Show HN: Changeforge – $150 handcrafted sites for nonprofits

Show HN: Changeforge – $150 handcrafted sites for nonprofits(changeforge.org)

9 points by grimmfang 10 years ago | 11 comments

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"?

grimmfang 10 years ago | |

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 10 years ago | | |

> 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 10 years ago |

Hey everyone, founder of Changeforge here.

This is a follow up to this thread: 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!