Website design for charities: choosing who builds it
Last updated September 2026 · 7 minute read
Website design for charities is a crowded market, and the differences between options are mostly hidden in the small print rather than the price on the quote.
Here is an honest comparison, including where we fit and where we do not.
The short version
- The differences between suppliers sit in the small print, not the headline price.
- Always price three years, not just the build.
- Insist on ownership, a notice period, included hosting and a named turnaround for changes.
- A free volunteer build is the most common reason a site sits untouched for five years.
Your four realistic options
- A digital agency. Strong work, usually £6,000 upwards, plus a retainer, and changes are billed by the hour
- A freelancer. Cheaper, often excellent, but a single point of failure when they move on
- A volunteer or trustee's relative. Free, and frequently the reason a site sits unmaintained for five years
- A template platform you build yourself. Low cost, but the time comes out of someone's day job
Three year cost, not build cost
Compare quotes over three years. An agency build at £8,000 with a £200 monthly retainer is £15,200 over three years. A £79 monthly partnership with the build included is £2,844. A free volunteer build can cost nothing and still be the most expensive option if it fails during a funding bid.
The costs quotes usually leave out
- Hosting, domain renewal and SSL certificates
- Content writing, which is the part that takes longest
- Accessibility testing and fixes
- Photography or stock image licences
- Every text change after launch
- A rebuild in three years when the platform is out of date
How to run a fair selection without a procurement team
- Write a one page brief: what the site is for, who it serves, what success looks like
- Ask three suppliers for the same thing so you can compare like for like
- Ask each for a three year total cost, in writing
- Speak to one of their charity clients, not just read the testimonial
- Check their own site works on a phone and with a keyboard
Contract terms worth insisting on
These protect you whoever you choose, and a reasonable supplier will agree to all of them.
- You own the domain, the content and the finished site outright
- No long lock in. Thirty days' notice is fair
- Hosting and security included and clearly defined
- A named turnaround time for changes, in writing
- A money back period if the work is not right
- A wind down clause saying what happens to your site if the supplier closes
Red flags
- The supplier registers the domain in their own name
- Hosting is only available from them, at a price they set later
- Changes are quoted per hour with no minimum turnaround
- No mention of accessibility anywhere in the proposal
- A twelve month minimum term with no exit
How we do it
We build the site free and charge £79 a month, which covers hosting, security, unlimited changes with a 24 to 48 hour turnaround, and a quarterly review. There is a 90 day money back guarantee and thirty days' notice, because we would rather earn the next month than trap you in a contract.
Common questions
Should a small charity use an agency?
Only if the budget genuinely exists for the build and the ongoing retainer. Otherwise you get a good site that nobody can afford to update, which is worse than a simpler site that stays current.
Is it safe to let a volunteer build our website?
It can work well if the charity owns the domain and hosting logins and there is a written plan for what happens when the volunteer stops. Problems almost always start with access, not with quality.
What notice period is reasonable?
Thirty days. Anything longer is protecting the supplier rather than you.
Ready for a website that does all of this?
We build it free for the first twenty Pioneer charities, then it is £79 a month with hosting, support and unlimited changes included. If you would rather talk it through first, ask us to call you.