So often, small nonprofit organizations don't have control over their websites. Usually, it's because they don't understand how they work and don't realize they don't have control - until there is a problem. It's not unusual for a nonprofit to have a volunteer who does website updates upon request, and everything seems fine. Some nonprofits contract with a local company that seems to do a good job, so they pay the bill and assume all is well until it's not.
The first time I volunteered for a nonprofit, I followed a local organization whose website hadn't been updated in many months. It was a simple WordPress site, and I had taught myself WordPress, so I volunteered to help out. They took me up on my offer, and I started doing updates. But it turns out the volunteer who set up the website believed she "owned it" because she had created it for free for the organization. Even though she hadn't done any requested updates for months, she took offense. So she changed all the passwords, took the whole website down, and put up a one-page site that simply said: "XYZ Organization SUCKS."
Years later, I was consulting with another nonprofit to increase their fundraising. They had a website built by a local company that specialized in e-commerce, and the company maintained it - for a fee. That meant it wasn't always up to date because the nonprofit had to consider the cost of every minor update they wanted to make, and like so many, they worked on a shoestring budget. Their webmaster was using an e-commerce shopping cart that was clunky, difficult to navigate, and not at all donor-friendly. [https://www.rebeccapoling.com/post/top-5-ways-to-optimize-your-online-donation-pages-today] They wanted a new, updated website but couldn't afford it. Ideally, they could have simply had someone create a new one that was easy for staff or volunteers to update, but there was one problem: They had no idea where their domain name was registered or who owned it. They had no control.
Whether your website is handled by a volunteer, a staff member, or a contractor, there are some basic things E.D.s need to understand to be sure that if/when those relationships sour, the organization isn't at risk:
1. Who owns your Domain name (hopefully your organization)?
2. Where is your Domain name registered, and how can you access your domain name settings?
3. Where is your website hosted?
4. Who has access to your website, and who the Main Administrator is?
Many E.D.s are subject matter experts in their field and don't always understand the world of websites, and they don't need to be. They only need to know the basics.
Here's a simplified illustrative version of how websites work. Take a look, and then make sure you can answer the four key questions above. If you can't, all is not lost, but you may need to take action before it's too late. Message me if you need help.
WHAT EVERY NONPROFIT NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT HOW WEBSITES WORK
When you type “mysamplecompany.org” in your browser or click on a link resulting from a search engine query, a signal is sent to the Domain Name Registrar where that Domain Name is registered. In this example the Domain Name Registrar is Google Domains.
The Domain Name Registrar reads the Domain Name Server (DNS) records to see where mysamplecompany’s website files are hosted and directs the signal there. In this example those files reside on a server at Digital Oceans.
This all happens in a split second, and the result is the files, photos, and pages that make up the mysamplecompany website show up in your browser.
The Domain Name Registrar and the Domain Name Server records are key to where any URL points and what shows up in your browser. That is why it is so important that you know who your Domain Name Registrar is and that you have control of it. Don’t know who your Registrar is or where to start? Look up your URL at https://lookup.icann.org/ and reach out to the Registrar’s customer service department for help.
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