Not sure where to begin on your website development process? Here are some tips we've collected to help guide you through it.
Managing a Volunteer Website Project
Align on the scope of the project with your Volunteer upfront
Our templates are just starting points - you want to be clear with your Volunteer about your unique needs and constraints so you get the site you're looking for!
Pick the best way to build and host your site
We recommend a Content Management System (like Wordpress or Squarespace) for ease of use and maintenance.
Keep in mind that the Volunteer will eventually hand the website over to you. Make sure you pick a tool you have the skills and capacity to maintain in-house!
Have a budget for hosting and maintenance
Expect to pay a monthly fee for hosting, upgrades, and widgets (these range from about $25-$50, and many tools offer nonprofit discounts).
Work with professionals who have the specific skills you need
A variety of skillsets are required for the development of a robust website (even though most CMS systems don't require much tech support!).
Find Volunteer(s) with the the expertise you need, from content creation to system set up, via projects and calls.
Designate a single point of contact for your volunteer
Your Volunteer(s) can't build your site alone! The process will require coordination and support throughout.
Make sure you have assets like your logo, software licenses, and a point person on hand to offer help.
Ensure your site is secure and your information is protected
Don't share confidential information like your credit card number or institutional (i.e., not temporary) passwords with third parties.
If you need to share passwords or other information, you can ask your Volunteer to sign a business/confidentiality agreement as necessary. While Catchafire doesn't provide templates on these types of agreements, we recommend looking online for helpful templates.
Maintain admin privileges throughout the development process. (We recommend that your Volunteer(s) create a spreadsheet of credentials during the project that they then securely transfer over to you upon project completion.)
Once the website is finished, change the administrator password so that only you and your staff have access to it, and/or remove the Volunteer from the list of administrators.
Need more guidance?
We can help you figure out which Catchafire project best meets your needs at each step of the website development process.
We can also facilitate communication with a Volunteer in the unlikely event that they become unresponsive over the course of your project. Just reach out to us using the chat bubble on the bottom-right of your screen or email us at [email protected]!