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Your Onboarding Journey

Here’s exactly what happens after your charity applies — the five stages, who does what at each one, and honest durations. The order matters: Your website is built and validated first, live on its free GitHub Pages address — your domain is purchased only after your site is proven, and charity email comes after that. Volunteers do this work, so timelines are typical rather than guaranteed; content readiness on your side is the biggest factor in how fast a site launches. Curious about the reasoning behind this order? Read why we build your website before buying your domain.

The five-stage Free For Charity onboarding journeyFlow diagram of five stages: 1 Apply (validation and approval), 2 Website (built and validated on GitHub Pages), 3 Domain (free .org bought and pointed at your site), 4 Email (Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace), 5 Ongoing (renewals, DNS and support). An orange funding gate sits between the Website and Domain stages: no money is spent until your website is validated live.

  1. 1. Application & validation

    Approval here is the gate for every later stage.

    You:
    Submit the onboarding form with your EIN, legal name, charity Facebook and LinkedIn pages, and what you need. Have your IRS determination letter handy (pre-501c3 orgs: your formation documents).
    FFC:
    We validate your organization (IRS status, Candid profile) and confirm program fit. Every later stage requires this approval first.
    Typical duration:
    A few days

    Start here: Help for Charities →

  2. 2. Website — built and proven first

    Your validated live site is the funding gate: it unlocks the domain purchase in stage 3.

    You:
    Submit the website application (it requires your approved onboarding), then send your logo, photos, mission text, and program descriptions. A one-page outline is enough — we help with the rest.
    FFC:
    A volunteer builds your site from the FFC template (fast, secure static hosting), with the full FFC footer generated from your validated application data. Your site goes live on its free GitHub Pages address — no custom domain yet — and we validate it end to end with you.
    Typical duration:
    2–6 weeks, mostly depending on content readiness

    How FFC delivers services →

  3. 3. Domain — only after your site is proven

    Unlocked only after your website is validated live on GitHub Pages.

    You:
    Send us your top three .org name choices — or the details of a domain you already own — along with your live GitHub Pages address. You can check name availability any time; we buy once your site is validated.
    FFC:
    Once your website is validated, we spend the funds: we register (and pay for) the best available name, or take over management of your existing domain, set up DNS and security, and point it at your live site.
    Typical duration:
    Same week (after website validation)

    Guide: choosing your .org domain →

  4. 4. Email

    Comes after the domain — the nonprofit email programs require a live website before they approve your 501(c)(3).

    You:
    Choose Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, then register with Microsoft for Nonprofits or Google for Nonprofits and tell us when the DNS verification codes appear. Both nonprofit email programs require a live website before they approve your 501(c)(3) — which is exactly why your website comes first.
    FFC:
    We add the DNS records so your free Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace mailboxes go live, and confirm MFA is on.
    Typical duration:
    2–5 business days (Microsoft or Google validation)

    Guide: free Microsoft 365 email →

    Guide: free Google Workspace email →

  5. 5. Handoff & ongoing support

    No gate — ongoing once you are live.

    You:
    Learn where to send changes and questions; add the trust-builders (Candid seal, donation form) when ready.
    FFC:
    We keep the domain renewed, DNS secure, and hosting healthy — and stay reachable for changes and fixes.
    Typical duration:
    Ongoing

    All guides →

Deep dives for every prerequisite

Stuck on a specific intake item — mission statement, board requirements, public contact info, the 501c3 application itself, or fiscal sponsorship? Each has a dedicated walkthrough in the intake help section on FFC Admin, our operational portal.

How we communicate

Support happens over email and text with real volunteers. We aim to respond within a couple of business days; a silent week means a message fell through — please nudge us rather than wait. Everything you can prepare is on the getting-started checklist.