vs. The DIY Stack
WordPress for your website. Stripe for donations. Typeform for signups. Google Sheets for members. Sound familiar? There's a better way.
The DIY stack is what most small organizations end up with: a patchwork of tools that technically work but never quite fit together.
WordPress for your website. Stripe or PayPal for donations. Typeform or Google Forms for event signups. A spreadsheet (somewhere) tracking your members. Maybe Mailchimp for newsletters. Definitely at least one tool nobody remembers the password for.
It's not that any of these tools are bad—they're all fine at what they do. The problem is making them work together, and the hours your team spends managing the gaps.
The real cost of DIY
Subscription costs (typical)
- WordPress hosting $100-300/yr
- Typeform or forms tool $300+/yr
- Email marketing $150+/yr
- Donation platform fees 3-8% per donation
- Subtotal $550-750+/yr
Hidden costs
- Hours spent manually transferring data between tools
- "Does anyone know the password?" every time someone needs access
- WordPress security updates and broken plugins
- Duplicate/outdated data across systems
Side-by-side comparison
| What you need | DIY Stack | Linkfount for Orgs |
|---|---|---|
| Website | WordPress ($100-300/yr) | Included |
| Donations | Stripe + plugin (3-8% fees) | Included (2.9% + 30c only) |
| Forms & signups | Typeform ($300+/yr) | Included |
| Event calendar | Google Calendar + embed | Included |
| Member directory | Spreadsheet (manual) | Included |
| Security updates | Your responsibility | We handle it |
| Single login | 4-6 different logins | One dashboard |
| Total cost | $550-750+/yr + time | $1,000/yr |
Why the DIY stack falls apart
The DIY problem
- "Who has the WordPress password?"
- Exporting CSVs to find who donated but didn't RSVP
- "The plugin broke after the update"
- Data in 5 places, none of them synced
The Linkfount solution
- One login, shared across your team
- All your data in one place
- We handle updates and security
- If you can use email, you can use this
The bottom line
The DIY stack isn't free—it costs time, sanity, and focus that should go toward your mission. Every hour spent wrangling WordPress or manually copying data from Typeform to a spreadsheet is an hour not spent serving your community.
Linkfount for Orgs consolidates everything into one platform that anyone on your team can manage. Yes, it costs $100/month. But when you factor in the subscription fees you're already paying and the volunteer hours you're burning on tool management, it's often cheaper—and it's definitely simpler.
Your organization exists to make a difference. Your tech stack should help you do that, not get in the way.
Ready to simplify your tech stack?
Stop juggling four platforms. Get everything your organization needs in one place.