Pricing & buying
How a non-profit gets a website donated or funded
There are four realistic routes for a Canadian non-profit with no website budget: a pro-bono build from a studio that runs a programme, a grant that covers communications or capacity building, a skilled volunteer, or a discounted build. Each has a different failure mode, and the failure mode matters more than the price.
Launch72 runs one of these: one free custom website a month for a registered Canadian non-profit in good standing — full build, free hosting for life, and the organization owns the code.
The four routes, compared
| Route | What it costs you | Where it usually goes wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Pro-bono programme | Nothing but your time | Limited spots and someone else's timeline. Apply early, have your content ready. |
| Grant funding | Application effort | Many funders won't fund a website as a standalone line — it lands better inside a program request. |
| Skilled volunteer | Nothing upfront | Handover. When the volunteer moves on, so does access, unless you own the domain and the code. |
| Discounted build | A reduced fee | Ask exactly what is reduced — scope, support, or ownership. |
What to ask before you accept any of them
Free is only free if you keep control of what gets built. Ask these four questions in writing, whoever is building it:
- Who owns the domain? It should be registered to the organization, with a shared board email as the contact — never to a volunteer or the builder.
- Who owns the code and the content? You should, outright, with no licence and no platform lock-in.
- What does it cost to keep running once it is live? Hosting, platform fees, plugin renewals.
- Who can change a paragraph next year, and what does that cost? If the answer involves an invoice, the site will go stale.
Get the domain in the organization's name before the build starts, not after. It is the single asset you cannot easily recover later.
How to make your application stand out
Programmes that build sites for free receive far more applications than they have spots, and the ones that get chosen are almost always the ones that are ready to start. Being ready is something you control.
- Say what you do in one plain sentence, without sector language
- Name the one thing the site must achieve — donations, volunteer signups, program awareness — rather than listing ten
- Have your content roughly ready: programs, board, contact details, a handful of real photos
- Name one decision-maker who can approve, so the build is not waiting on a monthly board meeting
- Say what happens after launch — who updates it, and how often
The Launch72 programme, specifically
One registered Canadian non-profit a month gets a full custom website, built the same way a paying client's is: designed rather than templated, live in 72 hours from approval, hosted free for life on Cloudflare, with the code owned outright by the organization. There is also a free annual content refresh while you remain a charity in good standing.
It is first come, first served, and spots are limited. The application takes a few minutes and we respond within 48 hours.
FAQ
Related questions
How do we get a free website for our non-profit in Canada?
Apply to a pro-bono programme, seek grant funding for it, or find a skilled volunteer. Launch72 builds one free custom website a month for a registered Canadian non-profit — apply on the non-profit programme page.
Do we have to be a registered charity to apply?
For our non-profit programme, yes: registered Canadian charities and non-profits in good standing. Our separate monthly free-website draw is open to any business.
Is there a catch to a free build?
The only condition on our builds — free or paid — is that we may feature the finished site and your organization's name in our marketing. No fees, no ongoing obligation.
Will grant funders pay for a website?
Some will, usually under capacity building or communications, and it is generally easier to get funded as part of a larger program request than as a standalone infrastructure line. Check the funder's guidelines first.
What happens if our volunteer web person leaves?
If the domain is in the organization's name and you own the code, nothing serious — you hand it to whoever is next. If either sits with the volunteer, recovering it can be slow or impossible. Sort this out before the build.
How long do we have to wait?
Our programme takes one organization a month, first come, first served, and we respond to applications within 48 hours. Once you are selected, the build is live in 72 hours from approval.