Having gone from the initial consultation request to receiving a formal proposal from OurChurch.Com in just four days, the next step in the redevelopment of my church’s website was in the hands of the finance board. Would they approve the above budget request for funds? Would they ask for proposals from other website development companies? Would the fact that I’m both the CEO of OurChurch.Com and an elder at the church factor into their deliberation?
Conflict of Interest?
Because of the unusual circumstances of my being both the CEO of OurChurch.Com and an elder at the church, there were a lot of advantages I could bring to the table by having the church work with OCC. I’m familiar with the capabilities of OCC’s Custom CMS Express system and therefore know what it can and cannot do. I understand the sales and design process and can move us through it quickly. I know the admin tools. On the other hand, there is also a potential conflict of interest. Would the selection of OCC for this project be seen as showing favoritism to my company?
Situations like this come up at the church from time to time and the rule of thumb we use is to ask ourselves this question: If a story about this showed up in the St. Pete Times would we be comfortable with it?
Had the finance board decided to accept OurChurch.Com’s proposal without considering any competing bids, it might have had the appearance of impropriety. So, they asked Tim, our executive pastor, to get proposals from two other website development companies. A lot of time and effort were put into getting the proposal from OCC, and going through that same process two more times was not something he was looking forward to doing, but it’s important for the church to be above reproach.
Comparing Apples to What?
Tim contacted two other website design companies about proposals. The proposal provided by OurChurch.Com is protected by a confidentiality agreement, but OCC granted permission to send the proposal without dollar figures to other web design companies to expedite the process.
One of the first challenges Tim encountered was understanding the services each company offers. There are so many technical details that it’s difficult even for a relatively knowledgeable person to be sure the functionality a company promises on their website actually matches up with your needs. Some questions we found it particularly difficult to get answers from were:
- Could you set up our website with two custom templates – one for the homepage and one for all the internal pages?
- Can you create these two custom templates to look exactly like our current site?
- If so, what would that cost?
Another factor was the event registration system. We want our website to have a system that will allow us to do all our sign-ups for classes, trips, and so forth online. OCC offers a powerful component specifically for that purpose. It integrates into the calendar, allows you to limit the number of spots/tickets available, organize data, contact everyone who’s registered, and more. At least one of the other companies suggested event registration could be done with a simple online form. What they meant was they could create a form a person could fill out to indicate they were going to participate, but it wouldn’t have any of the other integrated functionality of a true registration system.
Different Pricing Structures
Another issue that makes it difficult to compare website development services is the pricing structure of CMS-based systems. Because OurChurch.Com spends a lot of time answering questions before the sale, working with clients to customize their site exactly the way they want it, and providing clients with training over the phone the up-front cost can be higher than other companies. The ongoing monthly cost, however, is comparatively low.
On the other hand, some other companies have very automated systems where it’s possible to have your website created without ever talking with anyone. As a result, there’s a much lower up-front cost, however, there may not be as much flexibility in the design or functionality you can get. You may also end up paying monthly fees of $100 or more plus additional increment costs for advanced functionality, for each additional email account, newsletter mailing list, administrator, and more.
I’m not saying OCC’s approach is best, but rather that the different pricing structures and options are enough to make anyone’s head spin, including mine.
The Board’s Decision
In the end, there was just some functionality we wanted the other companies could not provide. Plus when comparing the costs over several years, OurChurch.Com’s proposal proved to be best value as well. Getting and comparing additional proposals added an extra 9 days to the process, but the process was important. It added credibility to the decision and assured everyone the church was going to get a good value by selecting OurChurch.Com for the website development project.
Learning Points
- Even though getting multiple quotes can seem like a pain and an inconvenience, it’s an important part of the process.
- When dealing with a finance board, the more you can communicate and involve them in the process the better. You don’t want to drop a proposal and funding request in their mailbox with no warning.
- Try to find out ahead of time a ballpark figure of how much money they might be willing to approve. Not that finances should drive the scope of a church’s website, but there’s no point in getting a proposal for $10,000 if the board is reluctant to approve $1,000.
- If possible, present the proposal to the board in person and be available to answer their questions.
- When talking with a web design company, ask very specific questions about how you envision it functioning. For example, don’t simply ask, “Can you include event registration functionality?” Ask, “Will it allow us to set up a fixed number of registrations and close the registration when those spots are filled? Will it allow us to print out a list of all the people who have registered? Will it allow us to sell tickets?”
- Not every company or CMS will be able to do everything. Be prepared to decide what you can and can’t live without.
- When comparing the costs of different proposals, be sure to factor in all the costs over a period of several years.
Have you faced the finance board? Got any suggestions for how to do that smoothly and effectively?
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4 Comments
Interesting post. As a an accountant for a major UK charity as well my church (and being a Trustee) I guess I am the dreaded finance board you are talking about.
Firstly, I think you have hit the nail on the head about the credibility factor. People need to see that the money is being used wisely. We are spending money that has been given from peoples’ pockets to further the kingdom – wasting it is not an option, or at least it shouldn’t be.
Regarding your question, I think it depends on the guidance the church has had. If God has clearly said to do something (e.g. an outreach event) then it is no doubt easier than if it is just an idea. Then there is more chance of the church dipping into funds in faith.
Specifically, I would like to see at least a rough idea of what it would cost (as the accountant I can do the fine tuning) and exactly what the benifit of it is. Does it mean we can leaflet 5,000 homes? Does it mean the quality of worship will be better? Is it simply a social event that bring the church closer together? It is difficult in a church situation as so many benefits are not exactly tangeable.
For me the benefits we get from spending the money is key. My church is based in East London and we are a generous church but comprising of many poor people. Therefore if we spend money on one thing – it means something else will not be done. This really helps makes sure you spend money well!
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I recently came accross your site and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this site very often.
Joe
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