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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. 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.

  1. 1. Application & validation

    You:
    Submit the onboarding form with your EIN, legal name, 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.
    Typical duration:
    A few days

    Start here: Help for Charities →

  2. 2. Domain

    You:
    Send us your top three .org name choices — or the details of a domain you already own.
    FFC:
    We register (and pay for) the best available name, or take over management of your existing domain, and set up DNS and security.
    Typical duration:
    Same week

    Guide: choosing your .org domain →

  3. 3. Email

    You:
    Register with Microsoft for Nonprofits and tell us when the DNS verification codes appear.
    FFC:
    We add the DNS records so your free Microsoft 365 mailboxes go live, and confirm MFA is on.
    Typical duration:
    2–5 business days (Microsoft validation)

    Guide: free Microsoft 365 email →

  4. 4. Website

    You:
    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), reviews it with you, and launches it at your domain.
    Typical duration:
    2–6 weeks, mostly depending on content readiness

    How FFC delivers services →

  5. 5. Handoff & ongoing support

    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 →

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.