More info on 'Charity Website Benchmarks 2006'

[Editor's Note: view our updated 2007 Charity Website Benchmarks Report for the most recent figures on UK charity websites.]

The internet is a perfect medium for fundraising: a real no-brainer. When it comes to charity marketing, online is an efficient way of reaching the masses.

The trouble is, most charities aren't fully optimising their web potential, so with the help of iConcertina, we decided to take a close look at the state of play, to help charities figure out where to go from here.

This Charity Website Benchmarks report analyses and evaluates 110 websites belonging to online charities in the UK, measuring them against a range of metrics such as Usability, Accessibility, Communication, Transparency, Responsiveness and Integration.

We selected these criteria (and all the sub-criteria for each category) on the basis of their applicability to charity websites, and on their added value in terms of productivity. We have summarised the benchmark criteria in the body of this report.
• Usability – is the site easy to use?
• Accessibility – can everyone access the site?
• Communication – can users find what they need?
• Transparency – is the charity open with its information?
• Responsiveness – are donations, legacies and volunteers encouraged?
• Integration – does the site support, and work in harmony with, the charity’s off-site and off-line communications?
• Housekeeping – does the charity own its domain, and put search engine optimisation (SEO) into practice?

Well worth a read if you operate a website for a charity, or are part of an internet marketing team that is focused on driving fundraising activities online. It is also useful for any agencies or consultants working in the charities sector.

The following files are available for download. Right click and choose 'Save Link / Target as' to save the file to your computer: