Charity Directory is a premium, modern discovery experience for charities and nonprofits. This initial release focuses on clear browsing, trust-oriented profile structure, and action-first calls to donate, volunteer, contact, and learn more.
The product direction is to feel closer to Google Maps / Yelp / Zocdoc / Airbnb-style discovery than a dense nonprofit spreadsheet.
The core user intent supported in this version:
I want to help or find help for [who/what] with [type of need] in [place] by [way of helping].
- Next.js 16 (App Router)
- TypeScript
- React 19
- Tailwind CSS 4
- Install dependencies:
pnpm install- Start the dev server:
pnpm dev- Open:
http://localhost:3000
pnpm lint
pnpm buildNo map API key is required in the current build.
Maps are rendered with Leaflet.js + OpenStreetMap tiles.
- Premium homepage with:
- Hero copy, trust messaging, and search fields for "Charity, cause, or need" + location
- Main search routes to
/charitiesfor full charity result cards - Section flow: Hero -> Resource Finder -> Category Browser
- Quick action chips: Donate, Volunteer, Get Help, Donate Goods, Find Local Charities
- Resource Finder (map + radius search):
/resource-finder- Enter location and radius to find nearby charities
- Filter by subcategory, ways to help, verified/listed, service scope, and population served
- Full-width Leaflet map panel with plotted result markers (no API key required)
- Compact matched-organization list focused on map/routing context
- Charity search results:
/charities- Full card-based results for regular directory search
- Filter by subcategory, location, ways to help, verified/listed, service scope, and population served
- Category browsing:
/categories/categories/[slug]- Five major categories with expandable subcategory dropdowns
- Subcategory expansion reveals detailed charity cards directly in the category explorer
- Charity profiles:
/charities/[slug]- Mission, category, subcategories, populations served, service area
- Contact info, website, donation portal, donation FAQ, volunteer link
- Verification/watchdog badges as structured fields
- EIN, 501(c)(3) status field, Form 990 field
- Social links, Leaflet location map, and related charities
- Reusable component architecture:
Hero,SearchBar,AudienceActionChipsResourceFinderCategoryDropdownExplorer,CategoryCard,SubcategoryListCharityCard,CharityProfileVerificationBadges,MapPreviewFilterSidebar- Shared
Layout+Header+Footer
- SEO foundation:
- Homepage metadata
- Category and listing metadata targeting discovery queries such as:
- food charities near me
- animal rescue charities
- mental health charities
- volunteer opportunities near me
- local nonprofits
- donation opportunities
//resource-finder/categories/categories/[slug]/charities/charities/[slug]
Also includes placeholder utility pages linked in the footer:
/about/for-nonprofits/submit-a-charity/contact
- The dataset is currently a mix of prototype sample records and pilot real-data records.
- No live watchdog ratings are claimed.
- Verification-related values are modeled as structured fields so real integrations can be added later (for example: Charity Navigator, Candid/GuideStar, IRS nonprofit status, BBB Wise Giving Alliance).
- Real data ingestion pipeline for verified nonprofit records
- Profile claim/update workflows for nonprofits
- Stronger trust and audit trail UI (source timestamps, evidence links)
- Geospatial discovery enhancements (distance/radius and map clustering)
- User accounts and saved charities
- Organization comparison and recommendation experiences
- Accessibility audits and usability testing iterations