Websites for non profit making organisations - portfolio and issues to consider
Cornish WebServices have extensive experience in building websites for not for profit organisations such as schools, parish councils, local council organisations, charitable organisations, voluntary bodies such as Rotary, and churches.
With not for profit websites it is particularly important to comply with all existing disability discrimination act (DDA) legislation. For organisations with a small budget, it is important to consider future maintenance as out of date websites give a very poor image.
We do not use standard templates, so each website is unique. All websites are designed with future maintenance and accessibility issues in mind. As standard, all our websites comply with the DDA accessibility legislation. If the website accepts online payment or takes credit card details, then this is all handled on a secure server.
Contact us for a more up to date list of client websites.
Non profit making websites are usually information and/or communications tools with the emphasis on providing good quality information in an easy to find manner. They should be accessible to all but also easily found by being ranked high on the search engines.
The ladder4learning website contains a database of courses and learning opportunities that can be updated by learning providers themselves or an administrator. This database can be searched by users. Cornish WebServices redesigned this website to make to clearer to ease and easier to maintain. The website also contains a forum and links to many other useful resources.
Local Government websites need to be good value for money and comply with all current disability legislation and standards. The Hertfordshire Association of Town and Parish Councils website is an example of such a website.
Updating and maintaining websites for not for profit organisations
Cornish Webservices are able to maintain such websites, or to update the website contents of existing websites. We can also offer a range of different content management options for the organisation to maintain the page content. For this option we usually include as standard email / phone support and provision of a written to guide.
Some Internet companies offer a standard template or standard content management system. Unfortunately most content management systems produce inaccessible website code that gives very low rankings on search engines and does not conform to existing DDA legislation. This is even true of many content management systems costing upwards of £30k.
Cornish WebServices prefer to offer a website that is tailored to fit each organisation's requirements, and that can easily be expanded as the need arises. Our recommended options for website maintenance in this market sector are:
- For very small websites - design them to require updating just once a year - a good example of this is the Eastbourne Rotary website, or Canterbury Diocese Mothers' Union website.
- For larger websites we now recommend using Macromedia Contribute 3 as content management software. Although in its default mode it produces poor quality code, this software can be setup to only produce fairly accessible and well written code. We can set this up for clients. This software is very easy to use and requires no knowledge of website code. It is a very good WYSIWYG editor.
Cornish WebServices are able to upgrade existing websites to make them conform to the accessibility requirements, or to make future maintenance easier. We can carry out redesign work to update the website image.
 www.vlv.org.uk |
We later added in the facility for online donations, online booking of conferences and events and email subscription. |
 www.kapc.org.uk |
The Kent Association of Parish Councils is maintained by KAPC using the Macromedia Contribute software. This website contains a password protected members area allowing KAPC to provide extra information for members. We made some changes to make the website easier to maintain, and upgraded the code to conform to the WIA accessibility standards. We have also redesigned the appearance of the website. This website makes use of different stylesheets, enabling visually impaired users to view large text in either black on white or yellow on black as well as the standard styling. This website also receives online donates and online sponsorship for the London Marathon. |
 www.kab.org.uk |
For The Kent Association for the Blind we made some changes to make the website easier to maintain, and upgraded the code to conform to the WIA accessibility standards. We have also redesigned the appearance of the website. This website makes use of different stylesheets, enabling visually impaired users to view large text in either black on white or yellow on black as well as the standard styling. This website also receives online donates and online sponsorship for the London Marathon. |
 www.bradstow.wandsworth.sch.uk |
This is an example of a school website for Bradstow School. We designed and created this accessible school website based on information provided within the school prospectus. This has been designed to make future updating and maintenance easier and is fully compliant with all existing DDA legislation. |
All of the above websites are now being maintained by the respective organisations, with many pages of each website being regularly updated.
We offer either annual maintenance of the website or we can design a website for the client to maintain. This includes making the website visible to and submitting it to various search engines. It is this marketing of the website that is often not done with DIY websites.
We are also able to revamp existing websites; we have particular expertise in making existing websites accessible and conform to the current disability legislation.
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www.eastbournerotary.org.uk A website to publicise the Rotary club of Eastbourne‘s meetings and activities to visiting Rotarians. The content of this Rotary Club website was written to require minimal changes, thus keeping down the costs of maintaining the website. |
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www.croydonsouthrotary.co.uk Croydon South Rotary club wanted a website to both promote the clubs activities and inform potential members of the variety of projects that the club is involved with. |
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www.canterburydiocesemu.org.uk A website to publicise the activities of the Canterbury Diocese Mothers' Union, including a list of events and an email link. Reciprocal links arranged with other related websites. |
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www.canterburyorchestra.org.uk We designed and created a small website to publicise the orchestra to musicians in or moving to the area. With email link to answer queries and links from various other music and arts related websites. |
Cornish WebServices specialise in search engine optimised and accessible websites that conform to the UK DDA (Disability Discrimination Act). We can design websites to Bobby AAA and WAI AAA standards, so that they are easy to read and navigate using screen readers and other technologies.
The same webpage viewable with different style sheets.
The Kent Assessors website www.kentassessors.org.uk is a small website that uses several different style sheets to allow the user to switch between standard formatting or large text (either yellow on a dark background or black on a light background). The ability to switch appearance is also used on the much larger Kent Association for the Blind website - www.kab.org.uk.
Accessible websites are important for two reasons - firstly they allow partially sighted or blind users and those who cannot use a mouse to read the website. But also because "Google is blind" accessible websites naturally gain high rankings within the Google, Yahoo and MSN search engines.
A selection of the websites that Cornish WebServices have designed and maintained for Non-Profit Making Organisations:
Charities:
- Kent Association for the Blind - redesigned the Kent Association for the Blind website, Kent
- Voice of the Listener & Viewer - website design for TV and radio campaign group, based in Medway, Kent
- Kent CAN - website design for Community Action Network, based in Whitstable, Kent
- Eastbridge hospital tourist website - website design with search engine optimisation, Canterbury, Kent
- Eastbourne Rotary Club - website design for Rotary club in Eastbourne, Sussex
- Croydon South Rotary Club - website design for Croydon South Rotary club in South London
- Canterbury Mothers' Union - website design for Mothers Union, Kent
- The Canterbury Orchestra - website design for local orchestra, Canterbury, Kent
School websites:
- St Francis' College - School website in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, including natural search engine optimisation.
- Bradstow School- School website in Broadstairs, Kent
- St Peters' School- School website in Wem, Shropshire
- Sturry Church of England Primary School- School website in Canterbury, Kent
Church websites:
- Sturry and District Anglican Methodist Church - Church Parish website
- Canterbury churches' children's events
- St. Nicholas Church, Sturry - Photographic tour of the building
- All Saints Church, Westbere
- St Mary's Church, Fordwich
Parish council websites
- Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council - Parish Council website - Kent
- Kent Association of Parish Councils - website for Association of Parish Councils, Kent
- Herfordshire Association of Town & Parish Councils - website for the Association of Parish & Town Councils, Hertfordshire
- Canterbury City Council - website for the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Canterbury, Kent
