Squarespace for Nonprofits

Accept one-time and recurring donations directly on your Squarespace site using Donation Blocks and Squarespace Commerce. Support monthly or yearly gifts without third-party tools or custom setup.

Donors can pay by credit or debit card, ACH bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal, depending on availability. Payments are processed through Squarespace Commerce using Squarespace Payments, Stripe, or PayPal.

All donations made through Donation Blocks appear in the Squarespace Commerce dashboard, with receipts sent automatically. Recurring donors manage their own gifts through Squarespace Customer Accounts, where they can update payment details, pause, or cancel at any time.

This setup keeps launch and maintenance simple while covering the most common payment options. The trade-off is the need to create accounts for recurring donors, which adds some friction but reduces ongoing administrative work for your team.

Using Third-Party Donation Platforms

Squarespace-made nonprofit site with Donorbox embed

Many nonprofits use Squarespace for content and storytelling, then embed or link out to specialized fundraising tools. Platforms like Donorbox and Givebutter can be embedded directly on Squarespace pages. Others, such as Classy or Zeffy, are typically linked as external donation pages.

This approach keeps the main website simple while letting fundraising software handle receipts, donor records, and more complex workflows.

Choose from a set of Squarespace templates designed specifically for nonprofits, along with many flexible layouts that adapt well to mission-driven sites.

Squarespace templates work well for nonprofits because they emphasize clarity over novelty. Large typography, generous spacing, and predictable structure make it easier for visitors to understand your mission and take action.

A few important notes about templates:

• Templates are responsive — layouts automatically adjust for desktop, tablet, and mobile, so donation and content pages work well on any screen.
• Templates have a recognizable look and feel — bold typography, white space, and calm layouts that support trust and credibility.
• Images matter more than the template — real photos from your programs will outperform demo content and have the biggest impact on engagement.
• You can’t switch templates on Squarespace 7.1 — templates are starting points. If you choose a new template later, you’ll need to rebuild the layout.

Check out Squarespace’s nonprofit templates →

Squarespace Overview & Using Its Editing System

Intuitively drag and drop blocks anywhere in a grid-based section with Squarespace’s Fluid Engine editing system. This structured approach gives enough customization while being intuitive and easy to use.

Pages, Sections, Blocks

Squarespace also has pages, sections, and blocks relevant to nonprofits.

Pages

Donate page

Pages are the top-level structure of your site. Nonprofits typically use pages to organize core information and actions.

Common examples include:

• Donate — a dedicated page with Donation Blocks and impact messaging.
• About — mission, history, leadership, and values.
• Programs or Impact — details on initiatives, outcomes, and beneficiaries.
• Get Involved — volunteering, events, or fundraising campaigns.
• Contact — inquiry forms and organizational details.

Pages work best when each one focuses on a single goal, such as explaining your mission or driving donations.

Sections

Sections divide a page into horizontal content areas. They help guide visitors through a story or flow without overwhelming them.

Useful section types for nonprofits include:

• Hero sections with a mission statement and primary call to action.
• Impact sections highlighting statistics, outcomes, or testimonials.
• Campaign sections focused on a specific appeal or event.
• Call-to-action sections prompting donations, sign-ups, or newsletter subscriptions.

Sections make long pages easier to scan and allow you to emphasize key moments in the donor journey.

Blocks

Blocks are the individual content elements inside a section. This is where functionality lives.

Common nonprofit-friendly blocks include:

• Donation Blocks for one-time and recurring giving.
• Form Blocks for volunteer sign-ups or contact requests.
• Image and Gallery Blocks for program photos and event coverage.
• Video Blocks for campaign messages or impact stories.
• Text Blocks for mission statements, updates, and explanations.
• Button Blocks for clear calls to action like “Donate Now” or “Join the Cause”.

Blocks can be mixed and rearranged as needed, making it easy to test layouts or update campaigns over time.

Tip: Campaign and Giving Pages

Squarespace makes it easy to build focused campaign pages because sections, buttons, and Donation Blocks can be reused across the site. This works well for year-end appeals, emergency fundraisers, program-specific drives, or volunteer campaigns. Each page can be centered on a single action rather than competing priorities.

