People give to people. That’s an adage many nonprofits swear by, and for good reason. The lifeblood of volunteers and the generosity of donors can depend a lot on how well a nonprofit can make connections to these important supporters. So how can you put a face behind your cause? Your nonprofit staff page is an untouched, untapped place to start building that relationship.

Staff pages are all about conveying a human touch. It’s not about mission statements and strategic plans, but about the people behind the well-oiled machine. And a good nonprofit staff page can appeal to the very people who can help keep that machine running.

Why It’s Important

A nonprofit is only as good as its people. So don’t be afraid to show off the individuals who lead, roll up their sleeves, crunch the numbers and carry out the important work of your nonprofit on a daily basis. Nonprofit staff pages can be an essential entry point for visitors. They build trust and credibility by engaging your audience on a personal level.

Let Your Staff Shine

Staff pages give people a glimpse into a nonprofit’s culture and values. A good staff bio is injected with a distinct voice and personality. Let staff members write their own bio to let their voices shine through. Encourage them to write about their connection to the nonprofit. Asking staff members to write about their day-to-day responsibilities can also give your audience a sense of their role in the organization. And don’t forget about credentials. Sprinkling in some of their burnished background can add important credibility points.

Provide a Template that Tells a Story

A bio is not your resume. It should be a thoughtfully selective snapshot of a staff member. While you can let each staff member write their own bio, it might be helpful to provide the same template for everyone. Just avoid the standard questions in favor of more specific ones that get to the heart of a person. What are they passionate about? What was their professional and personal journey to the nonprofit? You can also get creative with the page name that conveys a personal, accessible tone, like “Meet our Team” or “Get to Know Us.”

Make it Picture Perfect

Now this is where you quite literally put faces to names. Providing photos of people can be reassuring and put people at ease. It’s the same reason you may like seeing pictures of a new doctor you’re considering on a hospital’s staff page (and be more inclined to choose a friendly-looking physician). So make sure your staff page includes a photo. Don’t skimp, either. Make sure it’s quality – full color, well lit – and reflects the right tone of the website.

Foster Connections

Staff pages can also serve as a virtual business card. Be sure to have each staff member include their office number and email, as well as social media accounts or LinkedIn profile (if they wish). If they write for the blog, include links to their posts.

Consider Other Options

Short on space? While we recommend individual subpages for each staff member, we know that’s not always possible for larger organizations. But there are ways to get around that. You could do a rotating spotlight or feature staff on your blog or on social media to maintain an individual approach.

Staff pages on websites can be an important personal touch in the nonprofit space where these types of connections are paramount. It can either be a memorable introduction for people unfamiliar with your nonprofit or be the last way to get people to affirm a real interest in you.

Do you have a unique nonprofit staff page or suggestions we didn’t cover here? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Comments

    • Hi Galina. Thanks for sharing your page; it’s a great start. The tips in the blog post offer some concrete ways to build out the staff bios more. Good luck!

  1. At the moment I am working on creating my own staff page and I agree with your point that you have to let the personality shine through.
    It is sometimes, however, difficult to talk people into standing in front of a camera. Even though they might be doing an important job, they do not like showing their face. I have found that in these situations it is important to work with either an experienced photographer who can encourage your staff. But you obviously have to talk to your staff about what they feel the most comfortable with.

    • Hi Madara. Great points you bring up here and I think the right photographer can definitely go a long way to engaging any camera shy staff. Candid photos could be another alternative, which could capture the person in a more natural environment and reflect their personality.