Donations: What Have You achieved?
This is part of a sequence about website design to support a campaign for donations. So far, you have
The next step is to show what your charity has achieved so far.
You will need to think about whether you put these headings on the same page or on a series of linked pages. There is no final answer to this question. If you have a lot of material you may find:
- each step in your argument makes sense on a new page.
- each step invites links from several parts of your site and so a page per point works
- you want to present the material from different arguments in different ways. So, you might have used stories for situation and approach, but now want to use statistics.
On the other hand if your copy is short, it may make sense if it appears on a single page.
If you are a new charity and have little evidence of your track record; say you are a new charity and then seek other evidence of your ability to deliver. This might be the track record of people on your board or support from partner organisations.
So, what can you present at this stage in the argument?
- With statistics there are two issues. Do you have convincing evidence of your performance? How are you going to present it? People tend to scan websites and so your stats need to be easy to pick up at a glance. A prominent heading summarises the main findings expressed through bold graphics should be easy to pick up. You can link to detailed information about the stats. Also ask someone who understands stats to check your figures, to make sure they stand up and say what you claim they are saying.
- Social proof. Stats present quantifiable information whilst social proof presents qualitative. Are there people who have received help and are willing to provide a testimonial? Or others who have observed and can verify your work? Use testimonials with permission and if you use photos or illustrations with text, it’s best to check they’re happy with the pictures as well as the text.
It’s best to mix stats and social proof. Keep it light and lively, offering a link to more information for those who want it.
Keep your information up to date and date your evidence! If it is possible to see the evidence is fresh, it will encourage readers to take you seriously.
What evidence would you consider valid for a new charity that can’t present evidence of its work? What sort of evidence is likely to make you enthusiastic for a cause?