Volunteer Spotlight: Building Websites for Nonprofits

Every charity website in the FFC network was built by a volunteer. Not an agency, not an AI tool, not a template factory — a real person who chose to spend their time helping a nonprofit get online. Here is what that looks like.

Why Developers Volunteer with FFC

For many volunteers, FFC is where theory meets practice. Computer science students get to ship production code. Career changers build a portfolio of real-world projects. Experienced developers give back while mentoring the next generation.

The common thread is impact. When you build a website for a food bank or a youth mentoring program, that site helps real people find real services. It is not a toy project or a tutorial exercise — it is a working product that a charity depends on.

What a Typical Project Looks Like

Most FFC website projects follow a consistent workflow:

1. 1
   Discovery: The charity submits a request through freeforcharity.org. A Global Admin reviews the 501(c)(3) status and sets up the domain, DNS, and email infrastructure.
2. 2
   Design: A Canva Designer creates the brand kit — logo, color palette, social media templates. This gives the charity a consistent visual identity from day one.
3. 3
   Development: A web developer builds the site using Next.js, React, and Tailwind CSS. The site is deployed to GitHub Pages with Cloudflare CDN in front.
4. 4
   Launch & Maintenance: The site goes live. FFC handles ongoing DNS management, SSL renewals, security monitoring, and content updates.

Skills You Will Build

FFC volunteers do not just write code. They learn the full stack of modern web development and cloud operations:

The Impact

As of February 2026, FFC manages websites and domains for dozens of 501(c)(3) organizations. Each site saves that charity thousands of dollars per year in hosting, domain registration, email, and development costs. More importantly, it gives them a credible, professional presence that helps them raise funds, attract volunteers, and serve their communities.

You can see every site we manage on the Sites List.

Get Started

Ready to build something that matters? Start with the Get Involved page to choose your track, then work through the Contributor Ladder to grow from Contributor to Maintainer. If you have development experience, the WordPress to Next.js Conversion Guide is the fastest way to start shipping charity websites.