My Good Deed Offer

I’d like to design a website for a small charity or civic organization. I will do it for free, no strings attached.

If you’re involved with a small charity or civic organization listen up. I want to make you an offer. Among the skills I’ve been honing here in my “off season” is web design. I’d like to design a website for a small charity or civic organization. I will do it for free, no strings attached.

It will be impossible for me to pick the right group, so after I get submissions I will let my readers/viewers do the choosing.

To qualify:

  • If your group is a charity it must be properly registered with the State of Connecticut as a charity.
  • Your charity or organization must benefit a group, not a single individual.
  • If you’re submitting a civic group, it must be a non-for-profit group
  • Your organization’s good deeds should be performed primarily in Connecticut for the benefit of people who live here.

I love the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and March of Dimes, but I’m not offering this to them. I am looking for a smaller group without the resources to easily put something online.

I will build you a multipage website. It will be based on WordPress which is the software that drives my site and many others. You will have to provide a webhost and domain name. Usually you can purchase a plan which will work for under $10/month. I will help you find a webhost, but you’ll have to make the purchase.

If you want photos included–no problem. If you want a short (under two minutes) video clip consider it done! I will do what I can to accommodate you.

You will be responsible for the content (the words) and may be called upon to guide me toward your vision of a site.

I reserve the right to make up the rules as we go along (because I might have forgotten something important), but I will not charge you a penny and you will get my best work.

When I am finished you will have an easily updated website you can maintain yourself though I’ll do what I can to help.

To nominate your organization or charity please leave a comment on this post (not on Facebook). Please tell everyone about your group in two or three sentences–no more. Include your email address so I can get in contact with you.

I’ll take submissions through the weekend then open up the voting sometime next week.

One last thing. Help me get the word out. Clicking the Facebook “Like” button under this sentence will put a link to this post on your Facebook wall and help get more people involved.

32 thoughts on “My Good Deed Offer”

        1. Denise – What I’m offering isn’t so unusual. People do nice things all the time, usually without much fanfare. I see these people every time I speak to or meet with a civic organization.

  1. Dear Geoff, We are a non-profit community organization of approximately 80-100 members, who enjoy gardening, civic beautification, flower arranging, and above all to help educate in the practice of all safe horticultural, conservation and environmental concerns. We meet at 7:00 p.m., the third Thursday of each month (Sept.-Dec. and Feb.-May) at St. Michael’s Parish Hall, on the Green in Naugatuck. We welcome all garden enthusiasts for fun, refreshments and an enlightening program. Please visit us if you’re ever in the area… and “Like” us on FaceBook! Having an official website, preferably free so we can use our proceeds for civic beautification and our educational programs, would be a God-send for us. Not all of our members use FaceBook. Thank you for your consideration! Best regards, Allison –

    1. Thanks Allison. Another worthy entrant. This is like seeing puppies in a litter. You just want to take all of them home!

      1. Geoff, in addition to our civic beautification and educational efforts for our own community, the Naugatuck Garden Club has just recently begun to share public gardening, horticultural and conservation information, through FaceBook, and to help motivate others in the general field as well. We have also worked with many different groups throughout the greater community, i.e. the Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby, CT. We have conducted lessons on school community gardening and the importance of composting for our environment. We have taught children to plant daffodils bulbs in Fall for Springtime bloom at the public schools. We have also worked with our seniors at various housing, nursing homes and the Naugatuck Senior Center for gardening therapy. The Naugatuck Garden Club is a “dig-in-the-dirt” kind of club that works very hard to help bring joy to our old, former industrialized community. Since our FaceBook page is so new, we haven’t really had the time (nor the proper full web space) to convey the importance of *all* garden clubs to each respective community. It is our hope to not only be an informative resource for our own community, but to aid and assist other communities to do the same for the overall common goal of protecting our most valuable resource of all: the Earth. In honor of the upcoming Earth Day, April 22nd, we hope all of you will see the “big picture” and cherish this great need. Thank you!

