Recently I had the privilege of presenting to a group of non-profit leaders on the subjects of branding and social media. All the leaders worked in the same field, non-profit organizations that demand a high level of confidentiality for their clients as well as close relationships with donors.

During my training I raised a question about their web strategy  that was the equivalent of taking a stick and poking a bee hive. I loved it, because it got people asking questions. Questions about why they do things the way they do. Questions about best practices and how new media affects those practices. The question that evoked this conversation was: Is it better for your organization to have one website or to have separate sites for clients and donors? Not an earth shaking question, but one that drew a stronger response than I anticipated. Most organizations in this field have embraced a web strategy of having two separate sites, and this practice has been ingrained in their DNA as a best practice.

But that “best practice” seems to have, at best, been established out of fear and not from asking what is actually best for the client, the donor, or even the non-profit. Fear is never a great reason for developing a position or policy. At worst, this web strategy remains the norm because  it is the organization selling them a second web-site that is encouraging the practice.

So as I talked with these leaders, I challenged them to re-think their reasons for having two sites. I presented them the following five reasons why one site is better than two.

1. Branding

Developing a consistent brand story is essential for a small non-profit operating in a local community. Having two sites makes it difficult to do this, especially when part of your brand promise is trust, confidentiality, authenticity and safety. How do you keep clients from visiting the donor site, and what are you posting there you don’t want them to see? Having one site, telling one story, helps you build a consistent, trusted brand.

2. Maintaining the Site

For a small non-profit it is often challenging to maintain a single website, let alone two. Many use third party services to host and maintain their sites for them. This usually makes it difficult if not impossible to update site. Having a single site, that they control makes it easy to share new, relevant information regularly.

3. Donors

As a donor to small non-profits I don’t want my donor dollars going to create a second website whose sole purpose is to  try to reach me and garner more donations. A simple donate now button on your site is sufficient (clients know you are a non-profit and won’t be offended by a donate button – they see it on every other non-profit site). And if I am looking for information about your mission, I should be able to find it from looking at the services you offer clients.

4. More on Donors

A static website that you never update isn’t the best way to reach a donor anyway. Use your new site with a blog to communicate important events happening at your organization. If there are things you want to share with donors privately, you can send a newsletter, either in print or via email. You can even create a Facebook group just for donors.

5. Google

If none of the above reasons are compelling, maybe this one will be. Sending visitors to two sites isn’t helping your Google page rank for your non-profit. Obviously you want to rank high in a Google search, and sending all that traffic to one location will help. If you rank high in Google search results organically, you won’t have to spend as much on Google Ads.

My recommendation, take the money you are saving from the Google Ads and what you are spending for a second web site and put it all into making your client site better. Get rid of the template, make it match your brand, and take control of your content.

Sometimes having an outside perspective can be beneficial. When “best practices” become dated, change is hard to initiate. Internal blinders are hard to see beyond. A fresh perspective and some hard questions can jump start the process. Our job is to help by asking those questions. If you run a nonprofit, your job is to answer them honestly and do what you believe is best for your organization.

I want to thank those who attended the training for being willing to engage in the conversation, for helping us better think through our position, and for all they do to make a difference in their communities.