Body Shop funds Refuge's new Web site
Howard Lake | 23 July 2004 | News
The Body Shop is funding domestic violence charity Refuge’s new Web site.
The new site, which will go live on 28 September 2004, will include details on how to support the charity. A facility to handle online credit and debit card donations will be available, and there will be details of how to get involved in fundraising events. There will also be advice for people wishing to give anonymously to the charity. Furthermore, the new site will include information in community languages “and comply with the Disability Discrimination Act,” says the charity.
The Body Shop is donating money raised via its mobile phone recycling and pin badge sale initiatives.
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Many charities still find it difficult to secure funding for Web sites so it is encouraging to see a funder willing to support such developments. If such a supporter can not be found, however, then usually it is better to include Web site developments within other projects for funding applications, as often Web sites are quite rightly seen by funders as means to an end.
While Refuge announces the donation on its front page, it is regrettably unable, due to financial constraints, to make sufficient use of the site’s opportunities in the meantime. A headline of “This website is under development” is never going to engage and excite many visitors, but the charity says it can’t afford to change it. It is therefore focusing on the new site’s arrival in a couple of months’ time.
Nor can they change the announcement that “we aim to launch the new site early next year and will be posting frequent updates on our progress.” Apart from overstating the time until the new site will go live, this has the unfortunate effect of suggesting that visitors won’t find much new information on the site for several months.
Refuge is well aware of the shortcomings of their site but say that it is all down to lack of funds and the planned introduction of the new site. Sadly, this means that valuable fundraising opportunities are being missed: for example, the e-mail address to contact the fundraising department is not clickable.
Refuge’s experience shows that charities can still find funders willing to fund a new or redeveloped Web site. On the other hand, their difficult position at present shows that you should never find yourself in a position where you can’t afford to amend your Web site.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.