Lonnie has tirelessly built his ministry to the homeless, but now he needs a website that will allow him to communicate his needs and garner support from the local churches. Lonnie doesn't know the first thing about tech, but Kelly has volunteered to learn how to build a website. Kelly quickly understands the basics and does a great job of crafting a very nice site. Of equal importance, she is always very prompt at updating the content. When Kelly graduated from college she got a great job. But with her additional responsibilities, she finds it very difficult to keep the site up to date. The ministry is in a pickle so they hire a webmaster who knows how to edit the content. Ralph does a great job, but even though the ministry pays a low hourly rate, it starts to add up after awhile. By switching to a GoGrow site, Lonnie finds he can update the content himself, and even delegate sections to other volunteers who have no technical knowledge.
• Adding or updating content does not require technical knowledge. If you can send e-mail or use a word processor, you can update a GoGrow Site.
• Should you ever hit a snag, GoGrow offers free support.
GoGrow allows anyone familiar with sending e-mail or using a word processor the ability to maintain a GoGrow web site.
How can a website help your ministry?
Click on a title for more details.
Pat has always felt a tug toward your annual short-term missions trip to a Russian orphanage, but at age 65, she is unsure if she would be welcome among the much-younger group your ministry typically sends. Your new GoGrow website has a “Russia” page that is rich with stories, pictures, and videos which help Pat to begin to get a vision for the unique ways she could minister in that setting.
Many of the traditional limitations no longer apply:
• Websites, when properly structured, can make massive amounts of information available and easy to find, far outstripping the physical limitations on content in traditional media (postcard, brochure, catalog, billboard, radio spot, even television special),
• Both print (e.g., pamphlets or books) and audio or video (e.g., CDs or cassettes, VHS and DVD) materials can be distributed more quickly and less expensively than with traditional media. Instead of making multiple CDs of a special speaker, place it online for everyone to listen. Instead of printing many copies of annual report, make it available online for interested parties to download and print.
• Content can be released to specific users, only after purchase, or freely to all.
Anything which can be typed, photographed, videotaped or recorded can be easily displayed on your GoGrow site.
Al has been in ministry a long time and has met many great folks along the way. Some of his friends are from across town and others minister far away. He chooses to encourage them by blogging about the work they are doing. By discussing their ministries, posting pictures, and offering a links to their websites, Al can encourage and be of great benefit to many of his peers.
Your ministry's site can:
• Strategically focus on specific areas of need so you and others can reduce duplicated efforts.
• Steer people to the best resources available.
• Encourage other ministries by highlighting what they do best.
• Share helpful tips and hard-learned lessons.
• Connect people with others who share an interest in meeting a particular need.
A GoGrow site can help you build community with like-minded ministries.
A Christian worship and drama conference receives word that they have the opportunity to upgrade to nicer facilities if they can get at least 20 more attendees. The leaders post pictures of the beautiful auditorium on their website’s main page, and send a message to all subscribers to highlight the opportunity. Within several days, they meet their goal as a number of new attendees are inspired to sign up.
Stay in immediate contact:
• If your fundraising leader becomes ill and is unable to keep a scheduled speaking engagement for the following day, this information can be posted and distributed within minutes.
• If your building’s basement floods, you can communicate the need for local volunteers for clean-up and financial support quickly and easily.
Communicate with your subscribers and supporters in a fluid manner, GoGrow allows for more effective and immediate communication.
Chris coordinates a ministry that repairs cars for single moms – “Keep ‘em rolling”. Things are going well. There are several dedicated volunteers who are each eager to help by contacting donors and other people who might be willing to lend a hand. The problem is Keith has a Yahoo! e-mail account, Amy uses AoL and Chris likes gmail. Everything works OK, but when emailing donors and other ministries, something as silly as a inconsistent e-mail addresses makes it appear that they are not a cohesive group. With a GoGrow site, uniform e-mail addresses are part of the package, making it much easier to remember Chris@keepemrolling.org than [whatever]@gmail or @hotmail or anything else. Also, when someone leaves the ministry, they won't have to redirect people who contact them via their personal e-mail.
Other suggestions to building an online presence:
• Begin by populating your site with relevant content, information such as events, blog posts, photos and podcasts
• Add your URL (a web address such as http://gogrow.org) as an e-mail signature to e-mail and forum posts, directing people back to your site.
• Link to valuable outside resources, highlight the work of others, and encourage those around you.
• Look for people who could benefit from your expertise and share your knowledge.
• Include your URL on your business cards and letterhead.
GoGrow helps you create a cohesive, relevant online presence which builds credibility and increases traffic.
Alice is having a difficult time trying to coordinate the ministry's staff and volunteer meetings due to everyone's busy schedules. She wants leaders to be able to access planning documents, but does not want to open the process for everyone to see. By using private groups she becomes able to grant access to specific individuals, letting them schedule and plan events online and at their leisure. This reduces the number of face-to-face meetings which are required. By getting the preliminary discussion out of the way, she can draft an itinerary in advance of each meeting, making the face-to-face gatherings quicker and more productive.
Private groups allow select members of the community to access content.
• Alert members only when new content, which is in an area of interest to them, is posted.
• Divide your content into sections, allowing staff and volunteers to focus on the areas they are gifted to serve in.
• Restrict access to discussion regarding budgeting or other private matters.
• Keep a record of past discussions.
• Plan a surprise party to honor a dedicated volunteer.
• Keep your plans under wraps until they are ready to be announced publicly.
GoGrow's private groups can help your ministry communicate more effectively.