Running a non-profit website in Rhode Island or Massachusetts comes with a short list of things worth doing — some free, some legally required, most of them finished in an afternoon. Here is the toolkit I walk every client through, in the order that pays off fastest.

Free money and free tools (genuinely free)

• Google for Nonprofits — free Google Workspace (real @yourorg.org email for the whole team) and the Ad Grant: up to $10,000 a month in free search advertising for eligible non-profits. Most small organizations qualify and never apply. This is the single most underused resource on this list.
• TechSoup — verified non-profits get deep discounts or donations on software most organizations pay full price for. Registration takes a week or so; do it once, benefit for years.
• Canva for Nonprofits — the paid tier of the design tool your volunteers already know, free for registered non-profits. Good enough for social graphics and flyers that match your website.

Get found by your neighbors

• Google Business Profile — free, and for local searches (“food pantry near me”) it matters as much as your website. Claim it, add real photos and hours, and ask three supporters for reviews. This is the highest-value hour on this page.
• Say your towns on your website. Search engines cannot guess that you serve Woonsocket or Worcester — your pages have to say so in actual sentences. Your service area belongs in your homepage text, your about page, and your contact page.

Look as legitimate as you are

• State registration: most charities soliciting donations must register — in Rhode Island with the Department of Business Regulation, in Massachusetts with the Attorney General’s Non-Profits/Public Charities Division. Donors and grant reviewers do check. If you are unsure of your status, your accountant should know in one phone call.
• Candid (GuideStar) — claim your free profile and fill it in. Foundations look here before they fund; an empty profile reads as an unanswered question.
• A privacy policy in plain language — if your site has a contact form, say what happens to what people type. It builds trust and it is increasingly expected. (Mine is one page; yours can be too.)
• Own your own domain and hosting. The organization — not a volunteer, not a designer — should hold the keys. Here is how I set that up.

Make it usable by everyone

A meaningful share of your audience in both states is over 65, and some of your visitors use screen readers or zoomed text. Readable font sizes, real contrast, buttons that say what they do, and photos with descriptions — the basics are not hard, and they are the difference between serving everyone and serving almost everyone. For organizations receiving federal funds, accessibility is not optional.

The one-afternoon version

If you only do three things: claim your Google Business Profile, apply for Google for Nonprofits, and put your towns into your website’s text. Free, fast, and together they will do more for your reach than a redesign.

Want a hand with any of it — or an honest look at which of these your organization is missing? That first conversation is free.