Matching Grants
If your ministry’s website is not constructed with Google-recommended responsive design, it’s already past time for change. Many websites built on older platforms that are not mobile-friendly are already suffering in search results and may be dropped altogether by Google and other search engines.
Just as important: Prospective visitors who are viewing your website on their smart phones are not having a user-friendly, welcoming experience of your church.
And you’re probably missing out on online donations, too. Learn more about good reasons to switch to responsive website design.
To help ministries make the move to responsive, mobile-friendly design, Friends of Ministry offers matching grants to help churches cover the cost of website development, website hosting, and website maintenance training.
These grants (a gift of Friends of Ministry) are available to ALL ministries that order new websites by November 30, 2015. Request an estimate now.
FAQ about Friends of Ministry’s Matching Grants
How much is the matching grant worth?
The minimum matching grant is $722, which includes:
$497.50 matching grant for a fully developed 18-page website custom-designed to your specifications
$150 matching grant for first-year hosting fees
$74.50 matching grant for optional website maintenance training
There is no limit on the value of matching grants. Our gift to your ministry effectively cuts your cost in half for website development, first-year hosting fees and (optional) website maintenance training. For example, if you want to add pages or special features such as podcasting, we will increase your grant total so that your cost for your website is half the usual price.
How much do we have to spend to get a matching grant?
$772. Our basic package for churches includes a fully developed 18-page website, website hosting, and website maintenance training with a usual price of:
$995 for design and development
$300 for hosting, double nightly back-ups, tech support and security for the first year, and
$149 for online website maintenance training for up to three people and one month of follow-up support.
Package total price: $1,444. With the grants: $772.
What is included in the basic 18-page website?
Pages (customized for your ministry) included in the base rate for all Unity ministries:
Home page with text and images provided by the ministry (and/or stock images if needed). Included: customizable home-page video/slide show developed exclusively for Unity ministries.
Contact Us page with address, phone, office hours and form for contact by email.
Confirmation page acknowledging request for information through the Contact Us page.
Directions page with an interactive Google map showing your location.
About Us page developed with content you provide
Donations page (with link to online donations made by credit card or PayPal).
Thank-you page acknowledging receipt of donation.
About Prayer page, with information about Unity’s foundation of prayer; info about how to contact Silent Unity for prayer support; links to Silent Unity’s and church’s prayer request forms.
Prayer Request Form with requests automatically sent to email address of your choice
Confirmation page acknowledging receipt of prayer request.
About Unity page with text from Unity’s website
Unity’s 5 Basic Principles (with appropriate image)
Learn more about Unity, with automatically updating links to www.unity.org, the Daily Word, unity.fm, Spirit Path (Unity retreats), and Silent Unity.
I’m New Here. This is the second most-visited page (after the home page) on church websites. This page delivers answers to seekers’ most common questions, such as: How do people dress on Sundays? How long is your service? Do you have child care?
Minister’s or spiritual leader’s bio page with photo. Visitors to your website and newcomers to your church want to know who’s in charge. This page answers that question and gives potential visitors and members one more important way to connect to your ministry.
Weddings & More page with info about services such as weddings, christenings, memorial services and home blessings.
Youth Ministry page. Even if your Sunday School program is limited, it’s important to include information about child care and Unity’s approach to educating children. All parents considering a visit to your church will be looking for this information.
Services and Events (interactive perpetual mobile-friendly Calendar with a page for every activity)
SOCIAL MEDIA/EMAIL LIST INTEGRATION
Twitter feed (if you have a Twitter account)
Facebook badge
Email sign-up form (if you send church email and use software such as Constant Contact)
Links to YouTube channel, LinkedIn.com, other social networks
ADDITIONAL FEATURES INCLUDED
Appropriate YouTube videos (see examples at the bottom of the home page here)
Daily Word (automatically updates daily)
unity.fm logo and link
Donate now link on home page
Embedded blog with up to three posts (infinitely expandable)
What if we want more pages or features?
No problem! Websites we have developed for Unity ministries include podcasting, blogs, complex calendars and more. Just tell us what you want when you request an estimate, and we’ll get back to you with a plan and a price that reflects the 50-percent discount provided by the matching grant.
Do we have to submit a separate grant application?
No. When you request an estimate and order your website by November 30, 2015, your ministry automatically qualifies for the matching grant.
How hard will it be to maintain our own website?
Because so many churches want to maintain their websites, we use WordPress, a “platform” designed specifically for easy use by non-technical people, for all websites we create and host. We have trained church staff and volunteers (more than 100) to maintain their websites. Some have great technical skills to begin with; others do not. Even those who are not truly comfortable with computers can make needed changes to their churches’ websites. We offer ongoing support and training to help them if they get stuck. So the answer to “how hard is it?” is: It depends on the skill of your staff members and volunteers.
Do we have to maintain our own website?
No. We provide ongoing weekly or monthly updates for many Unity churches. Learn more about our worry-free website maintenance service.
What would it cost to have you maintain our website?
Maintenance fees for monthly or weekly updates vary greatly, depend on the number of events on a church calendar and the frequency of home-page updates. We can provide an estimate for you before website development begins.
When will we have to pay?
Development and website hosting fees are due when website development begins (no later than November 30, 2015). Website maintenance training fees are due by the date of the training. Note: PayPal Credit usually provides six months of interest-free financing to our clients so, if you need more time to pay, you probably will be able to get it. Contact us for more information about this service.
When will our website be completed?
Most websites can be completed within 30 days, although the final delivery date depends on how promptly the ministry can provide content (text and images) and respond to questions that inevitably arise during the development process.
What is the development process like?
We usually create a preliminary design and send you a link for approval, feedback, and/or requested changes. After you approve the design, we send you links during the development process so you can review and request changes. When you have approved all pages and features, we begin the process of making your new website “live.” That process usually takes a day or two.
Why choose Friends of Ministry?
Friends of Ministry has specialized in providing websites and related marketing solutions (social media and email management) for more than a decade. We have served more than 75 Unity ministries and, as a result, have a long and distinguished track record in the Unity universe. Please consider what our clients say, what sets us apart and good reasons to choose us.
How do we get an estimate?
Please submit the Request an Estimate form to get started. We respond in 24-28 hours weekdays.
We have other questions. How can we get answers?
Please contact us. We’re always glad to help.
