This article is writtten by Isaac Lee
In today’s digital era, non-profit organizations must adapt to the changing expectations of digitally native individuals. Society’s interactions and preferences have shifted towards digital media and online engagement. As a result, No / Low-code platforms have become essential tools for non-profits to catch up, establish their digital presence, effectively communicate their mission, and meet the evolving expectations of the digital landscape.
The fundamentals of No / Low-Code platforms
No / Low-code platforms simplify the process of building websites and applications without requiring extensive coding knowledge. They offer drag-and-drop features, pre-built templates, and customization options to create functional sites or apps that can be easily personalized to match a brand’s style and content.
The main goal of these platforms is to make website and app creation, management, and maintenance more accessible to both technical and non-technical users. This allows creators to focus on important aspects such as user experience, design, messaging, and content rather than worrying about the technical setup of each page or interaction.
However, using a third-party platform may have limitations in functionality, customization, or processes. These limitations are often intentional, as adding more complex options can make platforms less user-friendly and more difficult to navigate.
When choosing a platform, it is important to consider these competing factors. We will explore this decision-making process with some examples.
Differences Between No / Low-Code Platforms
Let’s examine 3 popular website builders:
Squarespace is probably the most intuitive and easy-to-use website builder. With well-designed ready-made templates, easy controls, and a more narrow set of features they do well. It can be considered one of the more user-friendly and great for business team users to adjust and set up, with minimal need to know design principles as they auto-format things for mobile as long as you stay within their grid.
Fast, Easy, Simple.
WordPress is renowned for its extensive collection of plugins, providing users with a diverse range of functionalities. Its strength lies in the vibrant community of creators and providers, offering a vast selection of tools and features. Being a pioneer in the industry, WordPress benefits from a large and supportive user community. However, some users may find the platform’s console outdated and occasionally confusing.
Basic, Progressive, Plugins.
Webflow, a relatively newer provider in the industry, stands out for its exceptional flexibility compared to other platforms. It offers a level of customizability that rivals building a website from scratch. Notably, Webflow method of building websites mimics design tools like Figma or the Adobe suite, allowing users to create actual components in a similar workflow to designing them. While this high level of customizability may initially be daunting for some, once users become familiar with the platform, they can create fully functional complex websites without writing a single line of code. This aspect makes Webflow particularly favored by larger corporates which often have more complex requirements which evolve over time.
Flexible, Customizable, Intricate.
Each of these platforms could in theory build effectively the same website. However, the way in which they approach the No / Low code objective differs in very specific ways. It’s important to understand why you would want to use one platform over another, beyond the usual assessment of cost and features. Ultimately, using a third-party provider to help you achieve a goal includes some benefits and consequences.
Using Third-Party Providers for Digital Systems
By outsourcing infrastructure maintenance, updates, and security, non-profit organisations can focus on their core mission, which includes content creation, user engagement, and achieving their charitable objectives. These providers act as cost aggregators, allowing multiple clients to access expert services at a reduced expense. They offer scalable infrastructure, robust hosting solutions, and ongoing technical support, ensuring stable, secure, and up-to-date practices.
For instance, if a website breaks down, a technical person is needed to check the error code, access, DNS, PHP, or other technical acronyms that are difficult for non-technical persons to comprehend. By using third-party providers, however, a simple call or email ticket is all that is required for a fix.
By leveraging the expertise of established providers, non-profit organisations can efficiently allocate their limited resources and benefit from cost-effective solutions without significant financial investment. However, organizations should carefully evaluate their budgetary constraints and consider the trade-offs between control and convenience when relying on third-party providers for infrastructure maintenance.
Considerations Of Additional and Future Costs
While No / Low-code platforms offer cost-effective solutions initially, non-profit organizations should be mindful of potential future costs. These concerns include:
- Scalability: As organizations grow and their digital needs evolve, they may require advanced features or higher levels of customization. This can lead to increased costs, either through premium platform subscriptions, additional development work, or the need to upgrade to higher-tier plans.
- Third-Party Integrations: Non-profits may need to integrate third-party tools or services, such as payment gateways or donor management systems. Some integrations may come with additional fees, increasing operational costs.
- Platform Migration: If the chosen No / Low-code platform becomes unsuitable or limits the organization’s growth, migrating to a different platform can involve significant time and costs. Ensuring flexibility and portability of data and content is essential for a smooth transition.
- Potential Changes in Industry Pricing: One of the common arguments by developers who prefer to custom-build websites and projects is that platform providers may adjust their pricing in the future once dependency has grown on them. This concern is valid and both commercial and non-profit users of these platforms should stay vigilant if and when the cost of utilizing these tools starts to stack up. It’s important that you ultimately own the code as mentioned above on platform migration.
A positive note on No / Low-Code Platforms for Non-profits
Despite concerns about future costs, many platform providers offer discounted or free services specifically for non-profit organizations, allowing them to access these powerful tools and technologies at reduced costs.
