What's the best way to proceed re: building a website for local charity?
October 19, 2014 4:04 PM Subscribe
I volunteer for a small charity that's going through some big changes, and so will (supposedly) need a website that's more customisable (?) than the cloned CMS template that we're currently using.
So, I volunteer a few hours to help a local foodbank with some data entry stuff, and other assorted computer duties. The FB is a local branch of a large national charity, and as a result each branch has a pretty basic and restricted CMS template as a website, that you can't fiddle around with too much.
Now, the co-ordinator I generally support is turning the foodbank into a small part of a much larger social venture, generally focused around providing a range of help to people who visit the foodbanks, and he understandably wants a new website. It won't be too fancy: just providing information about services with a kind of rolling news feed, maybe a gallery of videos.
What should be our next option? the co-ordinator suggested I try to scope out a web designer to hire, but I feel like a website builder might be an easier option. Probably worth mentioning, in case there was any doubt: while he didn't specify a budget, I'm going to go ahead and assume he's not willing to splash out on this.
Thanks in advance!
So, I volunteer a few hours to help a local foodbank with some data entry stuff, and other assorted computer duties. The FB is a local branch of a large national charity, and as a result each branch has a pretty basic and restricted CMS template as a website, that you can't fiddle around with too much.
Now, the co-ordinator I generally support is turning the foodbank into a small part of a much larger social venture, generally focused around providing a range of help to people who visit the foodbanks, and he understandably wants a new website. It won't be too fancy: just providing information about services with a kind of rolling news feed, maybe a gallery of videos.
What should be our next option? the co-ordinator suggested I try to scope out a web designer to hire, but I feel like a website builder might be an easier option. Probably worth mentioning, in case there was any doubt: while he didn't specify a budget, I'm going to go ahead and assume he's not willing to splash out on this.
Thanks in advance!
Nthing WordPress, you can buy great templates cheaply and there are numerous security plugins to keep your page safe. A bespoke solution by a Web designer will cost more now, and forever going forward with little benefit for your org. Limited resources = standardise standardise standardise wherever possible.
posted by smoke at 5:42 PM on October 19, 2014
posted by smoke at 5:42 PM on October 19, 2014
Squarespace if you're not confident about the group's ability to do maintenance and security on Wordpress.
posted by viggorlijah at 6:05 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by viggorlijah at 6:05 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Are they still part of the larger organization? If there are already branding guidelines for the current website, you'll be wasting time and energy working on a new site if it's not approved as a project. Is this for the food bank or a new side project with its own budget and oversight?
posted by viggorlijah at 6:10 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by viggorlijah at 6:10 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
I've set up and maintained four sites on WordPress, but I really don't like it. I'd recommend looking at Squarespace. I tested it once a few years ago, and I really liked it.
posted by alex1965 at 6:18 PM on October 19, 2014
posted by alex1965 at 6:18 PM on October 19, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:23 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]