Charity website navigation: donate, help and volunteer

Key takeaways

Charity websites serve very different visitors: people seeking help, donors, volunteers, fundraisers and partners. Navigation should give each a clear route, with 'Get help' easy to find and calm in tone, 'Donate' as a visible header button and 'Get involved' gathering volunteering and fundraising. Keep the menu short by grouping, not by hiding the help route.

• A clear, calm 'Get help' route for people who need support.
• 'Donate' as a distinct header button on every page.
• 'Get involved' for volunteering, fundraising and events.
• About, impact and accounts for trust.

Who visits a charity website?

People seeking help, often stressed or vulnerable; donors deciding whether to give; volunteers and fundraisers looking for ways to take part; and partners, funders or journalists. Each needs something different, and the most vulnerable visitors are least able to search for it.

• How clear website navigation improves user experience
• Audience-based navigation: should menus split by customer?

What should the main menu include?

A typical structure keeps the menu short while giving each group its own route.

• Get help: support, advice and how to contact services.
• What we do: programmes and impact.
• Get involved: volunteer, fundraise, events.
• About: team, accounts, governance.
• Donate: a distinct button.

• Menu labels: words visitors understand at a glance

How should 'Get help' be handled?

Put it first or prominently, in plain, calm language, and make it reachable from every page and on phones. Show urgent contact details, such as helpline numbers, without making people dig. If some visitors may be at risk, consider a quick exit button and guidance on hiding browsing.

• Accessible navigation: clearer for every visitor

Where should the donate button go?

In the header on every page, styled as a distinct button, and visible on phones without opening the menu. Link it to a short donation page with clear options. Do not let it crowd out 'Get help'; both should be visible.

• The header CTA button: one action that stands apart

How does navigation build trust for donors?

Donors look for evidence: what the charity achieves, who runs it and how money is spent. Link impact, the team and annual accounts or reports from the About section. Make the registered charity number visible in the footer.

• How navigation shapes whether visitors trust you

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a charity's menu leads with 'News', 'Events' and 'Shop', and support information is three levels down under 'Our work'. Adding 'Get help' as the first menu item and keeping 'Donate' as a header button gives both the people the charity serves and its supporters a clear route.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Charity navigation checklist

• 'Get help' first or prominent, on every page.
• Helpline details easy to reach.
• Donate button in the header.
• Get involved grouping volunteering and fundraising.
• Impact and accounts linked from About.
• Charity number in the footer.

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Next step

On a phone, time how long it takes to find your helpline number from your homepage.