Rocketspark announced at Launch 2021 that it would be giving every design partner a free not-for-profit website to give to an organisation of their choice, the initiative is called Gift-it-forward.
We caught up with a few of our partners recently to see how they chose to give away their free website.
Nikita Williams, General Manager and Senior Designer at Tauranga based Metro Marketing said they planned to find someone local.
“One of our clients is The Kollective, they are a coworking space based in Tauranga, but predominantly for not-for-profit and community organisations. It’s a really cool environment, so we’ve reached out to them to see if they might have a good recipient for Gift-it-forward.
“We now have a list of potential companies that could really benefit from having more of an online presence,” Nikita said.
Terramirra Press founder Jill Vella said she was so happy to hear about Gift-it-forward she cried.
"This initiative has made me cry happy tears! I had no idea how I was going to fund the website I am designing for the Mossvale Park Advisory Committee.
"Not only are they not-for-profit, they are not-for-income, never having any real need to monetise the good volunteer work that they have done since the 1930’s.
"The Park got a mobile phone signal for the first time this year, so the committee was anxious to make all the information they had on their heritage trees and National Trust registered trees available to anyone with a phone in the Park. They are also developing some walking trails.
"Gift-it-forward is a very generous offer and a lifesaver. I can now focus on design and stop the funding applications," Jill said.
A lot of the trees in the park were planted during the late 1800s/early 1900s.
"It’s just the most magical place so I’m using Rocketspark to list all the trees, of which there are 300 individual trees. I’ve been going down to the park almost every day taking measurements and getting information.
“The environment is what I love and Rocketspark is a tool that helps me share it with people.”
Chantelle Good, founder of Varntige said before the announcement her team had just decided they wanted to do a free website design every year at Christmas time for a not-for-profit.
“We wanted it to be a Christmas giveaway, and now that Rocketspark is giving away the website subscriptions for free too, it’s going to make this year's one completely free, which is so cool,” she said.
Katrina Pace, founder of Words for Wellness, said she’d already chosen her recipient and built the website.
“It's for TS Bellona - Navy Cadets, our local Navy Cadet unit. I had to build it in a bit of a hurry because they had an event where they needed the website to be ready, so I still need to tidy it up. My daughter has been at cadets for three years and somehow I ended up being Chair of the support unit.
“My business was going to sponsor the new website, but then this incredible offer came up. It was an easy choice to make to give it to the unit. They do so much great work and go under the radar. I've been doing the social media for the unit for three years and grown the community engagement and recruits heaps. It's so good getting more kids involved,” she said.
Tonia Hill, founder of Greenhouse Creative has formalised her search by setting up an application page for those who need a website to let her know.
“Naturally, I want to make sure I am giving my service and expertise to a deserving Not for Profit organisation whose cause I want to wholeheartedly support,” Tonia said.
