In March 2024, we launched our first free nonprofit website for Aluminum Cans for Burned Children (ACBC). This organization is amazing! They raise funds by collecting aluminum cans in partnership with local fire departments all over Northeast Ohio and some small fundraisers - all to support children who have survived devastating fires. These funds send kids to camps that provide them with opportunities to be with other survivors and just be kids!
When You Create A Nonprofit Website You Learn So Much!
As a marketing professional, it’s amazing how many different industries I get to learn about - but when getting to know a nonprofit, like ACBC, behind-the-scenes was beyond humbling. The people that make this organization run, the survivors they’ve helped and the kids they mentor are all just astounding. It makes me want to do more and share their amazing work with everyone!
There are lots of ways to get involved and help:
- ACBC offers fire prevention training with their mobile fire safety trucks. These vehicles can be brought on-site to schools and events to teach children how to identify fire hazards in the name of prevention and create an escape plan in case they even need this skill. To learn more and request a fire safety trailer for your school or event, visit here.
- Recycle your empty aluminum cans! ACBC has drop sites all over the area - and likely one in your neighborhood. Find your local drop site here. (You can also request an ACBC collection bin if you’re an organization where cans can be collected).
- Donate. Of course, ACBC is always grateful for donations of any size. You can choose to do a one-time donation or even sponsor a camper at their survivor summer camp. There are so many ways to give!
A little bit more about our work with ACBC…
Nonprofit Website Design
When we started talking with ACBC about the new website they already had a great logo and brand colors to work with. But, their website wasn’t doing a good job of getting the visitor to the key places they needed to go - like to recycle cans, reserve a fire safety truck or donate. So we worked with the team to determine their top goals for the website and put together a structure that would solve this - and built the design off of it.
One of our awesome design partners - Alison Farone (who also donated her time) - brought their photos, colors and brand to life with the amazing design you see live today.
Nonprofit Website Development
Once the design was done - it was time to start digging into the website development - in other words building the website & collecting all of the content with the ACBC team. The BetterWeb team put together all of the pages and functions you see on the site, did the keyword research and wrote the content - while ACBC supplied all of the photos and videos. This is the longest part of the process, but also the most rewarding. It's when you see everything come together and are able to interact with it online.
So what’s next for everyone?
Nonprofit Website Maintenance
ACBC hosts their website with BetterWeb and is now in website maintenance mode. No website should be ‘set it and forget it’. A regular maintenance routine will make sure the site stays stable, up-to-date, and secure. This gives everyone peace of mind that it is functioning as you are sending visitors, campers, donors, etc. to it to find information.
BetterWeb: BetterWeb Gives - Another Free Nonprofit Website!
As for BetterWeb, we’re ready to do another free nonprofit website. This time, it’s a contest - that will have 1 lucky winner 🙂 We’ve partnered with local law firm Stark & Knoll and our fabulous design partner Alison Farone design once again with this year’s contest. To learn more and enter, check out betterweb.gives.
About the Author, Erin Kerrigan:
A seasoned marketing strategist with two decades of expertise, Erin thrives at the intersection of business strategy and the dynamic world of marketing. She loves to collaborate with clients across diverse industries and growth stages, harnessing marketing for meaningful and measurable business outcomes. With a unique blend of client and agency experience, Erin ensures that companies unlock their full potential. Hailing from Cleveland, she's an outdoor enthusiast, often found enjoying quality time with her husband, two girls, and golden retriever.
