Design

April 7, 2013; Nonprofit Tech 2.0

Mobile technology is beginning to dominate web functionality, and nonprofits that have tapped into this trend are seeing the benefits. Artez Interactive published a research report on mobile technology’s impact on fundraising in March of 2013, which revealed that 15 percent of users who browse charity and nonprofit sites do so using mobile devices. The report also showed that donations made through mobile browsers have increased by 205 percent in the last 12 months, and that organizations who have integrated mobile technology into their fundraising practices have raised 2.95 times more contributions.

This study demonstrates the need for nonprofits to devote time toward planning websites with either adaptive or responsive designs. An adaptive design for a website determines the kind of device the user is browsing upon, whether that’s a laptop, a desktop computer, a tablet, or a smart phone, and offers up a distinct page created for viewing on that sort of machine. A responsive design takes a single page and transforms it to best suit the width of the device’s screen. Responsive designs are faster, and provide a more consistent experience, but do not work on some of the older models of mobile phone.

Nonprofit Tech 2.0 highlighted seven nonprofits who have created some attractive, responsively designed websites:

Is mobile technology a priority in your organization’s technology planning? What are some other examples of charities and nonprofits amplifying their mobile presence?—Aine Creedon