01 / The offer

Free websites for nonprofits

We donate the design and the build. Hosting is $25 a month for the first 12 months, then $50 a month. You own the domain. You own the files. You can leave whenever you want and take the site with you.

  • Rolling, no deadline
  • Decision in 2 weeks
  • Live in 4 to 6 weeks

Terms at a glance

No fine print
Build
Donated. $0 upfront. Nothing owed for design or development.
Monthly
$25 per month for the first 12 months, then $50 per month, ongoing.
Domain
You own your domain name. It is registered in your own account, under your organization's name.
Files
You own the finished site and the source files.
Leaving
Stop any time and take the site with you. Canceling means you receive the files and can host them anywhere. Nothing is held hostage.
Covered
The monthly covers hosting and SSL only.
Not covered
Content edits are not included. They are billed separately at the normal rate.

This block appears word for word on the program page, the application and the program terms. If it ever differs, the program terms govern.

02 / What is included

What the award covers

Deliverables, not adjectives. Read the second column before you apply. Silence about exclusions is how the usual version of this offer goes wrong.

Included

  • 01 Design and build of a custom multi-page site.
  • 02 Copywriting.
  • 03 On-page SEO setup.
  • 04 Logo or basic brand work. A mark and a palette, for organizations that do not have one yet.
  • 05 Donation button integration. We connect the processor you already use: Stripe, Givebutter or PayPal. We do not supply the processor or the account.

Not included

  • No Photography. No shoots. Bring your own photos, or the site uses illustrative imagery.
  • No Ongoing content edits. Billed separately at the normal rate.
  • No Ecommerce or an online store.
  • No Donor CRM, membership database or custom web applications.
  • No Email hosting.
  • No Paid advertising or ad management.
  • No Grant writing or fundraising strategy.

04 / How it works

Five steps. Honest timeline.

Nothing here is a countdown. The program is rolling and there is no deadline to beat.

$0 Upfront
$25 Per month, first 12
$50 Per month after that
2 Weeks to a decision
  1. Apply

    The application is a form. It asks who you are, what you do, your tax status, your budget range and what the site has to do for you. Apply any time. There is no cycle to wait for. Rolling, no deadline

  2. Review

    We read it and decide within 2 weeks of a complete application. Awards are made as capacity allows. We do not publish a number of slots, because there is not one. Decision within 2 weeks

  3. Content

    You send text, photos and a logo if you have one. This is the step that decides your timeline. The build clock starts when your content is in hand, not when the award is made. Your part

  4. Build

    Design, build, copywriting and on-page SEO setup. Live in 4 to 6 weeks once you are awarded and your content is in hand. Live in 4 to 6 weeks

  5. Handover

    The domain is registered in your account, under your organization's name. The finished site and the source files are yours. Hosting and SSL run $25 a month for the first 12 months, then $50. Ownership

A desk mid-project: a notebook of hand-drawn page layouts, a marked-up sitemap and a laptop.

05 / Eligibility

Who qualifies, and who does not

  • Eligible

    US 501(c)(3), (c)(4), (c)(5), (c)(6) or (c)(19) in good standing. Charitable, social welfare, labor and agricultural, business leagues and chambers of commerce, and veterans organizations.

  • Eligible

    A 501(c) application filed and awaiting IRS determination, or an organization operating under a qualifying fiscal sponsor.

  • Eligible

    Annual operating budget under $1,000,000.

  • Eligible

    Anywhere in the United States. There is no narrower geographic limit.

  • Excluded

    Other 501(c) subsections. 501(c)(7) social and recreational clubs, 501(c)(8) and (c)(10) fraternal societies, and 501(c)(13) cemetery companies. The line is public benefit rather than member benefit.

  • Excluded

    Partisan political campaign activity. Social welfare and labor organizations are eligible. The site may not be used for electioneering or candidate advocacy.

Full eligibility criteria

06 / What we ask in return

Two things. Neither is buried.

"Free website" is attached to a lot of predatory upselling. So here is the mechanism, in full, before you fill in anything.

  • 01 The monthly. $25 a month for the first 12 months, then $50 a month. It covers hosting and SSL. That is the entire business model behind this program.
  • 02 Permission to point at the work. Omen Services sells websites to paying clients. Sites built under this program are the evidence that the work is good. The three organizations below agreed to be named. We ask first. If you would rather not appear, say so.

What we do not ask for

No upsell requirement. Content edits are billed separately at the normal rate, and only when you ask for them.

No exclusivity. No minimum term. No lock-in. The domain sits in your account, the files are yours, and you can walk at any point.

Photograph of Jason, the founder of Omen Services.
Jason. Omen Services. Culpeper, Virginia.

07 / Work

Work you can go and check

Two builds, named with permission. No star ratings, no partner logos, no testimonials we do not have.

  1. 01

    First In Foundation

    Supports Virginia's fire departments.

    Fire and EMS
  2. 02

    Fairfax City Police Association

    Police department.

    Public safety

See the work in detail

08 / Questions

The three we get asked first

What does this actually cost?

$0 for the design and the build. Nothing is owed upfront for design or development.

$25 a month for hosting and SSL for the first 12 months. Then $50 a month, ongoing.

Content edits are not in the monthly. They are billed separately at the normal rate, when you ask for them.

What happens if we want to leave?

You take the site with you. The domain is already registered in your own account, under your organization's name, so there is nothing to transfer or beg for.

You own the finished site and the source files. Cancel and you receive the files and can host them anywhere. Nothing is held hostage.

Why would you give the build away?

Because the work is the portfolio. Omen Services sells websites to paying clients, and sites built under this program are the evidence.

The $25 a month is the revenue. That is the whole mechanism.

Read the full program detail

09 / Apply

Apply when you are ready

Rolling. No deadline. A decision within 2 weeks of a complete application. If the answer is no, you will hear that too.

The phone and the email are support channels, not a sales line. Nobody will call you to close a deal.

Apply for the grant