Make limited resources count
Small nonprofit organizations often depend on employees and volunteers who perform several roles.
Someone responsible for community outreach may also update the website. A program coordinator may manage email newsletters. A board member may help register a domain or choose software.
Handling work internally can conserve financial resources and strengthen organizational independence.
However, doing everything yourself is not always the most affordable or responsible choice.
Technical mistakes, inadequate security, unreliable systems, and poorly documented accounts can introduce risks that exceed the cost of obtaining appropriate assistance.
The goal is to determine which digital responsibilities your team can manage reliably, which require additional training, and which justify professional support.
DIY is a responsibility decision
The question is not whether a nonprofit employee can learn a particular digital task.
Many people can learn to update websites, prepare newsletters, organize files, and operate common software.
The more important question is whether the organization can perform that task correctly and consistently.
Consider four factors:
- Complexity: How difficult is the task?
- Risk: What happens if something goes wrong?
- Capacity: Does someone have time to maintain the result?
- Accountability: Who is responsible for the outcome?
A task may be simple to perform once but difficult to maintain over several years.
For example, creating a social media account takes little time. Keeping its information accurate, responding appropriately to messages, and protecting access require ongoing responsibility.
DIY should therefore be an organizational decision, not merely a way to avoid an initial expense.
Digital tasks nonprofits can often handle
Some digital activities are well suited to staff members or trained volunteers.
1. Updating website content
Many website platforms allow authorized users to edit pages without advanced programming skills.
Appropriate internal tasks may include:
- Updating program descriptions.
- Correcting contact information.
- Publishing event details.
- Maintaining staff-approved announcements.
- Reviewing broken links.
- Replacing outdated documents.
Use an established approval process for sensitive or important information.
A staff member should not independently change eligibility requirements, legal disclosures, or program commitments without appropriate organizational authorization.
2. Creating newsletters
Nonprofits can often prepare basic email communications internally.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Writing program updates.
- Announcing events.
- Sharing volunteer opportunities.
- Preparing educational messages.
- Maintaining approved mailing lists.
Use an appropriate email service and respect applicable email requirements, consent preferences, and unsubscribe mechanisms.
Do not upload contact information into unfamiliar services without reviewing the organization's data-handling responsibilities.
3. Managing social media
A small team can manage one or two relevant social channels when responsibilities are clearly assigned.
Useful tasks include drafting posts, sharing program announcements, reviewing comments, and directing people to official information.
The team should establish guidance for responding to sensitive inquiries and avoid discussing private participant information publicly.
4. Maintaining public information
Internal staff are often the best source of accurate program details.
They can review organization directories, public profiles, operating hours, and contact information.
This work is especially valuable when services or locations change frequently.
5. Basic performance reviews
Staff can often review simple website or outreach reports to understand:
- Which pages people visit.
- Whether important forms receive submissions.
- How many people register for events.
- Which communications produce useful responses.
Measurement should follow the organization's goals and actual privacy practices.
Advanced dashboards are unnecessary when basic information already supports decisions.
Tasks that may require professional help
Some digital responsibilities involve consequences that justify specialized knowledge.
That does not mean nonprofits must outsource them automatically. It means the organization should evaluate risk before assigning the work.
Website security and incident response
Routine security awareness can be handled internally.
However, investigating a suspected compromise, repairing a hacked website, recovering exposed accounts, or responding to a serious data incident may require qualified assistance.
Improper recovery work can destroy evidence or create additional vulnerabilities.
Complex technical integrations
Connecting a website to payment systems, donor databases, registration platforms, or other operational software may involve:
- Authentication and access permissions.
- Sensitive information.
- Data transfer.
- Error handling.
- Vendor-specific requirements.
- Ongoing maintenance.
These responsibilities should not be assigned solely because someone knows how to install a plugin.
Financial transactions and donation systems
Nonprofits may be able to configure a reputable hosted donation solution without custom development.
Nevertheless, payment processing, account access, donor information, reporting, and applicable compliance requirements deserve careful review.
Do not create custom payment-handling processes without appropriate expertise.
Legal and regulatory questions
Privacy requirements, accessibility obligations, employment-related information, fundraising compliance, and tax-related disclosures can depend on organizational circumstances and jurisdiction.
Staff can gather information and identify questions, but legal interpretations should be addressed by appropriately qualified professionals when necessary.
Specialized accessibility work
Employees can improve headings, alternative text, captions, link descriptions, and general content readability.
Complex accessibility problems involving custom components, keyboard interactions, screen-reader behavior, or application workflows may require specialist testing and remediation.
Automated testing alone cannot establish complete accessibility.
A practical DIY decision framework
Use this framework before assigning an unfamiliar digital task.
| Question | DIY is more reasonable when | Consider expert help when |
|---|---|---|
| Is the task technically complex? | Standard documented steps are available | Custom configuration or advanced troubleshooting is necessary |
| Could failure cause harm? | Errors are limited and easily reversible | Failure could expose information or interrupt essential services |
| Can the work be tested? | Staff can verify the result safely | Specialized testing or validation is necessary |
| Can someone maintain it? | A trained, accountable person is available | Responsibilities exceed internal capacity |
| Is the cost predictable? | Time and recurring expenses are manageable | Mistakes or delays could create major expense |
Three useful classifications
DIY now: Low-risk activities with documented procedures and available staff.