Case Studies: Charities Leveraging No / Low-Code Platforms
To illustrate the practical applications of No / low-code platforms for charities and non-profit organizations, let’s examine case studies that showcase successful utilization:
Green Beetz – Leveraging Squarespace to build quickly and streamline work: Green Beetz is a non-profit focused on nutrition education in the Harlem NYC area. The case study written by OneNineDesign showcases the strengths of Squarespace to achieve simple objectives and streamline workflows for easier website management.
GoodFridayAppeal – Harnessing WordPress’ powerful plugins for donation gathering: As the non-profit case study on the WordPress website, GoodFridayAppeal is a charity ****that raises money to enable The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne to provide care for children. WordPress is well suited where the requirements on workflow for donations are quite specific which is where a number of plugins have helped to achieve their desired results including IP restrictions on who can access the donation workflow.
Design+Peace – Capitalizing on the flexibility of Webflow for design-heavy work: Design+Peace, uses design and interdisciplinary work to address societal and environmental issues, emphasizing research, education, collaboration, and innovation. This website’s use of animations, transitions, and illustrations reflects the organization’s love for design which is a role that Webflow is uniquely able to cater for as most website builders do not offer such a level of flexibility of expression.
Guide for choosing which No / Low-Code Platform for you
Here are several providers to consider for your specific use case. While the providers mapped here are meant to be the easiest to get started with, that does not mean other providers would not be able to fulfill the requirements for your use case, these are just chosen to illustrate the variety of providers and their advantages.
Note: All the options mentioned here offer free trials. This is important to consider when deciding whether they are the right fit for your organization.
| Use Case | Provider | Specifications / Special Features | Limitations | Pricing | Discounted for Non Profits? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact and Support Page: A simple “Contact Us” page can be set up with the website builder, providing visitors with various ways to reach out to the charity, such as through email, phone, or a contact form. | https://www.squarespace.com/ | – Simple, SEO optimized. Embed google maps into it easily – Easy to maintain, great templates to choose from | – 14-day free trial only, – Template heavy – hard to put in custom code, – limited functionality | https://www.squarespace.com/pricing/ | One off discount available: Enter NONPROFIT at checkout to receive 10% off your first payment |
| Newsletter and Updates: Non-Profit Organisations can maintain a simple website with a newsletter signup feature. This way, visitors can subscribe to receive regular updates about the charity’s activities, events, and success stories. | https://substack.com/ | – Build for posting, less of a website and more similar to a customizable medium article publishing site – Allows for people to optionally donate to support your newsletter | – Very limited template – Substack takes a cut for every subscriber who signs up | https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037607131-How-much-does-Substack-cost- Free | No |
| Event Gallery: After organizing events or initiatives, Non-Profit Organisations can use the website builder to create a photo and video gallery. This allows them to share event highlights and show their supporters the impact of their participation. | https://www.wix.com/ | – Huge varied of templates that are less blocky than other providers to showcase – Has a guided tool to help you get started with your first site – Beginner-friendly, easy-to-track catalog of media | – Template heavy – Hard to modify even though it’s slightly more flexible than other providers | https://www.wix.com/premium-purchase-plan/dynamo | Yes, The promotion includes a 70% discounted rate for a 2-year Wix Unlimited premium subscription plan to create and host 1 website. The subscription also includes a free, 1-year domain registration voucher. |
| Impact Showcase: A website builder can be used to showcase the impact of the charity’s work. By presenting success stories, testimonials, and before-and-after visuals, the site can highlight the positive outcomes brought about by the organization’s efforts. | https://webflow.com/ | – Allows for great flexibility in building components to showcase visuals – Very familiar for designs who use tools like Figma and Adobe Suite – Great guide videos to learn basic functionalities – Allows for great customization | – High learning curve due to the level of customizability on offer – Slightly more pricy when scaling up but good for growing enterprises | https://webflow.com/pricing | Yes, case by case basis for first 12 months, need to reapply after that |
| Event Registration Page: When Non-Profit Organisations organize events, they can create a straightforward event registration page using the website builder. This page can provide event details, schedule, and a registration form where attendees can sign up for the event. | https://wordpress.com/ | – Has a variety of integrations including an Eventbrite integration that allows for easy event registration – Flexible and quite simple to start with the basic version – Allows for other compatibility | – Plugin reliant which means sometimes your favorite tool might not be supported – Slow page speed if too many plugins – Slightly dated UI | https://wordpress.com/pricing/ | Not exactly. This link however provides some free stuff for non profits. |
| Volunteer Recruitment Portal: Non-Profit Organisations can utilize the website builder to set up a volunteer recruitment portal. The website can list available volunteer opportunities, their descriptions, and a signup form for interested individuals to get involved. | https://www.hubspot.com/products/cms/drag-and-drop-website-builder | – Its primarily a CRM tool but they allow you to build a landing page to gather leads – You can manage your leads with their CRM tool to effectively follow up on the recruitment process | – CRM first, website second so website functionalities are limited – May want to consider a different provider for a more proper landing page | https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/suite/starter | Yes – 40% discount |
| Online Donation Platform: Non-Profit Organisations can use the simplest website builder to create a basic but effective online donation platform. The website can have a homepage with information about the charity’s mission, projects, and impact. It should also include a donation button that allows visitors to easily contribute to the cause. | https://www.site123.com/ | – Has an online store functionality which is mobile responsive out the box – Able to process large volume of transactions – Very user-friendly | – Limited templates, most of them look the same – Best customizations required paid versions | https://www.site123.com/pricing | For non-profit websites, SITE123 offers a 40% discount for all its paid plans. |
