One of the biggest reasons website projects stall? Missing content.
Whether you’re working with a designer or building your own site, having your content organized upfront will save you weeks of frustration and back-and-forth. Here’s exactly what you need to gather, with templates to make it easier.
Homepage Content
Your headline (5-10 words) This should instantly communicate what you do and who you serve.
- Template: “We [action] for [audience] to [outcome]”
- Example: “We provide housing for veterans to rebuild stable lives”
Your mission statement (1-2 sentences) Go deeper than your headline. Why does your work matter?
Key statistics (3-5 data points) Choose metrics that demonstrate your impact:
- Number of people served
- Years in operation
- Geographic reach
- Key outcomes or results
Primary call-to-action What’s the ONE action you most want visitors to take?
Secondary call-to-action What’s the next best action for people not ready for your primary CTA?
About Page Content
Origin story (2-3 paragraphs) How and why was your organization founded? What problem were you created to solve?
Current team bios For each key team member:
- Name and title
- Photo (professional but approachable)
- 2-3 sentence bio focusing on expertise and passion
- Optional: fun fact or personal touch
Your values or approach What principles guide your work? What makes your approach unique?
Current programs or services Brief overview of what you actually do (save details for program pages)
Program/Services Pages
For each program or service, gather:
Program name and one-sentence description
Who it’s for Be specific about your target population or audience.
The problem you’re solving What challenge or need does this program address?
How it works Break down your program into clear steps or components.
- Step 1: [What happens]
- Step 2: [What happens]
- Step 3: [What happens]
Outcomes and impact What results have you achieved? Include both quantitative data and qualitative stories.
Testimonial or success story One real example of your program in action.
How to participate or access Clear next steps for someone interested in this program.
Get Involved/Take Action Content
Volunteer opportunities
- What volunteers do
- Time commitment
- Skills needed
- How to sign up
Donation information
- Where donations go (be specific)
- Suggested giving levels with impact descriptions
- “$50 provides…”
- “$100 provides…”
- “$500 provides…”
- Monthly giving program details
- Other ways to give (planned giving, corporate matching, etc.)
Upcoming events For each event:
- Event name
- Date, time, location
- Brief description
- Registration/attendance info
Partnership opportunities How organizations or businesses can collaborate with you
Resources/News/Blog Content
3-5 recent updates Recent news, achievements, or program updates
Key resources you offer Reports, guides, toolkits, or other materials your audience finds valuable
Media mentions or coverage Recent press or recognition (if applicable)
Essential Supporting Content
Contact information
- Physical address
- Phone number
- Email address
- Social media handles
- Office hours (if applicable)
Staff/Board roster Names and titles of leadership
Annual report or financials Link to your most recent report or key financial transparency info
Partner/funder logos High-resolution logos of key partners, funders, or accreditations
FAQ content List of 5-10 questions you hear most often with clear answers
Visual Assets You’ll Need
Logo files
- Full color version
- White/reversed version
- Minimum size: vector format (SVG, AI, or EPS)
Photos Gather 20-30 high-quality photos showing:
- Your programs in action
- People you serve (with proper releases)
- Your team
- Your facility or workspace
- Events and activities
Photo requirements:
- High resolution (at least 2000px wide)
- Horizontal orientation works best for web
- Authentic, candid shots often work better than posed photos
- Diverse representation of your community
Brand colors If you have established brand colors, note the hex codes:
- Primary color: #______
- Secondary color: #______
- Accent color: #______
Fonts What fonts do you currently use in other materials?
Organization & Access
How to organize all this:
- Create a shared folder (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)
- Use this structure:
- /Content (Word docs or Google Docs with all text)
- /Photos (organized by category)
- /Logos-and-Brand
- /Documents (annual reports, etc.)
- Grant access to anyone who needs it upfront
- Assign owners to each content section so you know who’s responsible for gathering what
Content Tips That Will Save You Time
Write like you talk. Your website content should sound like a real human, not a corporate press release. Read it out loud—if it sounds stiff or formal, simplify it.
Shorter is better. People scan websites; they don’t read every word. Each page should communicate its key message in the first paragraph.
Show, don’t just tell. Instead of saying “we provide comprehensive services,” describe what those services actually are and what they accomplish.
Use real numbers. “We served 147 families last year” is more credible than “we served many families.”
Get permission for stories. If you’re sharing someone’s story or photo, make sure you have written permission. Have a standard photo release form ready.
Update regularly. Mark anything that will need updating (event dates, statistics, team members) so you can keep it fresh.
Making This Checklist Work for Your Team
For small teams: Assign 2-3 people to tackle different sections. Set a realistic deadline (2-3 weeks usually works).
For larger organizations: Create a content working group with representatives from programs, development, and communications.
Stuck on something? Put a placeholder and move on. It’s better to gather 80% of your content than to stall at 20% trying to perfect one section.
Don’t overthink it. Your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. Get something down, then refine it.
What to Do With This Content Once You Have It
If you’re working with a designer, having all this content ready means your project can move smoothly from strategy to design to launch without delays.
If you’re building your own site, you now have everything organized and ready to drop into your pages.
Either way, the hard work of gathering and organizing content is behind you—and that’s usually the hardest part of any website project.
