Ask HN: GSuite / Office365 Alternatives for Non-501(c)(3) Nonprofits
We've gone through the arduous review and appeal process with both Microsoft and Google but was ultimately denied the free to use, nonprofit account, as we're a Florida State-registered and validated nonprofit, and not 501(c)(3) federally registered. We've explored the paid route, but would cost the dues of 36 households, when only 22 participate presently. We can't get corporate sponsors as we haven't found any willing to donate with no federal write-off. We can't register as a 501(c)(3) because the registration process and yearly requirements are cost-prohibitive. We can't get grants to pay for registration because we have to be registered to apply. It's a tough chicken and egg situation.
What we're in need of: - An [email] account for 5 board officers - Collaborative cloud storage - Groups / Forums that residents can subscribe to - Email lists
I've so far been unable to find services that will cater to state-registered, but not federally registered (501(c)(3)), nonprofits for these needs. Mixing services is not ideal, but would still be a welcomed last resort.
There's OwnCloud and similar, not to mention mail-in-a-box solutions. Most of which could be done on a $5-10/month digital ocean, linode or similar environment. For that matter, a small ISP hosting account may get you 90% of the way for less than $20/month total.
It kind of depends on your own technical expertise and how much time you can dedicate vs. a paid solution.
Edit:
Take a look at Cloudron on DO for an example. I'd probably do the mid-range $15 droplet, or the $10 one.
https://marketplace.digitalocean.com/apps/cloudron
@OP, Second this. Write to [email protected] and see if you can get a few more dollars off [0]. Worst case, you might end up having to shell out 2-3$ per month. It's certainly worth your time isn't it :-). Plus, good karma!
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/questions/is-there-a-...
That's actually how it's run right now. And it's a bit of a clusterfuck.
We lack a budget for this right now, which is why I was going after the gratis solutions. But I'll definitely look into Owncloud and Cloudron for the next fiscal year. Thank you.
We will gladly sponsor you with email services - migadu.com regardless of your status. No cloud storage though and no documents/spreadsheets. Groups/forums/email lists are coming soon by the end of the year. Calendar is due in a few weeks.
For email, I found Migadu [0] this year and love them. It’s ~$50/year, but for that you get unlimited mailboxes. The limit is on how many emails/day you send. This might suit your needs?
How much cloud storage do you need? I’d be using the free tiers at Dropbox/OneDrive/etc., or some sort of P2P solution based off my own server. I use Resilio Sync and it’s great.
Good luck finding solutions to the rest. Sounds like something really worthwhile you’re doing there.
[0]: https://www.migadu.com/en/index.html
The free, individual tier for Google Drive is currently being used, but we've run into some management issues with that. Some of our members aren't exactly tech-savvy and have issues with getting off of AOL (for example) or linking an AOL account for Google Drive access. Managing access when the board rotates is also an issue. And allowing everyone to use one login isn't an option - we absolutely have to track who is modifying what.
Google Apps for nonprofits is a cinch once you have that registration.
If your residents can't afford any of this, they probably can't afford to hold the developers at bay. Best of luck.
We just had our bi-annual meeting last night and the discussion around raising dues was raised. The motion did not pass however, as our most active residents are also the least wealthy. It's an odd dynamic but they are good people.
And
>Our budget for digital services is $0
Are conflicting statements. Your best bet from what you've said is to host your own mail server / website in your basement. It fits your budget, but takes more time.
- I'd sooner host the website on Github, which does allow free org plans for state-recognized nonprofits, and would not require my own server, nor a basement, which we don't typically have here in Florida.
- A rep from Migadu has commented and offered to sponsor us for email and several other services.
- On another commenter's suggestion I've been looking into Zoho and it does provide Docs and collaboration with modification tracking. I'm not done vetting the service, but it would prove your assertion false.
Source: our neighborhood's HOA spent $53K on legal fees to disallow the construction of a 4 story retirement home right across the road from us. This took 2 years and we lost: the other side can just wait you out. Yearly dues were raised from $300 to $450 to pay for this fail.
Not helpful and not in the spirit of Ask HN. Please read the other comments (there's only 23 to scan) on why we cannot raise the dues, it's been addressed.
Your's is a very subjective take. We've actually been very successful historically, without having to engage attorneys and going through city channels. When making a statement like that, remember that your experiences are not a universal truth.
Have you ever done any fundraising campaigns or events? I think you would be surprised how much the people in your city, even people outside of your neighborhood, might be willing to donate some money to keep livable, walkable communities from being overrun by development.
[0] https://www.zoho.com/mail/zohomail-pricing.html