  2. Hi Geoff,
    Please consider The Beacon Falls Congregational Church. We have a very simple site right now (http://www.beaconfallscongregational.org) which was created and maintained by a beloved member of our congregation until he tragically and unexpectedly passed away in December. We’ve recovered the information we need from his widow to get back to work on it and are now searching for someone with the talent to spruce it up and take it to the next level.
    Our web site wish list includes:
    -Posting our bi-monthly newsletter (in PDF format) to save on mailing costs.
    -Posting a calendar of upcoming events, clickable for details
    -Creating a username/password protected area for members only to access our membership directory (w/ pics and contact info of all our members)

    About our church:
    We are a small Congregational Church which was established in the mid-1800’s. Our “tagline” is “A Family of Faith to Call Your Own” and that perfectly describes us!
    We have a wide and varied missions program. Our favorite causes to which we devote most of our efforts include a sponsored a child (named Abigail) in Nicaragua, The Heifer Project International (why give a cup of milk when you can give a cow?) and Operation Christmas Child (sending shoeboxes of gifts all over the world). Locally, we run the Beacon Falls Care Bank, which gives grocery gift cards to those in need. We regularly host Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Alcoholics Anonymous, etc. because our historic church building is available free of charge to non-profits to meet.
    We run a fantastic Sunday School program which is so respected we often get students from non-member parents who come just so their children can participate. Our Vacation Bible School program for one week each summer is also very popular and well-attended.
    Sorry to rant on for so long. I just love my little church so dearly and am a bit excited about an opportunity to tell the world about it. And a great website would do just that, with your help Geoff!
    Thanks for considering us,
    Liza

  3. CTFolk is a registered non-profit volunteer-run organization based in New Haven which produces the annual Connecticut Folk Festival & Green Expo (this year on September 9/10/11) in Edgerton Park, and a monthly “First Fridays” folk music concert series in New Haven. I built http://www.ctfolk.org myself in plain HTML, but we are currently seeking someone to upgrade and revamp our site in WordPress (or similar) so it’s easily updatable by anyone in our group at any time. (The site is already hosted at Dreamhost.)

    The mission of CTFolk is to educate and entertain our community by presenting local and national folk and traditional music acts, putting on events to bring together the community of Connecticut musicians (both professional and amateur), and spotlighting Green and sustainable means of living. Our goal is for http://www.ctfolk.org to be the one-stop portal for information on all things folk music happening statewide. By moving it to a WordPress (or similar) platform, we will be able to open our virtual doors to many more people and organizations to get the word out about their activities.

    Thanks for your consideration!! This is a wonderful offer you’ve made.

      1. Thanks!! I built my first web site in 1994 … but the technology grew past me a couple years ago, and I just haven’t had the time to keep up with it. 🙂

  4. Hi Jeff. what a great thing you are doing. please consider the Ct. chapter of Huntingtons Disease. This is a disease that is incurable and devastating to both the person and their families. My two neices are currently afflicted with this horrible disease. each generation of the person with this has a 50/50 chance of aquiring this disease. The bad part is this disease has such little awareness. when you hold any kind of fundraiser, everyone says “what is Huntingtons disease.? Because of this it is very very hard to raise any kind of money and funds for this. The Ct. chapter is in Colchester. Please take this group into consideration. thank you

    1. Diane – I am surprised HDSA doesn’t provide ‘hooks’ for local chapters to produce lookalike sites. Glad you’re on the list, but you should also ask at the mother ship.

  5. Well, Mr. Fox, today, I just got my little newsletter from The West Rock Ridge Park Association, which is a teensy-weensy little organization, like the Friends of Brooksvale Park, to which I subscribe. I don’t know if either of those would interest you as organizations on which to practice.

    As a software engineer, I hope you also use the online interface to the SGML parser to validate your web pages and make sure that you are creating validly written web sites, and not just pizazz that is “best viewed in” some particular version of some particular browser. Men like me, who have been utilizing the WWW since it broke on the scene and replaced gopher and gopher holes, deplore the way that people no longer write for the WORLD-WIDE web, and make so many assumptions about who–or what–is retrieving a web page and why. Only by conforming to the standards out there to we ensure that a page served on one machine will be properly interpreted by another.

