Groundwork
A digital capacity pilot by New Ground Web
Fund the infrastructure behind the work.
Without a credible website, community organizations can be seen as less established than they are. Groundwork pools partner commitments for professional web infrastructure so groups can show their work, make a case to funders, and reach their communities.
$50,000–$100,000 pilot goal. Built by several partners, together.
What could pooled funding
build?
Bar height = tier subtotal. Scale adjusts to each mix.
6 projectsone possible mix
$25,000 in projects · $0 unallocated.
*Custom calculated at its starting price.
Examples vary by pool; tier pricing and scope do not. Illustrative interfaces, not current participants.
11 projectsone possible mix
$47,500 in projects · $2,500 unallocated.
*Custom calculated at its starting price.
Examples vary by pool; tier pricing and scope do not. Illustrative interfaces, not current participants.
24 projectsone possible mix
$98,000 in projects · $2,000 unallocated.
*Custom calculated at its starting price.
Examples vary by pool; tier pricing and scope do not. Illustrative interfaces, not current participants.
Shared commitments. Group-led projects. Partners build toward a cohort, not one-to-one sponsorships. Funding goes to participating groups directly or through an appropriate fiscal sponsor, depending on requirements. New Ground Web receives no donations; groups hire us for web work at published rates.
Illustrations use Starter $2,500 · Standard $4,500 · Custom from $8,500. Actual capacity depends on scope. No funds raised are shown.
The work is real.
The website
should show it.
A website doesn’t make an organization legitimate. But a missing or outdated one can be a barrier to being seen as credible by funders, donors, partners, and volunteers.
Founder Ethan Hawes has helped community organizations raise funds through crowdfunding and grants. Groundwork connects that experience to the web infrastructure organizations need to make their case for support.
Why We Started Groundwork
Groundwork grew from nearly two decades of experience in nonprofit and community-based communications, advocacy, fundraising, organizing, and creative work.
New Ground Web founder Ethan Hawes (they/them) has worked across LGBTQ+ advocacy, HIV/AIDS, racial justice and reparations organizing, substance use and recovery initiatives, and community-based nonprofit work.
As a queer and nonbinary person living with HIV and in recovery from substance use disorder, Ethan has also personally encountered many of the systems community organizations work within and work to change.
Their fundraising work has included community crowdfunding for Black Lives Matter Louisville and state opioid-response funding for Recovery Cafe. They have seen how digital platforms and clear communications can support fundraising and help an organization build for the long term.
“Organizations doing vital work are often treated as less credible when they don’t have a web presence that reflects their authority. Professional websites allow them to show their impact, make an effective case to funders and donors, bring in volunteers, and reach their communities. That’s not cosmetic. It’s laying the groundwork for staying power.”Ethan Hawes
Groundwork brings that fundraising experience together with professional digital practice. Participating groups still define their needs, lead their projects, and control their message.
About New Ground WebBuild what the work needs.
Services. Resources. Ways to act.
Defined and directed by each group.
For funding partnersWhere does a commitment go?
Funding partners align commitments around a cohort of group-defined digital projects, rather than sponsoring websites one by one. Funding goes to participating groups directly or through an appropriate fiscal sponsor, depending on each group’s structure and the partner’s requirements. New Ground Web does not receive or distribute partner funding.
New Ground Web is a for-profit creative studio, not a charity, grantmaker, or philanthropic intermediary, and does not accept tax-deductible donations. We develop the prospective cohort and scope projects with each group. The group or appropriate legal entity independently hires us for website and digital work at published rates. This focused support can complement unrestricted funding for the group’s wider work.
Explore Groundwork for fundersFor community organizationsWhat happens if our project is funded?
You define what your website or digital tool needs to accomplish. New Ground Web works with you on a scope and transparent budget. If funding becomes available and your project fits the pilot, support is arranged for your group directly or through an appropriate fiscal sponsor, depending on your structure and the partner’s requirements.
Your group or appropriate legal entity decides whether to hire us at published rates. You control your mission, messaging, content, decisions, and digital properties, and receive the same process and standards as any other New Ground Web client. Expressing interest does not guarantee funding.
Tell us about your groupWhat can a project include?
A group might need a clear home for its programs, a resource directory, a place to share its impact, or a way for supporters to take action. Each organization defines the brief.
- STARTER $2,500
- Up to 5 pages; custom design, copywriting support, responsive development and foundational SEO.
- STANDARD $4,500
- 6–10 pages; everything in Starter, plus a content management system.
- CUSTOM From $8,500
- 10+ pages, scoped individually; CMS and embedded directories. Integrations quoted separately.
Each organization scopes the work with New Ground Web at published rates. The pilot provides funding for professional work without relying on discounted labor. Groundwork projects follow New Ground Web’s normal process and standards.
Participating groups retain ownership after launch. Hosting, updates, backups, and content edits are available through separately priced care plans; a funded build does not promise ongoing funding or free maintenance.
View complete pricingDo we need nonprofit status or a donor?
No. Nonprofits, fiscally sponsored projects, and grassroots community groups can all tell us what they need. A 501(c)(3) designation, existing donor, or professional grant writer is not required to express interest.
This is not a grant application or a guarantee of selection or funding. Whether a project can proceed depends on available resources, the group’s structure, the funding partner’s requirements, and project fit. The participating group leads its own project.
Explore Groundwork for your organization Tell us about your groupIs $25,000 a minimum commitment?
No. Commitments around $25,000 or more are especially useful, but several partners can build the $50,000–$100,000 pilot together. We welcome individuals, donor networks, giving circles, donor-advised-fund holders and advisers, and philanthropic foundations and institutions.
The chart shows estimated capacity—not giving tiers, guaranteed project counts, or money raised. Custom projects use starting prices; actual scope, integrations, and ongoing care can change costs. Any balance shown is unallocated in that illustration.
Let’s talk about fundingCan funding also support grant writing and fundraising?
Groundwork starts with professional websites and digital infrastructure. When a participating group names a related need, Groundwork funding can also support separately scoped grant writing, fundraising strategy and campaigns, or sustainability consulting.
That work is not included in the website pricing or project-count illustrations above. Its scope and fee would be agreed in advance with the participating group, and no grant award or fundraising result is guaranteed.
See what your support could fundHelp build the pool.
Donor networks, giving circles, foundations, and individuals can build a shared pilot around digital needs community-rooted groups name themselves. This focused funding can complement unrestricted support.
Discuss Funding the PilotTell us what you need.
Nonprofits and grassroots groups: tell us who you are, what you do, and what you need. No donor required. Funding isn’t guaranteed.
Express Interest in the Cohort