EverWeb works well for clubs, churches and nonprofits: volunteers can update it without code, it can take donations through PayPal or Stripe, and it can have a members-only area. In EverWeb 4.6 and later, a contact form can also take donations, event fees and registrations in one go. Here's what to build, and how to set it up so the website doesn't depend on one person.
Pages to make
| Page | What goes on it | Use in EverWeb |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Welcome, next event, meeting or service times | Text, a photo, and the latest news |
| About | Who you are, leaders, what you believe or do | Text and photos |
| News and Events | Announcements, event reports, the calendar | EverWeb's blog, or an Events page |
| Schedules and newsletters | Monthly schedule, rota, newsletter | A PDF linked with Link To: A File |
| Get involved | Join, volunteer, sign up for news or an event | Contact Form Advanced, or a newsletter form |
| Donate | Why give, and a donate button or form | The PayPal or Stripe Payment widget, or a contact form with payments (4.6) |
| Members (private) | Minutes, contact lists, members' news | Simple Password or Membership Sites |
| Contact | Address, map, contact form | A shape with its Fill set to Map, and Contact Form Advanced |
Events and news
The blog is the quickest way to post news: the newest post shows first, and older ones move to the Archive page. See How do I add a blog to my EverWeb website?. To show the latest posts on your Home page, use the RSS Feed widget with your blog's feed address.
For a calendar, many groups paste the embed code from an online calendar, such as Google Calendar, into the HTML Snippet widget. See Add a booking calendar, Instagram feed or other outside code with the HTML Snippet widget.
For a schedule you update each month, upload it as a PDF once. Next month, replace it in the Assets list with Replace Asset.... The link stays the same, so nobody needs a new one. See Replace an image or PDF everywhere at once, and clear out files you no longer use (the Assets list).
Donations
- Classic PayPal widget: set Button Type to Donate.
- Stripe Payment widget: set up a product in Stripe, and set Payment Type to Donate under Checkout Page Settings.
- PayPal's own donate button: paste the code PayPal gives you into the HTML Snippet widget. If the button doesn't show after publishing, change Embed Option to Direct Embed and publish again. Or put PayPal's donate link on a button of your own.
- A donation form (EverWeb 4.6 and later): with the Contact Forms Enhanced add-on, a Contact Form Advanced form can offer preset amounts (such as 10, 25 or 50), an "any amount" choice, an optional extra to help cover card fees, and a box for a dedication or message. Donors pay by card through Stripe or through PayPal, and you get their details with the payment. See Take donations on your website with a contact form.
Full steps for the widgets: Take payments on your website with the PayPal and Stripe widgets. Add the padlock (HTTPS) before you take payments: see My site says 'Not Secure': how to get HTTPS (SSL) on your website.
Good to know:
- Form payments are one-off. For regular monthly giving, use Membership Sites paid plans or the recurring payment tools in your own PayPal or Stripe account.
- Receipts. A form's confirmation email can thank the donor and show the amount. Check your local rules on what an official donation receipt must include.
Registrations and event fees (EverWeb 4.6 and later)
The same form payments suit a fun run, a youth club's season fees, a church retreat or a fundraising dinner. Visitors choose a ticket type, the number of places and a meal choice, see the total and pay. You get each registration by email, marked Paid, and in your Client Area, where you can export the list to a spreadsheet. It needs the Contact Forms Enhanced add-on. See Event registration and ticket sales with your contact form and What is the Contact Forms Enhanced Add-on?.
A members-only area
- Simple Password (included with EverWeb + Hosting): one or more usernames and passwords for a section, such as a committee area.
- Membership Sites (an add-on with a free Starter plan): each member signs up with their own login, and you can charge membership fees by card.
Compare them in Can I password protect my website? Simple Password and Membership Sites.
Newsletter sign-up
- With a newsletter service such as Mailchimp: paste its sign-up form code into the HTML Snippet widget. If the service asks you to verify your domain, and your domain points to EverWeb Hosting, send us the exact records and we'll add them.
- Without one: a Contact Form Advanced form with name and email fields sends each sign-up to your inbox.
More than one editor
- Keep one project file (the editable copy of your website, saved on a computer) in a shared Dropbox folder.
- Let Dropbox finish syncing before anyone opens it, only one person at a time, and never move it out of the shared folder.
- Use the same EverWeb version on every computer. Mac and Windows can share a project.
- Each person who edits needs their own EverWeb license.
See Can I share my website project file with another user or computer? and Can I use EverWeb on my desktop and laptop computer or do I have to buy a license for each?.
Keep it in the organisation's name
Volunteers change. Create the EverWeb account with an address that belongs to the organisation, such as [email protected], and register the domain in the organisation's name. Make sure more than one person can reach the account's email address, and keep a backup of the project file. If a hosting plan was set up on a volunteer's own account, contact us and we'll help you move it to the organisation's account.
Set up outside EverWeb
- Email addresses such as secretary@ and treasurer@: see Create an email address with your own domain (EverWeb + Hosting).
- Your domain: see Point your domain to EverWeb Hosting (update nameservers / DNS).
- A PayPal or Stripe account in the organisation's name, and your newsletter service, if you use one.
- Discounts: we offer discounts for schools, nonprofits and charities. Contact us and tell us about your organisation. To pay by bank transfer or invoice, see What are the payment options for purchasing EverWeb?.
Building for a charity or a place of worship?
These guides go further, with suggested pages and features:
- Build a website for your charity or nonprofit with EverWeb: donations, volunteers and events
- Build a website for your church, mosque, synagogue or temple with EverWeb
Checklist before you publish
- Meeting or service times are on the Home page and in the footer.
- The donate button or form shows the right currency, and a small test donation works.
- Members' pages ask for a password on the published website.
- The newsletter form signs you up when you test it.
- More than one person can reach the EverWeb account's email address.
- Publish with File > Publish Entire Site, then check it on a phone.
Related articles
- Take donations on your website with a contact form
- How do I add a blog to my EverWeb website?
- Can I password protect my website? Simple Password and Membership Sites
- Members-only pages, logins and paid subscriptions: EverWeb Membership Sites
- Can I share my website project file with another user or computer?