About this event
Can you remember when your organization’s website was designed? Can your supporters and constituents navigate and find the information they need? Can your staff members easily create or update content on your website? If you answered no to any of these questions, it might be time to bring that website into the 21st century.
Over 10 Tuesdays starting in January, join our partner Idealware as they walk you through Website 101 and review best practices for accessibility, mobile-optimized sites, and reinforcing your organization’s online brand. The series will also take a look at the content management systems (CMS) that can give even your least tech-savvy staff members the tools to update website content themselves. Finally, they’ll talk about how your website content works alongside your email, direct mail, and social media efforts to create your organization’s communications mix.
Takeaways from the course:
- Define goals for how your website will serve your audience
- Learn best practices for designing an accessible, usable, and polished website
- Compare your content management system (CMS) options
- Understand how to make sure your website shows up well on search engines
- Create your organization’s website action plan with next steps and action items for an improvement process
Toolkit Schedule
All 90 minute sessions begin at 10:00 a.m. PST.
January 28: Starting the Audit Process
In this session, they’ll kick off the website auditing process by defining your priorities and setting your goals. Next, they’ll go through strategies for user interviews and surveys so you can assess what’s working on your website and what needs improvement. Finally, they’ll discuss the idea of the heuristic website audit, comparing the process to web design best practices.
February 11: Defining Your Design & Content Strategy
A website needs content before it can be useful to your constituents. In this session, you’ll learn how to define your content strategy—what content goes where, who creates the content, and how your content is organized—so your website provides value. From there, they’ll kick off the design process with an introduction to wire framing, how to create a site map, and an overview of website analytics to help you identify your high-traffic areas and what visitors want from your site.
February 25: Fleshing Out an Accessible, Usable & Polished Website
In this session, they’ll take a look at the nitty-gritty of web design. Starting with a more detailed look at the wire framing discussed in the previous session, they’ll then plunge into visual design outlining best practices for usability and accessibility. They’ll end this session with a discussion on search engine optimization (SEO), so your constituents can find you on search engines, such as Google.
March 11: Let’s Get Technical
With your strategy and goals defined, it’s time to get under the hood. In this session, they’ll cover the technical side of website design, starting with an overview of content management systems (CMS), which make it easier for nontechnical staff members to create or update website content themselves. They’ll also cover the technical side of implementing your SEO strategy and website analytics tool, and cover website security. Finally, they’ll end with a discussion on integrating your website with your database, online payment tool, or other systems.
March 25: Defining Your Priorities & Moving Forward
Now that your strategy is in place and you’ve got an understanding of the tools involved, it’s time to put your plan in action. In this session, they’ll discuss how to work with a consultant who can bring your redesign to fruition. They’ll end with an overview of the typical website development processes.
Additional Coursework
- Bi-weekly homework assignments
- Office hours (each Tuesday between classes at 10:00 a.m. PST)
About the Presenters
As the Executive Director of Idealware, Laura Quinn oversees Idealware’s research, writing, and training, including substantial research into email tools and best practices. Prior to joining Idealware, Laura founded Alder Consulting, a firm that specialized in strategizing, designing, and building powerful internet strategies for affordable budgets. Laura is a frequent speaker on nonprofit technology topics, and has conducted scores of online and offline seminars.
Andrea Berry, Director of Partnerships and Learning, oversees Idealware’s fundraising and training activities, including the Field Guide to Nonprofit Software, sponsorship, corporate and individual giving, grants management, and online seminars. Prior to joining Idealware, Andrea held fundraising positions in education, health research, and museums. She has also taught math, performing arts, and history in traditional and non-traditional educational settings. She brings a breadth of experience with fundraising software, particularly as it relates to small nonprofits, and has worked as a consultant with nonprofits across New England to help identify appropriate donor management software. Additionally, as a former teacher, Andrea brings front-line, tested expertise in curriculum development and training.
Cost (for all five sessions & office hours)
$175 NAO Members
$200 Nonmembers
Additional Information
Registration for this event is through Idealware, our partner for this training.
Please register with the email address where you would like to receive the access and dial-in information for the online seminar.
All registered participants are granted access to the recordings of each session. If a participant cannot attend any of the sessions due to a scheduling conflict, they will still have access to all the content of the Toolkit.