| Resource Hub: Non-Profit Organisations can create a resource hub on their website to share valuable information related to their cause. This can include articles, guides, videos, and external links to other useful resources. | https://super.so/ | – Integrated with Notion which is a great tool to host resources, build a wiki and many more – Very easy to get started, designed to be intuitive to manage your folders | – Requires both knowledge of Notion and Super.so – Format might not be the most appealing to some | https://super.so/pricing | No discounts, but the free plan will cover a fully responsive Super site. |
| Online Store: The simplest website builder can be used to create an online store showcasing products that are sold to support the charity’s cause. Each product should have a clear description and an image to attract potential customers. | https://www.shopify.com/ | – Optimized for online store integrations. Gold class for store building – Manage promotions, products, prices and allow for cart checkout functionalities out the box. | – 3-day free trial – Primarily a store-front, limited in other functionalities not related to e-commerce | https://www.shopify.com/pricing | Shopify has two plans specific to nonprofits: NPO lite for $9/mo and NPO full for $79/mo. Both plans include the ability to take online donations, and includes free SSL and unlimited storage space. |
Best Practices for Utilizing No / Low-Code Platforms
To effectively utilize No / Low-code platforms, non-profits can follow these best practices:
- Set Realistic Expectations and Goals: It is highly unlikely that a No / Low-code platform can fulfill every aspect or requirement of an organization out of the box. This often makes organizations hesitant to adopt such platforms since they may not cover all their requirements, even if they improve certain processes or build their digital presence.
However, it is important to start using these tools to create an impact in the areas that matter and ensure achievable results. Afterward, release the platform into the wild and evolve it to fit your evolving needs. Even the best organizations make changes to their website or app, so prioritizing releasing the platform and gathering feedback over seeking perfection is recommended. - Choose the Right Platform to Achieve those Goals: Above we examined some examples of website builders, but there are a variety of platforms out there with very different functionalities and capabilities. It’s important to consider if each platform has the tools out of the box to achieve these goals. Even if they are not out of the box, the platform would be required to support the custom adjustments required to achieve them.
- Plan and Build for Simplicity: While No / Low-code platforms offer flexibility, it is important to work within the capabilities of the platform as they are specifically built to be intuitive. This means keeping anything that is custom-built in a way that doesn’t need constant modifications to ensure that platform can still be flexible enough for business teams to make changes, while also achieving the desired functionality.
- Collaborate with Industry Professionals and Support Channels: Often times people from the commercial industry on forums or even technical support personnel of these platforms can offer valuable tips and tricks in order to achieve what you require. These experts can even offer help with customization beyond what the platform would typically provide. However, it’s important that while help is consulted, Non-Profit Organisations are able to maintain and operate the systems themselves to avoid depending on others to understand how things function. Regular training and documentation can help Non-Profit Organisations improve their platforms, even with external assistance.
- Keep it Non-Committal: While choosing the most suited platform ideally means that it would suit the needs of the organization for the long term, the digital world is evolving rapidly. If the organization needs change or if the current platform has mounting limitations, Non-Profit Organisations must be able to move to other platforms easily. This may require working with developers or using tools that help transfer content and features to new platforms. But preparing for these scenarios helps to ensure organizations do not get tied down to a single provider and are able to maintain the decision-making power to take advantage of shifts in the industry.
The Role of Generative AI
One last note, the emergence of generative AI design bots and design-to-code platforms are likely to play a transformative role in empowering charities and non-profit organizations by simplifying the design and development process in conjunction with these No / Low-code platforms. There are many examples of providers even incorporating these tools into their platform such as Wix ADI.
AI design bots, such as Adobe Sensei, automate design decisions such as color palettes, typography, and layout that align with specific messaging. They can also adapt to established brands and create elegant templates that can be used and acted upon.
Design-to-code platforms, like Framer and Sketch2React, further bridge the gap between design and development by generating the underlying codebase automatically. This eliminates the need for manual coding, reducing the potential for human error and speeding up the process of bringing designs to life on website builders for specific components or even as a replacement to established website builder providers.
Other use cases include using Generative AI to produce collateral that can be used in conjunction with No / Low-code websites. However, there are controversies regarding the legality of using these assets that are yet to be resolved.
Although there are many exciting developments in this space, they are still rapidly evolving from a commercial perspective. At first glance, they appear to be complementary tools that can work in tandem with No / Low-code platforms to deliver digital experiences to users.
In Summary
No/Low-code platforms are excellent tools that can help non-profits and charities bridge the gap between audience expectations in the digital era and their goals. The key to achieving them is often identifying which parts are achievable, maintainable, and can be further developed through the right set of providers. By keeping a focus on simplicity in its setup, organizations like theirs can fully leverage these tools while avoiding concerns of committing to specific providers or worrying about processes becoming too complex to maintain themselves.
If you would like help setting up your website or app with a No / Low-Code platform, schedule an appointment with us here.
