Small business website design
The pages, words and details a small business website needs to bring in enquiries.
Websites for charities and community groups
Charity website design for small charities, from £49 a month
Charity website design for small charities and community groups, with donating and volunteering one tap away. I build it and look after it, so it doesn't depend on the one volunteer who knows the password.
- A Donate button on every page
- Volunteer sign-up built in
- No contract, domain included
80+ websites built by Charlie through Transform Sites
Track record
- 80+websites built
- 100+happy clients
- 1working day to go live, once I have your answers
- £0upfront
Track record from Transform Sites, MonthlySite's parent company.
The short answer
What makes a good charity website?
A good charity website says in one sentence what you do and for whom, makes donating and volunteering easy from every page, shows the difference you make with real stories and figures, and displays your registered charity number. It must be accessible and easy to keep up to date. Ours are built for small charities, from £49 a month with no contract.
At a glance
- Price
- £49 to £99 a month
- Contract
- None
- Upfront
- £0
- Live within
- 1 working day of your answers
- Cancel
- Any month
- One-off
- From £549
80+ websites built by Charlie through Transform Sites.
Tap a number to see where it sits on the page. Example template: Riverside Food Bank is a made-up business.
What a charity's website needs
Four things I put on every charity website, because they're what turns a visit into support.
- A prominent Donate button
In the header of every page, linked to your donation platform, which handles payments and Gift Aid declarations.
- A volunteer sign-up form
What volunteers do, how much time it takes and a short form that goes straight to your coordinator.
- Impact stories and annual reports
A few real stories, honest figures from your own records and your latest annual report, for donors and funders alike.
- Your charity number and how to get help
Your registered number in the footer, and plain steps for people who need your service.
On this page
Three kinds of visitor, one small website
A charity website serves people who need help, people who might give money or time, and funders checking you're the real thing. Small charities often try to say everything on the home page and end up saying nothing clearly. The fix is simple: one sentence on what you do and for whom, then a clear route for each kind of visitor.
People who need help want to know if they qualify and how to get in touch, without jargon. Donors and volunteers want to see what their money or time achieves. Funders often look at your website before they read your application, so your charity number, trustees, annual report and safeguarding policy should be easy to find.
What to put on a charity website
The pages most small charities need. You send the facts and photos, I write and build it.
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Donate, one tap away
A button in the header of every page, linked to JustGiving, Enthuse, CAF Donate or whichever platform you already use.
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Volunteering
What volunteers do, how much time it takes, any checks needed and a short form to register interest.
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How to get help
Who you support, how referrals work, opening times and what to expect on a first visit.
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Your impact
A few real stories and honest figures from your own records, such as families supported or volunteer hours given this year.
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Governance and reports
Trustees, your annual report or a link to your entry on the charity register, and your safeguarding and privacy policies.
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Accessible to everyone
Readable text, good contrast, proper headings and alt text on images. Many of the people you serve may rely on them.
See a charity website with your charity's name
The live charity template is set up as a food bank, but the structure suits most small charities: help first, then giving and volunteering. Type your charity's name at the top of the page to see it filled in.
What to notice
- Donate is the header button, so it's on screen whichever page people land on
- “How to get help” comes before fundraising, because people in need come first
- There's a slot for your charity number and Fundraising Regulator badge near the top
Keeping it current when everyone's a volunteer
The most common problem with small charity websites isn't the design. It's that the person who built it has moved on, nobody has the logins, and the opening times are three years out of date. Then the domain renewal email goes to someone's old personal address and the site disappears.
With a monthly plan, the domain is included and registered in the charity's name, hosting and security updates are handled, and any trustee or volunteer can email changes. Starter includes 1 change a month. Growth and Pro include unlimited small edits, which helps when event dates and appeals change often.
Charity web agency, free builder or a monthly plan
Small charities have three realistic options. Each has its place.
| Charity web agency | DIY builder | MonthlySite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Typically £3,000 to £15,000 | £0 | £0 |
| Monthly cost | Hosting and support extra | Free to around £30 | £49 to £99, all in |
| Who keeps it updated | You, or paid support | Whoever has the login | Email me |
| Donations | Often built in | Plugins or links | Your platform, linked |
| Contract | Per project | Monthly or yearly | None |
Agency and DIY figures are typical UK ranges, not quotes. Some builders offer charity discounts.
A larger charity with a supporter database, events and an online shop needs more than we offer. A small charity or community group that needs a clear, trustworthy site that stays up to date is exactly who we're for.
Getting found, and free search ads for charities
Local searches like “food bank in Rotherham” or “volunteering near me” often show a map first, so a Google Business Profile helps people find you. Growth includes setting one up, plus local SEO for your area.
Eligible charities can also apply for Google Ad Grants, which currently provides up to $10,000 a month of free search advertising. Google expects a working, secure website with useful content before it approves an account, so a clear site is the first step. The Google for Nonprofits (opens in a new tab) pages have the current rules.
MonthlySite is new. I'm not.
80 websites and counting, built for small businesses through Transform Sites, MonthlySite's parent company.
- 80+websites built
- 100+happy clients
I only publish genuine reviews, and MonthlySite's first ones are on their way. Until then, here's my promise: you'll deal with me, and I'll reply within one working day.
Charlie, founder
What a charity website costs
Every plan includes design, hosting, security updates and changes by email. Starter's 3 pages suit a small group. Growth adds room for volunteering and getting help, plus Google Business Profile setup. If a grant covers a single payment, there's also a one-off website from £549.
£1.61a day for Starter, billed as £49 a month. No contract.
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Starter
£49a month
- Up to 3 pages
- Hosting and SSL included
- 1 change a month
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Growth Charlie's pick
£79a month
- Up to 6 pages
- Google Business Profile setup
- Unlimited small edits
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Pro
£99a month
- Up to 10 pages
- A page for each area
- Priority 48-hour edits
No contract. Cancel any month. No upfront fee.
Compare plans in detail
Build my charity preview
Free. No card. About 60 seconds.
Rather own it outright? One-off builds from £549.
Questions charities ask
Message CharlieI reply within one working dayAsk me on WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
Can you connect our donation platform to the website?
Yes. I'll link your Donate buttons to JustGiving, Enthuse, CAF Donate, a Stripe payment page or whichever platform you use, so donations and Gift Aid declarations are handled there. We don't take payments on the website itself, which keeps things simpler and safer.
Do charities have to show their charity number on their website?
In Scotland, every charity must show its name and number on its website. In England and Wales, registered charities with income over £10,000 must say they're registered on fundraising materials and various documents, and a number in the website footer is the usual way to cover it. Check your regulator's guidance.
How do we create a charity website if nobody on the committee is techy?
That's who we're for. Build a free preview with your charity's name, pick a plan, then answer a few quick questions, by email or in a 15-minute call. I write the pages and set everything up, and it's live within 1 working day of your answers. After launch, any trustee or volunteer can email changes.
Can we pay for the website with grant money?
Many small grants can cover a website, so check your grant terms. If your funder prefers a single cost, our one-off option starts at £549 and you own the site outright. If you'd rather spread it, monthly plans start at £49 a month with no contract.
Can volunteers sign up through the website?
Yes. A short form asks for their name, contact details, what they'd like to help with and when they're free, and sends it straight to your volunteer coordinator's email. If you use a volunteer management system, I can link to its sign-up page instead.
Will our charity website be accessible?
The templates are built with readable text sizes, good colour contrast and proper headings, and I add alt text to images and write in plain English. If the people you support have particular needs, tell me and I'll take them into account.
Let's see your charity website.
Pick your trade, add your business name and see it on a laptop and a phone. If you like it, plans start at £49 a month with no contract.