. It’s designed specifically for nonprofits like yours.
Ready to take your nonprofit to the next level? Explore more tips, tools, and resources at NonprofitToolkits and start making an even greater impact today!