The word "governance" sounds formal, but in practice it just means: who is responsible for what, and how often do they check? For most nonprofits, that clarity doesn't exist. The website was built by a contractor, handed to whoever was available, and has been updated sporadically ever since.
Assign clear ownership
Every nonprofit website needs a designated owner — someone whose job it is to keep the site accurate, functional, and aligned with the organization's current priorities. This doesn't have to be a full-time role. It can be a part of an existing staff member's responsibilities. But it needs to be explicitly assigned, not assumed.
The website owner should know when content was last updated, who has access to make changes, and who to contact when something breaks. Without a single point of accountability, problems get noticed but not fixed.
Establish a regular review schedule
A monthly or quarterly website review should be a standing item — not something triggered only when a problem becomes visible. A basic review should include: checking that key pages load correctly on mobile, verifying that contact information and staff bios are current, testing the donation form end-to-end, and confirming that upcoming events and programs are accurately reflected.
This doesn't take long. An hour a month is enough to catch the issues that would otherwise sit unnoticed for a year.
Define who can make what changes
Governance also means having clear rules about who is allowed to change the website and how. Too many cooks is a real problem — when multiple people have full editing access, content conflicts, accidental deletions, and formatting inconsistencies become common. Define who can update specific sections, who reviews changes before they go live, and who approves anything that touches the donation path or homepage.
Keep a simple content calendar
Planned content is more consistent than reactive content. A basic calendar — even a shared spreadsheet — that tracks when blog posts, campaign pages, and event listings need to be created or updated helps prevent the feast-or-famine pattern common on nonprofit websites. It also makes it easier to assign tasks and hold people accountable without last-minute scrambles.
GoodSiteReport Website Health Audits give you a clear picture of your site's current state — a useful starting point before establishing or improving your governance process.
Document your platform and access credentials
One of the most common governance failures is staff turnover creating website access crises. When the only person who knows the website login leaves, and the login email is their personal account, and no one has the hosting credentials, the organization loses control of a critical asset. Document your CMS, hosting provider, domain registrar, and access credentials in a secure location that the organization controls — not an individual employee.
Treat accessibility and performance as ongoing responsibilities
Good governance means recognizing that accessibility and performance aren't features you add once — they're properties that need to be maintained. Every new page of content, every image upload, and every plugin update can introduce new issues. Build in periodic checks for these areas, or use tools that flag problems automatically. A site that was accessible when it launched can develop accessibility failures over time through normal content updates without governance practices in place to catch them.