\u201cFive years ago, it was just a little idea,\u201d Monzon said. \u201cCould this actually work, being focused on the nonprofit sector? Could this be a successful business? With a few restrictions, yes, it\u2019s totally possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though everyone on staff has a heart for nonprofit work\u2014Van Gronigen was the art director at Invisible Children <\/a>for three years, for example, and Monzon has frequently volunteered in Thailand\u2014Fifty & Fifty is not a nonprofit itself. \u201cI think it was sort of assumed at the beginning that we just couldn\u2019t be,\u201d Monzon said. \u201cFor as much work as it takes to get these things up off the ground… pro bono is good for the right situation, but the amount of work that goes into it, I can\u2019t see it being sustainable. Unless there\u2019s some kind of investor. That\u2019s the only way, and people aren\u2019t writing a lot of those checks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, Fifty & Fifty\u2019s for-profit business model allows the agency to focus on a specific passion: getting compelling stories online, with high-quality design, for organizations doing ethically defensible work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are stories that you can tell that influence people who choose to care,\u201d Monzon said, \u201cbut don\u2019t choose to be in those places. We can bring that experience via design and good story. We can bridge that gap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being a for-profit business also means Fifty & Fifty isn\u2019t held to the restrictions imposed on nonprofits, such as who gets a salary and how funds are used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monzon suggested that Fifty & Fifty has already discounted its hourly rates to what it would cost to keep their doors open and still have quality design and development. \u201cWhen you compare us to the big companies, it\u2019s probably half of what they\u2019re earning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even at a discounted rate, Monzon said that the agency still has a budget range requirement. \u201cI\u2019d like to make that range bigger, but we\u2019re still figuring that out. So we work with the bigger organizations that can afford a little bit more,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are so many nonprofits out there that don\u2019t have budgets and rely on good will, and that just doesn\u2019t work for us. It doesn\u2019t make for powerful stories or products.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, that doesn\u2019t mean Fifty & Fifty has to work only with the giants in the field. \u201cThere are different levels of nonprofits,\u201d Monzon explained. For example, the Multiple Sclerosis Society<\/a> pulls in millions upon millions a year. On the other side of the coin is Plant with Purpose<\/a>, a tiny company that does its fair share, has been around a while, and does a lot of good work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To handle this scope of requirements and resources, the agency utilizes an equally broad scope of solutions. For smaller clients, Fifty & Fifty can simplify the process. \u201cThanks to some of our guys who are excellent in WordPress, we can make it for them really cheap and really quick,\u201d Monzon said. \u201cUsing plugins that are out there and being smart about it, we\u2019re able to do a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n WordPress\u2019 claim to fame is that it works right out of the box, which Monzon said is perfect for a client on a $500 budget. \u201cYou can get a theme, get hosting, a couple premium plugins, and you\u2019re off and running with fantastic work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clients who want a custom theme are the next level up. \u201cThen I might work with a freelancer that doesn\u2019t have the overhead that an agency does,\u201d Monzon said. \u201cYou can take an existing theme, child-theme it, and make things how you want it, still using the existing structure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then there\u2019s agency level. \u201cYou\u2019re going to get the full service. We can do content strategy, we can do design, we\u2019ll do your development, you have project managers, account managers, front-end developers, back-end developers\u2014you don\u2019t just have this all-in-one person working from their own tool kit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter the tier, Monzon said the best tip he can offer any studio contemplating a focus on nonprofit work is to know your tools and be efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe run on such tight margins that we track our time,\u201d he said. \u201cIt helps us be more efficient with what the client needs and what we can offer. I can also build things differently or spend less time over here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n No project is alike, but Fifty & Fifty starts each one down the same path. \u201cWe take in an RFP — if they\u2019re in the budget range, we\u2019ll take a look at it and do some roadmapping. We have index cards all over the walls — our walls are covered. It\u2019s quite ridiculous. But it sets expectations. \u2018This is what we think you want, is this what you want?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then the scalpel comes out. \u201cWe whittle down what they need,\u201d Monzon said. \u201cWe\u2019re not in this to make a huge profit, but there\u2019s a cost tied to it, and there is a profit that needs to be made so we can be sustainable. We\u2019ll say it\u2019s gonna take 237 hours to do what you want\u2014you\u2019ve budgeted 200. What\u2019s your priority?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a client can\u2019t afford something, Monzon is quick to point out that\u2019s okay. \u201cWe can build things now or we can space things out. What can we do to still make that a viable project for them? We can identify what\u2019s important and then we can put a couple things on the back burner. If there are hours for them later, we can revisit them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He estimates hours to be on the safe side. \u201cThen if I get two hours left over, great, I\u2019ll put that toward something else.\u201d If the opposite happens and there\u2019s no more time, then \u201csometimes we have a difficult conversation.