The verdict in three sentences
For a London-based corporate foundation that funds 80 projects a year, a website with an interactive impact report costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, GBP 15,000 to 30,000 excluding VAT, plus about GBP 5,000 for an online call for proposals module and GBP 130 a month of maintenance. The online report costs about 40 % less than the printed version and is updated every quarter instead of once a year. The real work is not visual: it is defining around ten stable impact indicators that grantees can actually report on.
What the website costs, line by line
A corporate foundation has three audiences who do not read the same pages: employees and executives of the founding company, applicants, and partners or journalists who want to understand where the money goes. The website must serve all three without becoming yet another corporate brochure.
| Line item | Lean version | Ambitious version |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture, workshops and art direction | GBP 3,400 | GBP 6,000 |
| Foundation pages, funding priorities, governance | GBP 2,500 | GBP 4,300 |
| Project pages (80 a year, map, filters by theme and region) | GBP 3,000 | GBP 6,000 |
| Interactive impact report (indicators, charts, stories) | GBP 4,300 | GBP 9,400 |
| WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility, second language | GBP 1,000 | GBP 2,600 |
| Testing, SEO and launch | GBP 800 | GBP 1,700 |
| Website total | GBP 15,000 | GBP 30,000 |
| Call for proposals module (form, applications, committee) | GBP 5,000 | GBP 5,000 |
The lean version suits a foundation that publishes results once a year. The ambitious version pays off when the impact report also feeds group communications, for example the sustainability reporting that large groups now produce under UK and EU disclosure rules.
Printed report or online impact report
The printed annual report is still a strong habit among foundations. It is expensive, hard to distribute and tells you nothing about who read it. Here is an annual comparison, as a 2026 order of magnitude, for a report of about forty pages.
| Annual line item | Printed report | Online report |
|---|---|---|
| Design and layout | GBP 10,200 | 4 x GBP 2,100 of quarterly updates |
| Printing 2,000 copies | GBP 7,600 | GBP 0 |
| Mailing and postage | GBP 3,400 | GBP 0 |
| Hosting and maintenance | GBP 0 | GBP 1,500 |
| Downloadable PDF version | included | GBP 2,700 |
| Update frequency | once a year | 4 times a year |
| Measurable audience | no | yes, page by page |
| Annual cost | GBP 21,200 | GBP 12,600 |
The saving of about GBP 8,600 a year, or 40 %, covers a good share of the website over three years. The main benefit lies elsewhere: a quarterly report shows projects while they are happening, which interests the group's employees far more than a review published ten months late.
Call for proposals: email, platform or custom module
A foundation that receives 300 applications a year for 80 funded projects spends a lot of time chasing missing documents. Three families of options exist in 2026.
| Option | Cost | Handling time per application | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word form sent by email | GBP 0 | 30 minutes | Missing documents, no tracking |
| Generic online form | GBP 250 to 1,000 a year | 20 minutes | No scoring grid, no committee |
| SaaS grant management platform | GBP 2,500 to 7,000 a year | 12 minutes | Data outside the site, fixed interface |
| Custom module built into the site | GBP 5,000 one-off | 10 minutes | Changes must be budgeted |
| Custom module with online committee voting | GBP 7,700 one-off | 8 minutes | Requires clear governance |
The custom module collects personal data and sometimes sensitive documents (articles of association, accounts, bank details). It must set a retention period, for example deleting rejected applications after 24 months, and include a privacy notice compliant with UK GDPR.
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Mini case study
Helen, executive director of a corporate foundation in London, an illustrative persona, prepares her budget decision. Going from 30 to 10 minutes per application over 300 applications frees 100 hours a year, about GBP 4,000 at GBP 40 an hour fully loaded. Switching to the online report saves GBP 8,600 a year. Investment: GBP 22,000 for the website, GBP 5,000 for the call for proposals module and GBP 1,560 of annual maintenance. With GBP 12,600 of direct savings a year, the investment is covered in just over two years, not counting the visibility gained with the group's 4,000 employees.
FAQ
How long does it take to launch the website?
Allow 10 to 14 weeks: 3 weeks of scoping and indicator definition, 6 to 8 weeks of design and development, 2 weeks of testing. The call for proposals module can ship at the same time or open for the next funding round.
Which impact indicators should we publish?
Eight to twelve indicators are enough: direct beneficiaries, amounts committed, budget share by theme, share of projects completed, hours of skills-based volunteering. Beyond 15, grantees stop reporting them accurately.
Does the website have to meet accessibility standards?
A private foundation is not always legally bound, but targeting WCAG 2.2 AA is good practice and the extra cost stays limited, about GBP 1,000 to 2,600. It is also a consistent signal for an organisation that funds inclusion.
Can the website connect to group data?
Yes, indicators can be imported from a quarterly file or an API. Allow GBP 1,700 to 4,300 depending on the source, which avoids re-keying before each update.
Who updates the report every quarter?
The foundation team, from the back office, in half a day if indicators are well defined. An assisted update costs about GBP 2,100 a quarter.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many projects you fund, who your audiences are and your funding calendar, and we will price the scope, the indicative budget and the launch timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
