How to make a charity website, step by step
Last updated September 2026 · 8 minute read
Whether you build it yourself or get help, the order of work is the same. Getting the order right is what stops a website project stalling at the content stage, which is where most of them stall.
Allow six to twelve weeks from first meeting to launch for a typical small charity site.
The short version
- Agree in one sentence what the site is for before anyone discusses design.
- Content is the step that stalls projects. Start writing in week one.
- Register the domain in the charity's name, never a personal one.
- Test on a phone, with a keyboard, and by making a real £1 donation before launch.
1. Agree what the site is for
Write one sentence: who the site is for and what you want them to do. Take it to the board before anything else. Every later argument about design is usually an argument about this.
2. Sort the practical bits
- Register or find your domain name, in the charity's name
- Check your Charity Commission number and registered address
- Decide how donations will be taken and who reconciles them
- Find your logo files and any decent photographs you already own
- Agree who has the final say on wording, so approval does not drift
3. Plan the pages
Most charities need fewer pages than they think. Home, what we do, who we help, get involved, donate, about and contact will cover it. Add a news page only if someone will actually write.
4. Write the content
This is the long pole. Write for someone who has never heard of you. Short sentences, no sector jargon, one real story per page if you can get consent for it.
A workable order per page: the one thing you want the reader to know, the proof, then what to do next. Draft it in a plain document first so the words are not hostage to the design.
5. Get consent and permissions right
- Written consent from anyone identifiable in a photograph or story
- Extra care with children, service users and anyone at risk
- Check you have the licence for any stock photography
- A privacy notice that matches what your forms actually collect
6. Build, check and launch
- Test on a phone first. Most of your visitors are on one
- Check it with a keyboard only, and with the text at 200 per cent
- Make a test donation of £1 and follow the money through
- Check every form sends to an inbox someone reads
- Redirect old page addresses to the new ones so links do not break
7. The first month
- Tell your supporters it exists, by email and in person
- Claim your Google Business Profile if you have a base
- Add the address to your leaflets, signage and email signatures
- Book a date in three months to review what people actually clicked
Common questions
How much does it cost to make a charity website?
Do it yourself from around £10 a month, a freelancer from £1,000 to £4,000, an agency from £6,000 upwards. Our Pioneer Partnership includes the build free at £79 a month.
How long does it take?
Six to twelve weeks is realistic for a small charity. We produce a live draft within ten working days and launch inside eight weeks for most charities.
Do we need to be a registered charity to have a website?
No. If you are registered, publish your charity number. If you are not yet, be clear about your legal status so people know exactly who they are supporting.
Ready for a website that does all of this?
We build it free for the first twenty Pioneer charities, then it is £79 a month with hosting, support and unlimited changes included. If you would rather talk it through first, ask us to call you.