NonProfit CMS joins Gray Digital Group

Gray Digital Group is a full service digital marketing agency in San Antonio, TX.

Gray Digital Group works with clients all over the country. Our client base is comprised of large national health systems, small to medium-sized businesses, law firms and non-profits.

Our Location


117 W Mistletoe Ave, San Antonio TX 78212

Office: (210) 820-0566
Fax: (210) 829-8361

Part of Gray Digital Group

Non-profit Web Designers – 3 Traits of an Excellent Non-profit Web Designer

Our portfolio as non profit web designers demonstrates experience building engaging websites that echo an organization’s mission and drives users toward a call to action. Our group, NonprofitCMS, is dedicated to providing interactive and cost effective websites that can be updated with no programming knowledge required.
Below are several questions to consider asking any nonprofit web designer:

1. Understands The Marketing Impact a Website Can Have

A progressive non profit web designer understands the marketing value of a multi-functional website. Websites for non profits now-a-days should be search engine friendly, include analytics, be easily updateable with a content management system, integrate with event registration and donation tools, as well support social media engagement through use of a blog, newsletter, Twitter feeds, or Facebook. Talented non profit web designers strive to turn old websites into the cornerstone of a non profit marketing efforts for years to come.

2. Creates Engaging Design That Drives Action:

Your website design and navigation has the opportunity to make a lasting impression about your mission to each and every visitor. A good non profit website designer should have a structured process to ensure pages drive home a call to action. Experienced designers will work with you to analyze the needs of your website visitors and recommend a design that will incorporate simple navigation helping visitors locate the information they are seeking within seconds. By incorporating buttons that drive newsletter signups, social media engagement, event signups, or embedding tools to capture online donations, websites can now be objectively measured. Reinforcing these elements reinforces action from every visitor.

3. Understands How to Build Long-Term Value.

No one should need to know computer language in order to update the text, images, and video on a web page. Content management systems, like WordPress, and Joomla make it easy to keep websites up to date with fresh content. An efficient Nonprofit web designers will help your organization build a website using a CMS platform, as well as provide basic instructions for completing updates. In addition to a good platform it’s essential that after a website is launched the designer can recommend proper site maintenance and safe hosting practices.

5 Questions To Ask A Non Profit Web Designer

1) Can you email a portfolio of your work & provide references?

Above all, find out if the prospective nonprofit web designer has experience creating a website you would actually want. If past projects meet your approval there is a good chance you will be happy with the end result. Asking for a reference is a good way to get a third parties opinion on the overall experience and level of communication that was provided during past projects.

2) How much experience do you have integrating Content Management Systems?

A Content Management System or CMS allows you or your staff to update the website without the need for computer coding skills. A Content Management System is a “must-have” for any Nonprofit organization. Some of common platforms are: WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla. A red flag would be that your nonprofit web designer or volunteer does not know what a Content Management System is. If they don’t know what a Content Management System is, find someone else.

3) How long are you going to take to build our new website?

Of course, this depends on how big or small your goals are for the website. If you are looking for a website that allows you to update content easily through a Content Management System and has an online donation feature, an online event registration system, and a basic membership management system, 90 days is a reasonable expectation for the time to complete the task. Keep in mind not all delays are the fault the non profit web designer, often times site deisgns must be approved by several people in an organization resulting in delays.

4) How much work have you done with Nonprofits?

Nonprofit goals and culture are different from the corporate world. There are software tools and special discounts unique to Nonprofits. For example: Vertical Response (an email broadcast platform similar to Constant Contact offers up to 10,000 emails for free to Nonprofits) You may miss out on money saving discounts and online tools working with a designer who does not understand the Nonprofit industry.

5) Describe the marketing impact of the websites you have built for non profits?

Veteran non profit web designers know that they hold the keys to helping an organization achieve the goal of its mission. Websites can do so much to engage an audience and drive them toward a specific action. Ensure your designer understands how to work your marketing goals into a website design, and is prepared to measure the results of the website once it is live.