Homepage Customization

Every NeedBridge organization gets a public-facing page at a custom URL (based on your organization's slug). This page is where volunteers, donors, and community members can learn about your organization, see current needs, and sign up to help. The homepage customization settings let you control what visitors see when they land on your page.

What the Homepage Is

Your organization's homepage is a public page accessible to anyone with the URL. It serves as the front door to your NeedBridge presence and typically includes:

  • A welcome message or hero section introducing your organization
  • Information about your mission and the work you do
  • Featured needs or a link to browse current open needs
  • A call to action for visitors to sign up as volunteers

The URL follows the pattern: https://app.needbridge.com/your-org-slug (where "your-org-slug" is the slug you set during organization setup).

Customizable Sections

The homepage is made up of several sections that you can configure:

Welcome / Hero Message

The hero section appears at the top of the page and is the first thing visitors see. You can customize:

  • Headline -- A short, attention-grabbing statement about your organization or mission.
  • Subheading or description -- A brief paragraph explaining what your organization does and how NeedBridge connects needs with volunteers.
  • Call-to-action button -- The primary button text and where it leads (typically the volunteer signup page).

Keep the hero message concise. Visitors should understand what your organization does and how they can help within a few seconds.

About Section

The about section provides more detail about your organization:

  • Organization description -- A paragraph or two about your mission, who you serve, and how volunteer support makes a difference.
  • Contact information -- Your organization's email, phone number, and address (pulled from your organization settings, but can be displayed here).

This section gives visitors the context they need to feel confident signing up as a volunteer.

Featured Needs Configuration

You can choose how current needs are displayed on the homepage:

  • Show featured needs -- Display a selection of current open needs on the homepage so visitors can see real examples of how they can help.
  • Number of needs shown -- Control how many needs appear in the featured section.
  • Filtering -- Choose whether to show needs from all areas or specific areas.

Featuring active needs on your homepage shows visitors that there is real, current demand for help -- which can motivate them to sign up.

Editing Sections

To customize your homepage:

  1. Navigate to Settings in the left-hand navigation.
  2. Select Homepage (or Homepage Customization).
  3. You will see each configurable section with its current content.
  4. Click on a section to edit its text, images, or configuration.
  5. Save your changes.

Changes are published immediately to your public page.

Previewing Your Homepage

After making changes, visit your organization's public URL to see how the page looks to visitors. Check it on both desktop and mobile to make sure the layout and content look good at different screen sizes.

You can share the URL with a colleague to get feedback before promoting it publicly.

Tips for an Effective Homepage

  • Lead with impact. Your headline should immediately communicate the difference your organization makes. Focus on the people you serve and the role volunteers play.
  • Keep it simple. Visitors should be able to understand your organization and know how to get involved within 10 seconds of landing on the page. Avoid long paragraphs or jargon.
  • Include a clear call to action. The most important thing a visitor can do is sign up as a volunteer. Make the signup button prominent and easy to find.
  • Show real needs. Featuring current open needs on the homepage demonstrates that your organization is active and that volunteers are needed right now. Abstract descriptions of your mission are less compelling than concrete examples of how someone can help today.
  • Update regularly. If your homepage features specific needs, make sure they stay current. An expired or completed need on your homepage gives the impression that the page is not maintained.
  • Protect privacy. As with all public-facing content, never include identifying details about the people your organization serves. Keep featured need descriptions general and focused on the type of help needed, not who needs it.