This document provides tips for formatting nonprofit website copy for online publication. It recommends keeping content brief using an inverted pyramid structure with subheadings, bullets and lists to break up copy. Specific tips include using meaningful page titles and headings, adding emphasis with bold or italics, including key words and phrases, and using links wisely. The document encourages taking pressure off by getting straight to the point with shorter sentences and fragments being okay. It also suggests not having to smooth transitions or include awkward instructions too frequently in the copy.

1. How to format your
nonprofit’s website copy
For beginners
Marlene Oliveira www.moflow.ca
Copywriter and communications consultant @mo_flow

2. Hello!
Marlene Oliveira
• Copywriterandcommunicationsconsultanttononprofits,moflow
• Founder,NonprofitMarCommunity
• Creator,WriteBetterNonprofitWebsitesonlinecourse

3. POLL:
What’s your web writing
experience?

4. TODAY’S GAME PLAN
• Why formatting copy for online publication is important
• Mistakes experienced nonprofit communicators are making
• 7 editing and formatting tweaks
• How you can take all of this to the next level
• Q&A

5. THEME: TAKE IT EASY
Writing for online publication isn’t
complicated. In many ways, it’s easier.

6. Why focus on formatting?

7. Questions about nonprofit website content
• How to format your copy?
• How to attract people (and search engines) to your
content?
• Where to start?
• How to get visitors to take action?

8. Nonprofit MarCommunity blog
Authors:
• Experiencednonprofitcommunicators
• Mightbelessexperiencedwhenitcomestowritingfortheweb

9. POLL:
How much of the text on a web page
do you think the average visitor
reads?

11. A word on SEO: on-page elements
• Title
• Meta description
• Content
• Keywords
• Links

15. http://www.imaginecanada.ca/blog/ranking-charity-rankings

16. TAKE IT EASY
Grammar rules can be broken (or relaxed)
Short sentences and even sentence
fragments are okay!

20. moflow.ca/blog >> enter ‘donate page’ in blog search box
Example: The secret to writing a better volunteer or donate page

21. When was the last time you updated the ‘volunteer’ and ‘donate’ page or
section of your nonprofit website? When were these pages written in the
first place, and by whom? If getting website visitors to support your
organization is a priority, good copywriting of this content is critical.
Before:
If getting website visitors to support your organization is a priority, good
copywriting of your volunteer and donate page is critical.
After:

22. http://abclifeliteracy.ca/fld/family-literacy-day

23. TAKE IT EASY
Take the pressure off.
Just get to the point.

29. Longer sentences and paragraphs to break up into bullets
Present information in list vs. paragraph form

30. It’s work, but this kind of planning helps you to prevent or overcome
copywriting roadblocks such as writing under time pressure, not having
enough background information or direction and not being able to
properly guide supporters as they attempt to follow through and take
action.
Before:
Planning helps you to overcome nonprofit copywriting roadblocks
It’s work, but planning helps you to prevent or overcome copywriting
roadblocks such as:
• Writing under time pressure
• Not having enough background information or direction
• Not being able to properly guide supporters as they attempt to
follow through and take action
After:

31. http://www.pathwaystoeducation.ca/en/results

32. http://maytree.com/grants/maytree-grants

33. TAKE IT EASY
You don’t have to smooth absolutely
everything together. Painful segues be
gone!

37. If you don’t know what you want website visitors to
take away, how will they know?
Before:
The secret to writing a better volunteer or donate page
After:

38. http://www.techsoupcanada.ca/en/community/blog/5-nonprofit-tech-trends-for-2015

42. Help readers to zero in on what’s important

43. http://www.pathwaystoeducation.ca/en/results

44. The secret to writing a better volunteer or donate page
If getting website visitors to support your organization is a priority, good
copywriting of your volunteer and donate page is critical.
Don’t assume that your volunteer page and donate page only need to
offer mechanisms for bringing in support; they should be written
to inspire support. So, what’s the secret to writing copy that inspires
support? Planning.
Example:

45. Readers know what links look like.

50. Before:
Separately and for each audience, drill down into who
your potential supporters are as much as
possible, creating marketing personas.
After:
Separately and for each audience, drill down into who
your potential supporters are as much as possible.
Click here for information about creating marketing
personas.

51. http://www.furniturebank.org/furniture-donation-tackle-poverty/

52. TAKE IT EASY
You don’t have to work awkward
instructions into your copy – at least not
as often as you might have thought!

53. Keeping your content brief
Using an inverted pyramid structure
Using subheadings, bullets and lists to break up the copy

54. Using meaningful page titles, headings, subheadings
Using bold or italics to add emphasis as appropriate
Including key words and phrases
Including links and using them wisely

55. POLL:
Which web copy formatting tip
will you use right away?

57. Two FREE course registrations
Enter until midnight February 23
(ET) by telling me your #1
web writing challenge

58. Questions?
Marlene Oliveira
Copywriter and communications consultant
@mo_flow
moflow.ca