Websites
Your organization must have a website. A website is not an option; it is a necessity to be taken seriously. The Internet is without question one of the finest tools in any organizer's toolbox, but it must be developed and actually used to be effective.
If your personal experience with the Internet has been primarily as an end user with an e-mail account or a casual web surfer, a brief overview of how websites come into being is in order. You will then be able to use and share that basic understanding in developing your organization's site.
Do not allow development of a website to dominate your life or take undue amounts of time in your meetings. Think of the website site as another part of your overall operations. It is unquestionably an exciting part seen by millions of people, but it must represent who you are, not “be” who you are.
Your website can serve many purposes, from providing general outreach to boosting fundraising to facilitating internal communications. What you actually want and need, plus what your group is able to pay for, will determine its design.
Selecting a WebmasterAt some point, your organization may have a fully functioning information technology department, but in the beginning, you need to identify and contract with someone who will be able to put together and maintain a website for you. That person is a webmaster.
Your webmaster must obviously understand the technical aspects of the task, but most important she must be able and willing to listen to your wants and needs. You do not want someone who presents you with streams of jargon and expects agreement.
The webmaster should be in regular communication with only one board member or someone designated by the board to be its liaison. The webmaster will likely need information relating to both content and features from the committees as well as the board, and having a clear line of communication is essential. In time, you may incorporate web development into a standing committee, such as publicity or outreach, but when you are trying to get all the essential elements in place, it's fine to have the web functioning ad hoc.
Relying on the friend of a friend to handle all the necessary details involved in developing your website is often a recipe for trouble. Contract with a professional web developer to handle this project so you can be assured that it is done correctly and on time, and with all the features your organization needs.
Website creation and development is complex and should be handled by someone who is comfortable doing the work. As the end user, there are a few things you should do to speed up the process. First, select and register a domain name with any of the main registration companies such as
Your domain is your address on the Internet. It must be unique (not already taken), easy to remember, and accurately reflect who you are. Your organization name may still be available, in which case you are set. If not, be creative. One way or the other, it must happen. Once you have a domain name, you must select a web-hosting service.
These services can be free or they may be available for a monthly charge. First, identify the service you want to use and the amount of money you want to spend, but hold off on doing anything until you have selected a person to put your website together. Next, you must select the software you want to use to author the website. This program helps you put together the actual content that is uploaded to the server. One of the favorite web-development software programs in the nonprofit community is Drupal (
Drupal is open-source software (no charge) and designed for the end user (you!) to add to or change content after a short time spent learning the ins and outs. As with much of the open-source software, the expenses for the end user begin to accumulate during setup and then ongoing maintenance and consulting fees. Plan to have a detailed conversation with your webmaster to understand exactly what costs to expect over the course of your contract. Work those projected costs into your yearly budget so there are no surprises.
The creation of the website will require sophisticated coordination between your webmaster and any number of computers, with each possible connection requiring passwords and user IDs. Be certain you receive copies of this seemingly mundane information from your webmaster. If you decide to change webmasters or servers in the future, you will need this information.
The type of content you are able to put on the website will be determined to some degree by the program you selected to build the site and your webmaster's ability to adjust that program to meet your specific requests and needs. Possible elements to put on your site include:
An opening/home page introducing your organization
A blog that is updated on a regular schedule
The ability to make immediate donations
Links to your committees and board members
Reciprocal links to organizations and businesses in the community that support your efforts