    Submit your own site here–and see what happens:
    http://validator.w3.org/

    1. Robert – I’ve been on the Internet since before there was a WWW. I know and have used gophers, Archie and Veronica servers. I have ‘fingered’ other users to check their status.

      I am offering to take a group that’s not on the Internet and put them on. I can guarantee I will violate some web standards along the way, but the page will be perfectly viewable. No geeks will be harmed in the process.

      WRRPA sounds great. Someone should enter them as per the instructions above.

  6. Nice work Geoff! Very impressed to say the least…Keep it up and remember…”Don’t go to bed yet!!!!”

  7. Hi there Mr Fox .. I’m a computer scientist and system administrator; I can set up a WordPress site but don’t ask me to design one! My wife has been deeply involved with the Easton Garden Club for the last few years and I volunteered to host their site for free on my provider account. Now we’re looking at it and they’d like to make changes, and I’m *really* not a web designer! I was looking at moving them to one of the content management systems like WordPress or Joomla or Drupal .. something which would let them add content without having to use an html editor (and thus get me off the hook for minor stuff) .. but that would require a template … etc. So, I’d like to nominate the Easton Garden Club as a possible recipient of your generous offer. They are very involved in community projects including perpetual garden and conservation projects in many of the parks and public buildings around town, and donations to a number of organizations such as the Aspetuck Land Trust, the Easton Senior Center and Library, the Connecticut Audubon Society and the Garden Conservancy. Having a decent CMS-based site will help them attract new members as well as enhance their ability to provide gardening information useful to everyone in the community.

    1. Geoff and John: I am seeing a theme of need for all garden clubs state-wide! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Federated Garden Clubs of CT, of which the Naugatuck Garden Club is a member, could be officially the recipient of Geoff’s web offer, and have all garden clubs who work continuously on the the same civic beautification and educational efforts be a part of the whole web-site with a link site of their own to create local input? Just a thought to “grow” on, Geoff! Thanks again for your kind consideration. <3

  8. Geoff – Just today I read an article in the Hartford Courant about spring cleaning and getting rid of unwanted stuff. They posted several charities who would assist in removal. One that my elderly mother has used for years is a disabled CT veterans group. They come to her house and take the stuff from her home, usually her porch, but on occasion have come into her home and assisted with furniture removal when she has asked. I put my things on her porch when she’s ready to call them and they bring a truck and take everything away. All she has is a post card with a telephone number… Sound interesting?

  9. We are a new organization RAGE/ Random Acts of Generous Emotion and our main mission is promoting generosity. we are helping get other kids active in helping to feed, clothe and educate homeless children. we have also co-developed a new after school and summer program. We are trying to make our state and the world better by showing we care. at this time 99 percent of our efforts are in Ct.

    Founded
    DECEMBER 2010 “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill
    About
    RAGE is a Connecticut, USA based non-profit registered with the Department of Consumer protection. Charity number #CHR0055222
    Company Overview
    RAGE is fueled by volunteers and donors that understand generosity is the way.

    Current Projects:
    C.H.O.R.E.S. Community Hospitality Outreach Rejuvenation and Education Services. getting the poorest kids clothed, fed, and educated.
    RAGE International Education Project.
    Description
    we teach the next generation philanthropy. we put “boots on the ground.” RAGErs who see a need for generosity and rise up to meet the need. promoting generosity by gifting, caregiving, etc. and fundRAGEing for the cause. these fundRAGErs can be done for human beings and animals or any great cause. All in the interest of promoting peace and goodwill.
    General Information
    Helping others can not only make us feel good about ourselves; it can also increase our physical well-being. The mind and body aren’t separate. Anything we do to elevate our spirits will also have a beneficial effect on our health. A recent study by Cornell University found that volunteering increases a person’s energy, sense of mastery over life, and self-esteem. Other studies have demonstrated that such positive feelings can actually strengthen and enhance the immune system. Positive emotions increase the body’s number of T-cells, cells in the immune system that help the body resist disease and recover quickly from illness. Positive emotions also release endorphins into the bloodstream. Endorphins are the body’s natural tranquilizers and painkillers; they stimulate dilation of the blood vessels, which leads to a relaxed heart.

