Charity websites

bestpud

First of all, I'm sure I've read a thread here about this but I can't find it now. I may of course have imagined it....

If there was one here though, feel free to direct me that way!

Anyway, can anyone recommend different ways to get a charity website up and running as cheap as possible? It would to be easy to set up and maintain but doesn't need to be all singing and dancing. It is basically for a community project to advertise what it does, opening hours, details about volunteers/volunteering - that kind of thing.

Any suggestions/advice?

Tia

Bestpud

tightasagnats

I'm a webmaster and worked for many years in the charity sector - so this is based on what I know but others may have other info too.

You can get free webspace - do a search on Google. Some free webspace put adverts on your site, others do not. Then you'll need a domain name - like yourcharity.com - but if you use a free space website, they often won't let you use your own domain unless you pay. The upside is that using a free web space provider means they'll give you a domain name - but it won't be as "clean" as your own, meaning it'll be like www.freesite.mycharity.com or something along those lines.

Then you'll need to create the site to put up there. If you pay for your webspace rather than going for a freebie, you may find they have templates you can use and will tell you how to create the site. If you have some technical skill, i.e. aren't afraid of computers, you can create a basic site yourself. If not, you can get a site done fairly cheaply. Ask other small charities who they use. Check gumtree.com adverts for web designers - often students are willing to do sites for low cost.

A good webspace company I have used are www.lowcostnames.co.uk

I do freelance work, and while not expensive, I might be out of your budget range. I'm not on here touting for new business, but would be happy to help you for a reasonable rate if you are interested. If you feel confident to have a go yourself, there are plenty of websites that can guide you - this is a good place to start: http://www.webmonkey.com/webmonkey/frontdoor/beginners.html

Good luck!

Savvy_Sue

Your local council may have community sites which let you do this. It's not quite the same as doing your own site, but it will still mean that if you google your project's name, people can find the info they need. Quick and easy ...

inamabilis

Depending on what you need it might be worth looking at JustGiving - http://www.justgiving.com/