Webmistressing

Wanting to be the Webmistress for your club, but don’t know where to start? That’s great! Here are some hints and tips and links to learning.

Technology on a budget

Free software is everywhere on the Internet, but sometimes the quality is questionable. Detail out your requirements before searching for software to ensure that what you choose includes Must Have features. Knowing where to start your search helps too. Consider paying an annual fee for software that is useful and high quality.

Free or Discounted Software

Techsoup.org is a MUST for any non-profit looking to find discounted or free software or services. It is highly recommended to spend the time to get registered. They have a list of software and sites that utilize their services for discounted or free software/services to the non-profit world. A great source for qualified and useful technology!

Domain Name

A domain name (myclub.org) is not a necessity, but it is definitely a high-value branding aid. There are no known domain registration services that will provide registration for free, even to a deserving non-profit. (If you find one, let me know!) Budget $25-$50 per year for this service. It is a worthwhile service that brings with it recognition and value.

Web Hosting

The region is currently utilizing DreamHost as their web site provider. Make sure to review their Non-Profit Shared Hosting Plan policy. The Knowledge Base is extensive and covers a lot of potential issues. Free hosting does not necessarily mean free technical support, but their support is top notch!

There are a lot of different website platforms to choose from! Some are better than others. The region is currently using the WordPress platform for the webhosting. It is a “One-Click Install” through DreamHost, and there are a lot of plug ins and templates available to make developing a beautiful site with new features fast and simple. WordPress is easy to learn and there are a lot of free resources to learn more:

The one plug in that I highly recommend is UpdraftPlus Backups. Schedule your backups to almost any Cloud Storage location for seamless backups. Please have a backup for disaster recovery. See below for a great place to get unlimited storage!

Free Email Hosting for Members and More!

One hurdle above is where in the world to save those backups. We do not want them in our personal storage (especially if we are paying for it). Google is a great partner for this! Google for Nonprofits gives you access to the entire Google Workspace for your Club, including a large amount of storage. The perfect place to receive all your club emails (with the Domain Name mentioned above) and to keep your website backups safe and secure!

More to come….

Do you have more questions? A great idea to share with other clubs? Send me an email and I will happily include your recommendation or question and answer here!