    Mission

    1. A.B.C. Always Be Compassionate

    2.to teach philanthropy(to love being human) by teaching generosity. getting children and students involved in fundRAGEing for a cause.

    thanks for your offer.

  10. Geoff, How cool is this. Well, Groton Parks and Recreation has just become a Paralympic Community sports program.
    Paralympic Sport Clubs are community-based programs developed to involve youth and adults with physical and visual disabilities in sports and physical activity, regardless of skill level. All programs and activities will be based in the community and are run by the Groton Parks and Recreation.
    One goal is to reach out to the Veterans to provide activity. The biggest problem I have now is out reaching to the folks in the area. Your help would be awesome, but it doesn’t work, it seems like some of your followers have suggestions for ways to do this with free websites. Thanks for your help!

  11. I’ve been doing the website since 2004 with Front Page and have reached the limit of my knowledge, energy and patience. We are already set with host, domain, etc. and even some technological back-up but you’ll see it needs more. The friends group is going to be embarking on a big capital project very soon and before we start spreading the word and looking for sponsors, we want to look professional yet still fun! Brooksvale is a park enjoyed by all ages during all seasons from all walks of life and it’s one of the few things in Hamden still FREE! Since interviewing folk such as yourself has not dried up and I’m not doing freelance journalism anymore, I have become the Nature Educator at the park (part-time) and see even more potential for what the park can do and be to all who visit. A new improvoed website would be the spark FOB and the park needs. Thanks for your consideration and comittment to community as alwasy.

  12. The mission of the Savin Rock Carousel Committee is to bring a carousel back to the City of West Haven,as a remembrance of the “hey-day” of Savin Rock. This project ties in with the Savin Rock Museum,Ward-Heitman House,Veteran’s Museum, to establish our history for the citizens to remember where our roots are.
    We are a small committee, but have managed to have plans drawn up for the building to house the carousel.
    Most of us have fond memories of spending hours with our families at Savin Rock and especially on the Carousel
    We are pursuing grants and fund-raisers to bring our dream to fruition.
    A top notch web site would help to spread our message and gain more support.

  13. I feel strongly that RAGE is deserving of your offer to design a website for a charitable organization. RAGe meets the qualification as it is offering valuable service to our community. Being a new project. it is in need of help from people like you, who are generous. We would appreciate being selected and assure yoou that this project will be very well known in the future as it has a capable and dedicated Executive Director, Tom Jackson

  14. Hi Geoff

    First, your offer to a worthy charity is truly amazing. This is truly a testament to community service.

    I am writing on behalf of the Durham Fair Foundation, Inc.

    The foundation is the non-profit charitable arm of the Durham Fair Association, Inc. We are registered with the State of Connecticut and the US Internal Revenue service under section 501(c)(3) and accepts tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals, groups and businesses.

    Our mission is to preserve and promote Connecticut’s agricultural and rural heritage be sponsoring educational events, programs and exhibits. As part of that mission, we support and promote the Durham Fair Farm Museum located on the Durham Fairgrounds. We are working to expand the museum so that we may better preserve the rich agricultural history of the area and Connecticut.

    Thanks so much for the offer.

    With warm regards,
    Norm Hicks, Vice President

  15. Geoff,
    I commend you on your interest in providing your services to a local non-profit.

    As volunteer coordinator we are eager to employ a volunteer who can provide us with an updated website.

    AIDS Project New Haven provides education, non-judgmental comprehensive and holistic services to individuals infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

    Our goals are to increase public awareness, promote prevention through educational programs and advocacy, and secure funding for the support services we provide for our clients.

    AIDS Project New Haven is the oldest AIDS service organization in the state of Connecticut. Formed by a small group of individuals in 1983, it has expanded to provide service throughout the greater New Haven area.

    The agency provides services to individuals living in:Branford, Clinton, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Milford, New Haven, North Haven, Orange, Wallingford, West Haven, and Woodbridge.

    Bob Arpaia
    volunteer coordinator APNH

  16. Very happy to hear about your offer, Geoff! My vote goes to RAGE. Hope to get a chance to see the website in the near future.

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