How It Works
What Is Christian VA?
Christian Virtual Assistance is the first ever donation-based (meaning organizations set the amount) digital needs platform for Christians and Christian Faith-Based Organizations with a 501(c)(3) or 508(c)(1)(a) standing. My goal is to help those organizations that don’t have the resources for an on-site office professional or a professional digital media designer. I use the words “Digital Media Designer” because that phrase goes far beyond an office administrator or a website or graphics designer. It blankets all three and probably more.
I do ask that organizations cover the professional licensing and hosting fees but everything else is a labor of Faith.
17But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
Why Work With Me?
- If your site is not responsive, or it's outdated, you don't really have a site. You have a web presence that's not working.
- More funding can be routed to support spreading the Gospel.
- A modern site means better engagement and user experience.
- Smartphones are mini-computers. Most people own a smartphone and use it to surf the web.
- A church website saves money on advertising.
- Church communications become more relevant if you have a site that works, and media that is appealing and well-organized.
- A modern website has the potential to bring people to church thereby bringing people to God's word.
- Prayer requests potentially become front and center.
- Professional design work engages audiences.
- I sincerely love the work that I do and am blessed that I can serve in this way.
Who Is the Christian VA?
My name is Karen, and without getting too long-winded, I am the Christian Virtual Assistant. I have an office administrative background, working specifically with churches. After a severe illness with cancer, I returned to college and received my Multi-media/Web Design bachelor’s degree.
So, here I am, still drawn to helping churches and Christian organizations, with a strong focus on smaller organizations, start-ups, or churches in the transition of finding an office professional to fill the role. If any of those scenarios fit your organization, my Hope is that you’ll connect with me by filling out the form below so we can set an appointment to meet virtually and discuss how CVA can help you.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Some of My Clients
Frequently Asked Questions
I ask that organizations cover the basic expenses of the professional licensing and server space used. Otherwise, it’s really up to the organization as to what they want to commit to.
For larger, well-established, organizations we would negotiate a subcontracted amount.
This is a bit tricky to answer and is dependent on your needs and organization size. For small organizations and start-ups, printable media and graphics design is 100% donation based. For website design and development, I ask for coverage of licensing costs which range from $300 -$800 depending on the organization’s needs. The work I put into it is also donation based.
For large or well-established organizations, a negotiated price that works for you will be determined mutually.
Sure! I love when clients want to manage their sites. Each site I build comes with a built-in learning center. I also put together step-by-step “How To” documentation for users to download or read on-screen if video learning isn’t their thing. I am here to offer support in any way that I can, and that includes teaching you the process of site management or doing it for you. It’s your choice in what you want to do.
Yes.
I use an off-site server for digital storage. Any collateral I create is stored there, and you are provided access to it.
The websites I build are fully backed up, and I keep multiple copies on file at all times, and the backups are never saved on the server of origin.
Printed and presentation collateral are stored locally on my computers as well as in the cloud. I use DropBox, and you’ll be granted permission to access your collateral.
I don’t use GSuite for client confidentiality reasons. I use DropBox. Clients are given access to their collateral. I also use DropBox Paper for information push-pull. It’s one of my primary communication platforms.
Moving away from CVA care is your choice and I would not hinder your decision to move. All digital files are yours but please know the website licensing would not go with you and the domain would need to be transferred to your custody. Records management would be solely managed by you or whomever you are moving to.
I do not manage social media for clients, but I will help you with the graphics of the cover photo, and the user image.
A few years ago when I realized there was blatant censorship happening, I decided to step away from it. I am against censorship, and I believe in freedom of speech. It’s a slippery slope when censorship of any kind is engaged.
Your site will use the “https://” protocol. SSL certificates are what enable websites to move from HTTP to HTTPS, which is more secure. An SSL certificate is a data file hosted in a website’s origin server. SSL certificates make SSL/TLS encryption possible, and they also contain the website’s public key and identity, along with related information.
I also run security software on your website if I build it to help keep your site safe to use. The security software licensing is NOT optional and there is an annual fee to license it.
Maybe. If you are a 501(c)3 or a 508(c)(1)(a) organization you may qualify for Google for Non-Profits. If you have your letter of Non-Profit standing you will need your EIN or blanket letter of Non-profit standing. It is WELL worth the time and effort expended because it would open all of the Google tools to your organization.
If you do NOT have a registered non-profit organization, you can purchase email inboxes through my registrar for $20-$25/yr per inbox. I do insist on one @yourdomainname.org inbox for the sake of configuring web form authentication and API authenticity.
I sub-contract SEO for a fee. If this is something you are interested in, please let me know.
You can use any payment gateway of your choice. Just know that if you’re using PayPal or Stripe, and setting it up at the site, there are additional fees for the needed professional licensing to integrate that.
Vanco, Breeze, Iconcmo, etc., however, are built around non-profit needs, and their fees recently became very competitive. They also allow for recurrent giving and can be integrated into the website easily.
No worries. This is a learning process for me too. Please fill out the form below with any questions you may have, and I will answer them as best I can.
If you want server support service through Christian VA, hosting with me is required. If you do not want to move to my hosting service, we can discuss it.
What You Will Need
For Bulletins or Newsletters
To work with me, you’ll need to have basic computer skills, such as copying and pasting, navigating through files, basic proofreading skills, web browsing and familiarity with Word or Office Libre. You may also need basic skills in Excel. If you need help with learning specific skills, I do recommend Lynda.com. Please note that I do not offer education in these areas.
If I provide print layouts for newsletters and/or bulletins, you may need licensing to a Hymn provider such as CCLI. Please note that this licensing is only necessary if you are printing hymns or songs.
There are a few things to keep in mind when working with me. I will not work with any pirated music or copy in any form. Also, if you need stock images for your print or web projects, I will provide them for you but you may also provide your own.
For Websites
If you’re looking to rebuild your current website, I’d love to help you create something truly unique! When we move your website to my service, we’ll work together to design a website that perfectly fits your needs. I’ll take care of everything, including transferring your domain to my registrar and hosting your site on my servers. If you prefer to stick with your current service, no worries! I’ll do everything I can to make it work, but please keep in mind that it may limit what I can do for you.
If you’re starting from scratch with a new website, don’t worry! I’m here to help you every step of the way. I’ll assist you in getting a domain name and then we’ll work together to build a website that’s tailored exactly to your liking.
At a minimum, I will need access to your domain registrar for domain records management purposes. If you don’t have a domain name, we can work together to get one that aligns well with your organization.
I’ll also create personalized images for your online calendar and website pages. If you have photos you’d prefer to use, please ensure you own full copyright and have permission from those appearing in the images. Let me know if you have questions!
With all of my site builds, I provide an onboard learning center complete with custom tutorials for website management located in the back-end unless I am engaged in managing it for you. Tutorials are mostly custom recorded videos, but sometimes, they’re step-by-step written tutorials if requested or required.
For secure credential transmission, we’ll use 1Password. You will be added to a vault as my guest, or we’ll use the credentials tool at my help desk, or other tools I have in my arsenal.
Google for Non-Profits: I can help you with obtaining Google for Non-Profits tools (free email, workspace, etc), but the initial application must be done by you. You will need to provide your EIN or a letter of non-profit standing to apply.