Community Essentials
A proper one-off set-up of the basics for qualifying volunteer groups and not-for-profits, with an annual re-check. Self-service, no helpdesk.
Cyber security for volunteer groups and not-for-profits.
Most community groups run on goodwill, shared passwords and one volunteer who’s “good with computers”. I’ll help you lock the basics down properly, and for qualifying groups it’s free.
Based in Kingscliff. Local groups first, Australia-wide by remote. A small number of places at a time.
Why I’m doing this
Community groups hold more than you’d think: member and donor details, bank logins, and an email address people trust. Attackers don’t check whether you’re a charity before they send a convincing fake invoice.
At the same time, you have no IT budget, the committee changes every year, and the person who set it all up has moved on.
I’d rather help a handful of groups get the basics right than see another club caught out. Community Essentials is how I do that.
Three ways I help the community
Start free, and only pay if you decide you want more.
Community rate on my plans
If you want ongoing, hands-on help, my full Essentials, Enhance and Complete plans are available to groups at 50% off. See the plans.
Tools and guidance
Check your own risk with the 2-minute Risk Check, test your email domain with Verify365, or read the blog.
Who it’s for
Up to 10 people who need accounts. Larger group? Ask, the community rate applies.
Clubs and associations
Sporting and surf clubs, Men’s Sheds, Landcare and environment groups, community halls and community radio.
Charities and small not-for-profits
Registered charities and small NFPs that hold donor, member or client information and don’t have an IT person.
Committees and events
Festival and event committees, auxiliaries and volunteer boards that share logins, files and a bank account.
Not a fit: commercial businesses, political parties and government bodies. If you’re unsure, apply anyway and I’ll tell you honestly.
Community Essentials: the basics, done properly
The same foundations I put in place for paying clients, scaled to a volunteer group and delivered as a one-off.
What you get
$0set-up, no monthly fee
- ✓Free software, where you qualifyI help you check whether your group is eligible for the Microsoft and Google not-for-profit programs, and apply if it is.
- ✓Sign-in protectionMulti-factor sign-in turned on for everyone, no more shared logins, and a simple password manager plan.
- ✓Email protectionSo nobody can send convincing fake emails that look like they came from your group (SPF, DKIM and DMARC, done properly).
- ✓Website and domain health checkCertificate, security settings, out-of-date software, exposed admin pages, and who controls your domain and when it renews.
- ✓Backups sortedMaking sure the membership list and the books aren’t living on one person’s laptop.
- ✓Volunteer device checklistA one-page guide and step-by-step instructions for volunteers’ own laptops and phones.
- ✓Scam-awareness packPlain-English guides and a five-minute talk for your next committee meeting.
- ✓A “bad day” one-pagerWho to call and what to do first if something goes wrong.
- ✓A plain-English report and an annual re-checkWhat I found, what I fixed, what’s left, and a check-in once a year so it doesn’t quietly drift.
What it doesn’t include
- ×No helpdesk or calloutsWi-Fi, printers and “my laptop is slow” are outside the scope.
- ×No managing volunteers’ devicesYou get the guides, and they stay in charge of their own gear.
- ×No ongoing monitoringThe set-up is done once and re-checked once a year.
- ×No guaranteed response timesEmergencies go to the ACSC hotline, 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371), and my urgent help page.
Want ongoing help later?The full Essentials plan is available at a community rate (50% off), and you’d start with the set-up already done. See the plans.
How it works
Simple, and designed to take very little of your committee’s time.
Apply
Two minutes, using the form below. Tell me about your group and what you use today.
Quick chat
A short call to confirm it’s a good fit and agree what’s in scope.
I set it up
I do the work remotely, with limited access from your group, and check with you before changing anything important.
Report and guides
You get a plain-English report, the guides, and an annual re-check.
The honest bit
What you’re agreeing to, in plain English.
- You own everything.Accounts, licences, data and your domain stay in your group’s name. I never take over as owner.
- Temporary, limited access.I use access your group can remove, and I remove it when I’m finished.
- Self-service by design.You get guides and a report, not a helpdesk. I’ll answer questions about what I set up when I can, with no guaranteed response time.
- Limited places.I take a few groups at a time. If I’m full, you’re on the waiting list.
- I don’t sell software.If a licence costs money, your group buys it directly, and I’ll tell you the cheapest sensible option.
- Free, but not without terms.You’ll get a short written agreement before I touch anything. See my Terms of Engagement.
Common questions
Is Community Essentials really free?
Yes. There's no fee for qualifying groups. I take a small number of groups at a time so each one gets proper attention, and if I'm full you go on the waiting list.
Who qualifies?
Volunteer-run clubs and associations, registered charities and small not-for-profits, and community committees, with up to 10 people who need accounts. Businesses, political parties and government bodies don't qualify. Bigger groups are welcome to ask, and the community rate on my paid plans applies.
What’s the catch?
No catch, but it is deliberately self-service. You get a set-up, guides and a report, not a helpdesk. I don't take over your accounts, and I don't sell software, so there's nothing to upsell except optional paid help if you decide you want it.
Do you provide support afterwards?
Not as part of the free package. I'm happy to answer questions about what I set up when I can, but there's no guaranteed response time and no callouts. If you want ongoing help, the full Essentials plan is available at a community rate (50% off).
We don’t have Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace yet. Can you help?
Yes. If your group is a registered charity, Microsoft and Google both run not-for-profit programs with free or heavily discounted licences, and I'll help you check whether you qualify and apply. Licences are always bought directly by your group, in your group's name. If you don't qualify, I'll suggest the cheapest sensible setup.
Can you check our website?
Yes, as long as your group owns it or is authorised to have it checked. I look at it from the outside, the same way an attacker would: certificate, security settings, out-of-date software, exposed admin pages, and who controls the domain and when it renews. I won't do anything intrusive, and I won't test sites you don't own.
Our volunteers use their own laptops and phones. Is that a problem?
It's very common. I can't manage personal devices, but you'll get a one-page checklist and simple step-by-step guides for the things that matter most: updates, screen lock, encryption and backups.
We think we’ve already been hacked. What do we do?
Don't wait for an application. Use my urgent help page, and report it to the Australian Cyber Security Centre at cyber.gov.au/report or on their 24/7 hotline, 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).
Apply for Community Essentials
Takes about two minutes. Your application goes to me by email or WhatsApp, and nothing is stored on this website.
Prefer to talk? +61 403 072 097 · [email protected]
Kingscliff, NSW · Mon–Fri 9:00–17:00 AEST