
Show HN: Changeforge – $150 handcrafted sites for nonprofits - grimmfang
http://changeforge.org
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blairanderson
Neat idea until someone reads the FAQ

> "Our organization makes no money offering it’s services in creation and
> updating of websites; however, we do ask that organizations cover the
> minimal expenses that hosting a website may compile. These costs include
> paying for domains, provisioning SSL certificates, and other small fees that
> come along with building a website. We charge every organization a one time
> fee of $150 after we complete your website. No other fees will ever be
> charged."

So its free but theres $150 fee.

How about saying "$150 handcrafted sites for nonprofits"?

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grimmfang
We thought hard about this and in the end decided it's in the best interest of
the nonprofits to host and manage their content for them. The $150 fee covers
our expenses and alleviates the need for monthly payments.

Also it's worth mentioning that once a nonprofit has paid for something,
albeit a very small fee, it makes them far more willing to put effort into
giving us feedback.

Think of it as getting a free car but you still need to pay for the gas.
Having a slogan of "$150 websites for nonprofits" dilutes the clarity of our
mission and makes it look like we are profiting.

~~~
minimaxir
> _Think of it as getting a free car but you still need to pay for the gas._

The difference is that any service offering a free car would rightfully be
seen with skepticism. (and in the case of game shows, you still have to pay
tax on the free car!)

You can't say "free" in the marketing. No way around it. One-time low cost is
fine, but not free.

~~~
grimmfang
I think there's a better way to handle this. We remove the fee and simply ask
each organization that gets a site for a donation. They will not be required
to pay but we will encourage them to, larger donations could make up for those
who don't pay.

Thanks for the feedback, I'm making the changes now.

------
grimmfang
Hey everyone, founder of Changeforge here.

This is a follow up to this thread:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11142402](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11142402)

We received such a positive reaction we decided to take it to the next level
and setup a full blown organization. I want to give thanks to the Hackathon
Hacker Facebook groups that have been an immense help in spreading the word,
providing feedback, and encouraging hackers to volunteer for our organization.

I'm excited to hear everyones thoughts!