DIY with guidance: Tasks that are manageable after training, setup assistance, or limited specialist review.
Professional support recommended: High-risk, technically complex, or specialized activities that exceed the organization's verified capabilities.
A task's classification can change as staff skills and operational requirements evolve.
Hidden costs of doing everything yourself
DIY work is not necessarily free.
Even when software costs little or nothing, staff and volunteer time has value.
Consider a hypothetical organization evaluating a website improvement.
An employee estimates that learning and completing the task will require 20 hours.
A qualified provider offers to perform the same defined task for a fixed fee.
The organization should compare more than the invoice.
It should also consider:
- Staff time diverted from programs.
- Learning and troubleshooting time.
- Training benefits for future work.
- Potential errors.
- Maintenance responsibilities.
- Whether professional assistance includes documentation.
If internal work develops a useful long-term skill, DIY may offer additional value.
If the task is unusual, high-risk, and unlikely to recur, professional assistance may be more efficient.
The decision should reflect the organization's actual circumstances.
Three nonprofit scenarios
Scenario 1: Updating program information
A community nonprofit needs to change its operating hours and publish a new registration deadline.
Its website uses an editor that staff understand.
Recommended approach: DIY.
An authorized employee can update the information and verify that the published page displays correctly.
The organization should document the update and ensure relevant public profiles remain consistent.
Scenario 2: Launching an email newsletter
A small organization wants to send monthly news to supporters.
It has permission-based contact records but limited experience configuring mailing tools.
Recommended approach: DIY with guidance.
The nonprofit could receive initial assistance selecting and configuring an appropriate platform, then train staff to prepare routine campaigns.
This approach builds independence while reducing avoidable setup mistakes.
Scenario 3: Recovering a compromised donation system
A nonprofit discovers suspicious activity involving a donation-related account.
The organization does not understand the cause or possible exposure.
Recommended approach: Qualified professional support.
Authorized staff should promptly follow the provider's incident procedures, secure access through supported methods, preserve relevant information, and obtain appropriate technical and compliance guidance.
This is not a suitable situation for experimental troubleshooting.
These are illustrative decision scenarios, not documented client experiences.
How to combine DIY with expert support
Nonprofits do not have to choose between handling everything internally and outsourcing their entire digital operation.
A hybrid approach can divide responsibilities according to risk and expertise.
For example:
Professional responsibilities
- Initial website or platform configuration.
- Complex integrations.
- Specialized security work.
- Accessibility remediation.
- Technical troubleshooting beyond staff capabilities.
Internal responsibilities
- Program content updates.
- Routine newsletters.
- Social media management.
- Public information reviews.
- Reporting and operational decisions.
The professional provider can document technical systems and train authorized employees.
Internal staff can then manage ordinary tasks without unnecessary dependence on external support.
Require useful handover materials
When a provider completes work, request appropriate documentation covering:
- Systems and services involved.
- Administrative account arrangements.
- Routine maintenance responsibilities.
- Backup and recovery procedures.
- Known limitations.
- Support and escalation contacts.
- Contractual rights and deliverables.
Documentation helps the nonprofit retain organizational knowledge even when people change roles.
A digital responsibility checklist
Use this checklist before assigning or outsourcing digital work.
- Define the task and desired result.
- Identify the responsible organizational role.
- Evaluate technical complexity.
- Assess privacy, security, and operational risk.
- Determine whether staff have sufficient skills.
- Estimate the internal time commitment.
- Compare appropriate external support options.
- Confirm account ownership and access.
- Establish testing and approval procedures.
- Document ongoing maintenance requirements.
- Prepare a backup or recovery arrangement where needed.
- Schedule a review of the completed work.
Do not treat a task as low-risk merely because the software appears easy to use.
The importance of the information or service involved may make the consequences of failure substantial.
What to do next
Make an inventory of five digital tasks your nonprofit expects to complete during the next three months.
For each task, record:
- What the work involves.
- Why the organization needs it.
- Who could complete it internally.
- What might go wrong.
- Whether additional training or expertise is needed.
Classify each task as DIY now, DIY with guidance, or professional support recommended.
Begin with the low-risk activities that provide meaningful benefits.
For specialized website development, hosting, digital infrastructure, or technical implementation, Raxan.com is one potential provider to evaluate alongside other suitable options.
The objective is not to eliminate outside expenses at every opportunity.
The objective is to use nonprofit resources responsibly while protecting the systems, information, and services that support the mission.
Frequently asked questions
Can volunteers maintain a nonprofit website?
Yes, when they have appropriate skills, authorization, documentation, and supervision. The organization should maintain control of essential accounts and continuity procedures.
Should a small nonprofit hire an IT employee?
Not necessarily. The decision depends on the size and complexity of its systems, operational risks, available budget, and frequency of technical support needs.
Is a website builder safe for nonprofit use?
A website builder can be suitable, but its security depends on the platform, account settings, integrations, user behavior, and maintenance practices. No platform eliminates every risk.
When should a nonprofit stop trying to fix a technical problem internally?
Seek qualified help when the issue involves potential security incidents, sensitive information, significant service interruptions, or technical work beyond the team's verified capabilities.
By: Andres A.
Last updated: October 18, 2026
Disclosure: Raxan.org provides educational guidance for nonprofit decision-makers. Related Raxan technical services may be discussed when relevant.
0 Comments