The Nonprofit Website Insider

Digital Benchmarks, eAdvocacy to change the world, blogging data, and a huge list of resources to help you better support website visitors who are neurodivergent.

Welcome to issue 14! I’m Laura S. Quinn, a consultant with 25+ years of helping nonprofits with websites. I help staff as a Website Coach + Guide, and to define Website Strategies.
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Hi website champions!

There’s two major reports that are a must-read for me: the Digital Benchmarks report from M+R, and Colin Delany’s How to Use the Internet to Change the World. This year, new versions of each came out within weeks of each other, filled with actionable information. Don’t miss them!
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And to round them out, I’ve included two other interesting, data rich resources - one about blogs and articles, and one about supporting neurodiverse website visitors. Both gave me a lot to dig into.

I know a long report can seem daunting, but all of them have quick summaries, graphics, and easy takeaways. They're all worth, at the very least, a quick scan over a cup of coffee

And don’t forget my free webinar coming up on Wed, May 22nd at noon: Demystifying User Testing. We’ll cover some user testing basics, and then how to do a quick set of tests to determine whether people can use your site to understand what your organization does, and if they can do a key task or two. You’ll see me do two actual tests with real sites and humans, and leave with the confidence to do it yourself.

Enjoy!

Laura

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Articles

​Benchmarks: M+R's 2024 Spin Through the Gripping World of Nonprofit Digital Programs | M+R

For many years—since my days as an Executive Director—M+R has been providing indispensable Benchmark reports. This data-centric report compiles information from hundreds of nonprofits, allowing us all to compare metrics like email open rates, fundraising conversion, and so, so much more.This year’s version highlights data and trends from an impressive of 225 organizations.

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​How to Use the Internet to Change the World | ePolitics

This go-to guide for digital advocacy is back for it’s impressive 11th edition. The 239-page eBook, priced around $9 (depending on the version), is worth every penny for any nonprofit engaged in advocacy. Colin Delany discusses everything from social media to AI and staffing in practical, understandable language. It’s packed with actionable ideas to enhance your website and communications.
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​Essential Resources for Cognitive Accessibility: Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Autism and ADHD ) | Stephanie Walter

An extensive, perhaps nearly comprehensive, resource list to help you think about how your website can actively support people who are, as Stephanie says, “neurospicy”. The resources range from visual overviews to detailed best practices and reports, creating a tremendously useful annotated library for support.

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​2023 Blogging Statistics: Insights from 1000+ Bloggers | Orbit Media

Orbit Media’s survey provides interesting insights from an informal survey of over 1000 bloggers. Those surveyed were primarily outside the nonprofit sector, yet the findings are broadly applicable to both nonprofits and any ongoing content on your site.

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Upcoming Events

Free webinar! Demystifying user testing: Is your own website trustworthy? | Laura S. Quinn Consulting
Wednesday, May 22nd 12-1 ET
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In this fast-paced session, you'll learn how any nonprofit staff member can easily conduct basic user website testing. Laura S. Quinn will cover who to test with, logistics, how to prepare, and simple ways to test key things like credibility and the user-friendliness of core tasks. After this overview of best practices, she'll walk through two live 5-minute user tests on real websites to demonstrate the process in action. You'll leave with an action plan for performing your own nonprofit website user tests, including the opportunity to ask questions.
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Laura S. Quinn has more than 25 years of experience working with nonprofits on websites, as well as several years as a full time user researcher. As the Founder and past Executive Director of Idealware, she's conducted hundreds of live and virtual trainings for nonprofits. She's now a website coach and strategy consultant, as well as the editor of The Website Insider.

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