Projects / software

ECFESA: a 501(c)(3) site that runs near-free.

Mobile-first nonprofit site for the Elk Creek Fire Fighter and Emergency Service Association. Built to run on free or near-free hosting, with a built-in accessibility panel that includes a red and green colorblind-safe palette.

A volunteer-built site for the Elk Creek Fire Fighter and Emergency Service Association, the 501(c)(3) that supports the fire district I serve in. The brief was a public face the board could keep up to date, that visitors on slow rural connections could load, and that the organization could afford on a volunteer budget.

The site is statically generated on Next.js and shipped on a free tier with the domain registration handled the same way. Hosting, image optimization, and the contact pipeline all sit on the same vendor's free quota. If traffic doubles during the Big Chili or the Annual Elevation Celebration, the budget does not.

Accessibility was a requirement, not a nice-to-have. The header carries an accessibility menu with light, dark, and system themes, plus a color-palette switch with a red and green colorblind-safe option that swaps the warm orange brand palette for a neutral and blue scheme. The dark theme and the colorblind-safe palette both meet WCAG 2.2 AA on every component.

The takeaway for other 501(c)(3) clients: a small organization does not need to choose between a credible web presence and a predictable budget. I bring the templates and the hosting accounts. You bring the mission and the photos.

ECFESA.org home page in the default warm orange palette: navigation, hero headline 'Standing With Those Who Serve, and the Communities They Protect', and a layered mountain illustration along the bottom. — The brand default: warm orange palette, light theme.

Gallery

Same ECFESA.org home page rendered in the colorblind-safe palette: white background, navy and blue accents, and gray mountain layers replace the warm orange scheme. — Colorblind-safe palette. Tested against red and green color vision deficiencies; same content, neutral and blue accents.

ECFESA.org home page in dark mode: dark background, warm orange accents on the hero text and call-to-action buttons, mountain layers in deep oranges. — Dark theme. The brand palette holds up against a dark background without losing contrast.

Mid-page section 'Fueling the Mission of Elk Creek Fire' showing four content cards: Training and Equipment, Member and Family Support, Community Events, Outreach and Visibility, in the warm orange palette. — Content cards in the default palette.

Same 'Fueling the Mission' cards section rendered in the colorblind-safe palette, with blue accent rails on the cards and neutral typography against a light background. — Same cards, colorblind-safe palette. The accent rails change tone, the information density does not.