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CauseHouse · Board & procurement

Website vendor checklist

Un-gated worksheet for diligence packets. Printable as PDF via your browser—no signup.

Questions before approving a vendor

  1. 01Who owns the site operationally after launch — and what does that ownership specifically include?
  2. 02What happens to existing URLs? Is redirect planning included in project scope?
  3. 03How will accessibility be tested, by whom, and against which standard and conformance level?
  4. 04Can staff edit core pages, navigation, and team listings without developer involvement?
  5. 05Which systems remain the authoritative source of truth for donor, member, and constituent data?
  6. 06What is explicitly included in content migration?
  7. 07What is explicitly excluded from content migration?
  8. 08What does post-launch support actually cover, and for what duration?
  9. 09What happens if the organization needs to change vendors two years after launch?
  10. 10Who owns content governance and publishing decisions after the vendor relationship ends?

Clarify before engineering begins

  • —Sitemap documentation — current and proposed architecture, with rationale.
  • —Redirect planning — mapping of URL changes and destination targets.
  • —Governance recommendations — publishing model, approval chain, ownership structure.
  • —Accessibility methodology — testing approach, standard level, ongoing compliance.
  • —Migration planning — content, integrations, and domain authority preservation.
  • —CMS ownership documentation — independent operational use after handoff.
  • —Analytics strategy — what is measured, how it is configured, who owns it.
  • —Workflow documentation — how staff publish and maintain the site.
  • —Operational handoff planning — training, documentation, post-launch support scope.