\u201d And sometimes that means eating the hours because it was something the agency promised the client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lesson here is be flexible on your timeline but not on money. \u201cDon’t undersell yourself,\u201d Monzon emphasized. \u201cNonprofits are looking for the work to be done and to the same expectations as if they were a for-profit. It\u2019s not worth it if you don\u2019t know your tools, if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing, to just go out there and promise things to people and not be able to follow through. It leaves a bad taste in their mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, don\u2019t be the agency that builds something for free and then doesn\u2019t support it. \u201cA lot of clients out there are willing to pay, and they want to pay, because they want to hold you to an expectation. So make sure you have enough to survive off of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fifty & Fifty doesn\u2019t exactly have a list of criteria for potential clients to meet, but the sales team does a bit of research nonetheless. \u201cWe look at past things that they\u2019ve done. We\u2019ve done a few projects with World Vision<\/a>, and we believe they\u2019re doing good work,” Monzon said. “There are kids being saved, in terms of health, nutrition, people are getting clean water, they\u2019re getting AIDS prevention. We\u2019ll look at those things. Plants with Purpose doesn\u2019t just come in and say they have the answer, they work with the communities. They\u2019re not in there to raise the flag and solve all the problems. They\u2019re there to be a support and a helping hand. We\u2019re aware of stuff like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monzon said that a telltale sign of a nonprofit doing good work is how particular they are about their percentages for where money goes. \u201cThere are probably moments where we question something, but for the most part we trust who we work with,\u201d he said. \u201cI think most people are good. I think most organizations work really, really hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Very occasionally, Fifty & Fifty will take on for-profit companies\u2014if they take on a lot in a community, if they\u2019re ethically defensible, if they help people be more efficient and have fewer costs. \u201cIf they\u2019re socially trying to make a difference,\u201d Monzon summarized. \u201cWe have very few of those, but we don\u2019t have a hard and fast line.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Fifty & Fifty usually receives payment directly from its nonprofit clients, very occasionally a project pops up with unique funding, such as grant money that requires specific invoicing. \u201dWe don\u2019t hit that roadblock a lot,\u201d Monzon said again, \u201cand there\u2019s a lot of trust involved. That\u2019s more than enough for us to keep moving forward on work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of the challenges come in the form of\u2014surprise, surprise\u2014communication. \u201dFor example, we don\u2019t do wire framing anymore. Our designers will use something like InVision, because clients may not understand what a wireframe is, whereas someone at a for-profit might say \u201dI know it\u2019s not just going to be a box with an x in it.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Utilizing tools and apps that allow for easy communication helps Fifty & Fifty make sure clients\u2019 expectations are realistic. \u201dThat\u2019s important in any business, but more so for nonprofits,\u201d Monzon pointed out. \u201cYou have people that may or may not be as experienced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes communication is tough. \u201dA lot of times, people in the nonprofit world will not understand the word no,\u201d Monzon said. \u201dYou just have to be diligent with it. \u2019Your budget is x<\/em>, and this costs y<\/em>. We will go over budget, we will go over timeline.\u2019 Just being very stern and being able to communicate in those ways\u2014that\u2019s huge.\u201d Of course, being that firm means you have to resign yourself to not landing a client sometimes. \u201cWe had to be okay with missing out on some really cool projects because we have to do what\u2019s right for us and not allow ourselves to be walked on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Monzon, Fifty & Fifty is hyper conscious that money from a nonprofit comes with a bit of extra weight. Having a staff that appreciates that difference is key to producing quality work on a budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA lot of times when we hire new people, I\u2019m like, this is how it works,\u201d Monzon said. \u201cYou have to view every hour you\u2019re spending like it\u2019s an 8-year-old\u2019s entire day at his lemonade stand so he can donate money to the cancer society. The time that I spend is not just some organization\u2019s money. It\u2019s donations. It\u2019s hard work. There\u2019s a lot behind that dollar bill. That\u2019s a motivating factor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal, he continued, is to be aware that the agency makes cool stuff based on decisions that don\u2019t waste an 8-year-old\u2019s hard-earned donation. \u201cLooking at it from that perspective, it brings you down to earth. This isn\u2019t Nike, this isn\u2019t TaylorMade Golf.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It takes a special staff to keep that perspective at the forefront of a business\u2019 focus. \u201cWe\u2019ve learned our lesson the hard way as well,\u201d Monzon said. \u201cThere are people that just enjoy being developers, and then there are people that enjoy being good people. I\u2019ve even said I care far less about the talent than I do about the heart of the person we\u2019re hiring. It\u2019s easy to be allured by someone\u2019s gifts. But if they\u2019re a pain in the ass, and they don\u2019t really care? It\u2019s easy to hire the wrong fit, which is bad for any company, but it goes extra for ours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Money is never the motivation. \u201cI want to be dependable, and I know that people rely on a website being up. It comes down to integrity and what you\u2019re passionate about. Otherwise, we\u2019re just building websites for another business, and there\u2019s no point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"wooden](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_1576-30-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nYour Agency is not a Nonprofit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"two](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_1526-5-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFind a Sustainable Business Plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"two](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_1542-14-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWork Conservatively and Efficiently<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_1537-11-1024x682.jpg\")
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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nBe Purposeful about the Clients you Want<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"black](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_1550-21-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nBe Aware of Challenges that are Unique to Working with Nonprofits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_1544-16-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHire People who can keep your Mission in Perspective<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Black](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2014\/07\/monzon-1024x682.jpg\")
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