Non-profit branding & web design agency.

What supporters look for before they give

People decide whether to support a charity quickly, often on a phone after seeing a post, an appeal or a news story. In those first seconds they want to know what the problem is, what you do about it and what their money or time will change.

Many charity websites lose that moment. The homepage tries to speak to every audience at once, the donate button competes with a dozen menu items, and the evidence of impact sits in an annual report PDF rather than on the page.

Funders, partners and corporate supporters ask harder questions. They look for governance, accounts, safeguarding and results, and they notice when that information is missing or out of date.

What charity branding needs to do

Strong charity branding makes the cause instantly understood and the organisation easy to trust. It turns a long mission statement into a short, repeatable idea and a tone of voice that stays respectful to the people you serve.

The identity has to work at very different scales and budgets, from a national campaign to a volunteer's poster, a collection tin or a running vest. Our branding work includes templates and simple guidelines, so local groups and volunteers can stay on brand without a designer.

Representation matters as much as visuals. We agree how people and communities are shown and described before photography or copy is commissioned, so the brand avoids pity-led imagery and protects the dignity of the people involved.

The website: from first visit to regular giving

A non-profit website should move people from interest to action in as few steps as possible. The core pages we usually plan are:

• A clear "what we do" page that explains the problem and your response in plain language

• Donation pages for one-off and regular giving, with suggested amounts linked to what they pay for

• Campaign and appeal landing pages your team can launch from the CMS in an afternoon

• Get involved routes for volunteering, challenge events, legacies and corporate partnerships

• Impact stories and results, updated through the year rather than once in an annual report

• A transparency section with trustees, accounts, policies and how to raise a concern

For the build itself, including donation platforms, forms and integrations, see our page on charity website design.

Rules that shape a charity brand and website

In England and Wales, a registered charity whose gross income exceeded £10,000 in its last financial year must state that it is registered on notices, advertisements and other documents that ask for money, under section 39 of the Charities Act 2011. We build that statement and your charity number into donation pages, appeal templates and the site footer, so it is never forgotten.

Fundraising standards are set by the Code of Fundraising Practice, and a new version came into effect on 1 November 2025. Organisations registered with the Fundraising Regulator can show the Fundraising Badge on donation pages and adverts, and the digital version links to the directory so supporters can check registration in one click.

Charities are generally exempt from the public sector accessibility regulations, unless they are mostly financed by public funding, provide services essential to the public or serve disabled people. We design to WCAG 2.2 AA either way, because every supporter and service user should be able to read, navigate and give.

Being found by supporters and the people you help

Charity searches fall into two groups. Supporters search for causes, events and ways to help, such as a sponsored challenge or volunteering near them, while the people you serve search for help with a specific problem, often urgently.

The second group is easy to overlook and often matters most. Clear, well-titled pages for each service, location and type of support help people in need find you, and they build the authority that lifts the rest of the site; our SEO for charities service covers this in depth.

How a project with The Think runs

Discovery brings in staff, trustees and, where appropriate, volunteers and the people you support, alongside a review of your current materials and supporter journeys. Strategy then defines positioning, audiences, key messages and the site structure.

Review points through design and build are timed around trustee meetings, and the team who will run the site are trained before it goes live. Most charity branding projects take 8 to 14 weeks.

We agree a fixed price before work begins, with brand identity from £4,000 and websites from £7,500. Our guide to UK website costs shows where a budget goes.

Talk to us

If your cause deserves a clearer brand and a website that turns interest into support, start a conversation with us and we will reply with a proposed scope and a fixed price.