Local Council Web Site Program

Revised on February 17, 2010

As a local EPC leader and volunteer, choosing the right website for your council can be a daunting experience. It can be difficult to know which company is the most reliable and if the pricing is competitive. Since 2000, the NAEPC has been offering websites to its affiliated councils that are easy to use, economical and continuously enhanced. By subscribing to a NAEPC website, your council will be able to; create a "custom" home page, provide links to sponsor and member web sites, send meeting announcements via email and fax (small fee for fax usage), receive RSVPs, post a calendar of events, list current officers and maintain a membership directory with photos. There are opportunities to sell web site sponsorships. Many of the participating councils have done so very successfully and used their site very profitably.

The site is easy to set up and gives you complete control over the content. You can specify which areas are available to the public, and which, if any, require a member login to access. The NAEPC web site program offers three versions. At any level, you have at least 8 design templates to pick from that feature a variety of color palettes and background images. Please see below for a list of features and prices for the enhanced versions.

A council can also opt to have no website at all. In that case, the national website directory will display basic contact information for your council administrator or officers. If your council already has a website produced elsewhere, the national website directory will link to your existing site, as long as that site mentions its NAEPC affiliate and links back to this site.

See what other council leaders and executive directors say about the Local Council Web Site Program.

Recently Implemented Features! 

• Web Site Visual Redesign (Level 2, 3 & 4): Participating websites now features a more contemporary layout, putting more emphasis on a council's information, including details of its next meeting on every page. Administrators can select a color scheme from the 8 choices initially available; Level 3+ sites will allow some customization beyond that. Click Preview links below for examples.
   
• Rich Formatting of Web Pages and Broadcast Emails (Level 2, 3 & 4): Council site administrators can use familiar toolbars to format the content of web pages and broadcast emails. Content can include photos, hyperlinks, text styles, sizes and colors, and more elaborate layouts, as desired.
   
• Expanded Member Directory with Photos (Level 2, 3 & 4): The member directory now features these useful new fields: Middle Name (or initial), Designation (CPA, AEP), Address Line 2, Cell Phone, and Additional Information, which is a large text area where you could write about a member's subspecialty, additional contact information, or anything else. You can also now upload a photo for any member. Member photos appear when you click in the Member Directory or in the Printable Member Directory feature.
   
• Patron Tiers (Level 3 & 4): Entries on the Patrons pages can be grouped into up to 4 tiers, such as "Gold Sponsors," "Silver Sponsors" and the like. Administrators can select tier names. This gives the council more flexibility in fundraising. See example page.
   
• Enhanced Calendar Entries (Level 2, 3 & 4): Calendar entries can feature a speaker photo, sponsor logo, or other image, as well as links to documents (speaker's notes or presentations) and website (speaker's bio sites, venue sites, or map links).
   
• Member Benefits Page (Level 2, 3 & 4): Sites feature a page with member benefits stocked by the National association. Level 3 and 4 administrators can add their own local benefits above the National ones.

If we can answer any further questions about the various web site opportunities, please do not hesitate to ask us. Call the office toll free at 866-226-2224 or email us at admin@naepc.org.

Thank you for your consideration of this opportunity!

Now Available: Read the Web Site Manual for the Local Web Administrator.

Level 1 - Basic Directory Listing

Cost: Free

Displays basic contact information for your council administrator or officers, but does not appear or act like a stand-alone web site. This directory listing allows prospective members using the national website to find your council contacts.

Level 2 - Standard Local Site

Cost: $800/year

Preview

This site fits the needs of most councils for information and communication. This site has the following features:

• Enhanced Home page with 8 design templates and localization options

• About Us Page

• Next Meeting

• Calendar of Events

• Leadership Page

• Past Presidents Listing

• Patrons Page with Banners and Links

• Member Directory with Various Print Options

• Directory Search Capability

• Online Application Membership Form: Administrators can easily replace the standard interactive application form with their own Word or PDF documents.

• Document Library: This feature allows a council administrator to easily upload Word, PDF or other files to an area on the site where members can view a list of documents for reference or download. The document library can be protected for members-only access.

• Links Page

• Member Benefits page featuring available national benefits

• Contact Us Form

• Secure Member Log In

• Member-only access control

• Link to NAEPC

• Web-Based Administration

• Broadcast Email and Fax Program (small fee per fax)

• Domain Name (www.YourCityEPC.org)

Level 3 - Deluxe Council Site

Cost: $1,200/year

Preview

This site takes the standard site and makes it capable of handling transactions, adds security for transactions, and allows the council to control and post more information.

Added features to the standard local site:

• Banner Management System for banners on the home page and top of each page, with click tracking.

• On-line Secure Event RSVP. This option allows council members to view calendar events and click to interactively reply simply by selecting a member or guest price category and payment option. The local council website administrator sets price categories and payment options, including pre-paid, pay-at-the-door, check to be sent, and secure credit card transmission. The administrator can also include event details and RSVP link on an outgoing e-mail/fax broadcast.

• Council Information page with web-based administration - an extra informational page with scroll down capacity.

• Interactive membership renewal process with payment options

• Additional opportunities to customize the colors and look of the site.

• Ability to add items to the Member Benefits page.

• Ability to categorize the sponsors on the Patrons page.

Level 4 - Expanded Deluxe Council Site

Cost: $1,600/year

This site includes all the features of a Level 2 & 3 websites and the only one to offer Online Secure Payment Processing. (Council must have or establish a merchant account to take advantage of this feature. The NAEPC can guide councils in establishing their merchant account.)