Campaign-style “giving pages” are especially effective when they combine a clear ask with context. These layouts provide space for storytelling, images, and impact examples to help donors understand what their gift supports before they reach the form.

Among nonprofits using Squarespace, these are the features used most consistently besides the donation tools, templates, and page editor:

• Forms — Collect volunteer applications, partnership inquiries, newsletter sign-ups, and contact requests in one place using Squarespace forms.
• Email Newsletters — Build an email list and send updates from Squarespace. Email remains one of the most reliable ways to share impact, promote events, and encourage repeat donations.
• Events and Calendars — Publish fundraisers, workshops, and community events in a clear, searchable format. Keeping events on your site reduces confusion and drop-off.
• Blogging — Share news and impact updates without extra tools. Even occasional posts help signal activity and transparency to donors.
• Analytics — See where visitors come from, which pages they view, and what drives engagement. Use this data to refine campaigns and donation flows.
• **SEO ** — Control page titles, descriptions, URLs, and image alt text. These basics improve search visibility without technical setup.

Squarespace works best when a nonprofit’s website is meant to explain the mission, demonstrate legitimacy, publish updates, and convert visitors into donors or volunteers without complex backend systems.

Foundations

Foundations usually need a structured, polished site that explains their mission, funding priorities, and impact. Squarespace works well when grant applications are handled through external tools or downloadable forms, allowing the site to focus on clarity and credibility.

Example: Global Health Innovations

Small Charities

Small charities typically need a simple site that explains their work, accepts donations, and includes a volunteer or contact form. Squarespace fits well here because it covers those basics without requiring technical support.

Example: Sean Casey Animal Rescue

Advocacy Groups

Advocacy organizations benefit from Squarespace’s flexible landing pages. Issue-focused pages with bold headlines, images, and email sign-up forms work well for awareness and outreach campaigns.

Example: The Single Parent Project

Community Organizations

Community groups often need to share events, announcements, and updates. Squarespace’s event and blogging tools make it easy to keep members informed without overwhelming the site structure.

Example: Grow Batheaston

Faith-Based Nonprofits

Faith-based organizations often prioritize calm design, clear messaging, and easy access to donations or volunteer opportunities. Squarespace supports this without forcing a commercial tone. Common elements include program pages, articles or sermons, and donation forms for offerings or tithes.

Example: Q Christian Fellowship

Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial and doesn’t have a free plan. After the trial, you can choose from one of these four plans: Basic, Core, Plus, and Advanced.

Most nonprofits choose the $23/month Core plan. It allows unlimited contributors and removes Squarespace transaction fees on donations, making it a good balance of cost and functionality.

The $16/month Basic plan can work for informational sites or organizations that handle donations entirely through third-party platforms. It supports Donation Blocks but limits contributors and charges a transaction fee.

How Donation Fees Work

Donation setups usually include two types of fees:

• Payment processing fees, charged by Stripe, PayPal, or Squarespace Payments. These are typically around 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.
• Squarespace transaction fees vary by plan. The Basic plan charges a 2% transaction fee on donations, while Core and higher plans do not.

Squarespace documents these fees clearly. Many nonprofits enable the “donor covers fees” option, which allows donors to add a small amount to offset processing costs so the organization receives the full intended gift.

Step 1: Get Inspired

Review other nonprofit websites and note what works. Pay attention to homepage structure, navigation, and placement of calls to action.

Step 2: Choose a Template

Select a template based on layout, not demo content. Fonts, colors, and images can all be changed later.

Step 3: Plan Your Site Structure

Most nonprofits need a Home page, About page, Programs page, Donate page, Get Involved page, and Contact page. Planning this in advance saves time during setup.

Step 4: Build Key Pages

Use sections to structure content. Make the mission clear, keep calls to action visible, and avoid overcrowding pages with too many goals.

Step 5: Set Up Donations and Forms

Add Donation Blocks, connect payment providers, and test everything end-to-end. Submit test forms and process a small test donation to confirm everything works.

Step 6: Final Checks Before Launch

Review mobile layout, proofread all text, test links, add SEO titles and descriptions, and connect your domain before announcing the site.