Keystone · Pro bono by Arctos Launchpad
Good workshouldn’t waitfor a budget.
Keystone is our pro bono program. A few times a year, we design and build for a nonprofit, community group or small business that needs it, at no cost. Same team, same standards, no invoice.
- $0Invoiced for design and build. Not discounted: free.
- 1:1The same team and the same standards as paid work.
- 100%Yours at the end: the site, the code and every account.
Why it’s called Keystone
A bridge standson its keystone.
The keystone is the last stone set at the top of an arch. Until it is in, nothing holds. Plenty of communities rest on organizations like that: a food bank, a youth program, a neighbourhood group, the family business a street depends on.
Most of them cannot afford a studio, and their website and tools show it. Keystone is how we put ours in place: real studio work, given, not discounted.
Who it’s for
For the onesa place leans on.
- 01
Nonprofits and charities
Registered or not. Organizations whose budget goes to the people they serve, not to their website.
- Food banks
- Shelters
- Youth programs
- Health and support
- 02
Community groups
The volunteer-run efforts a neighbourhood leans on, usually held together with a spreadsheet and goodwill.
- Community associations
- Arts collectives
- Sports clubs
- Mutual aid
- 03
Social enterprises
Businesses built around a mission, where the profit is the means and the community is the point.
- Employment programs
- Co-ops
- Local makers
- Reuse and repair
- 04
Small businesses in a hard season
A family business rebuilding after a setback, or a founder with a real need and no runway for a studio.
- After a disaster
- First-time founders
- Starting over
- Owner-run shops
What you get
The whole studio,not a template.
The same three things we build for paying clients. Each Keystone project is scoped to where it will make the biggest difference, usually one or two of these.
01 Win the customer
A website that works for you
- Designed and built from scratch, not a template
- Fast, accessible to WCAG AA, and easy to update
- Donations, sign-ups or bookings that actually arrive
- Search and AI-search basics done properly
02 Run the work
Less admin, more mission
- Volunteer, client or donor intake in one place
- Automatic follow-ups and confirmations
- Forms, spreadsheets and inboxes connected
- Hours handed back to the people doing the work
03 See the numbers
Impact you can show
- A live dashboard of the numbers that matter
- Ready-made figures for funders and grant reports
- Board updates without the weekend spreadsheet
- A clear picture of what is working
The standard
Community work,already live.
Two platforms the studio has shipped for the nonprofit and civic world. Keystone work is held to exactly this standard.
Calgary WatchA real-time, community-powered incident map that helps Calgary and Edmonton residents understand what is happening around them.Read the case study 
Starlings Support MapAn anonymous, map-based support platform helping young people affected by a family member's substance use discover shared experiences and community resources.Read the case study
How it works
From applicationto launch.
- 01
Apply
About ten minutes. Who you serve, what is getting in the way, and what would change if it were fixed.
- 02
A conversation
If it looks like a fit, a short call with the people who would do the work. No pitch deck needed.
- 03
Selection
We choose the projects where our time makes the biggest difference, and every applicant hears back.
- 04
The build
The same process as paid work: discovery, design, build and testing, with progress you can see every week.
- 05
Launch and handover
You own everything. We train your team, and we stay reachable for questions after launch.
Fit check
Is Keystoneright for you?
Tick what’s true. Nothing is sent anywhere: it is a quick way to see whether applying is worth your ten minutes.
Tick what’s true.
Each statement that fits sets a stone in the arch.
What we ask in return
The workspeaks for us.
No invoice, and no fine print. Keystone is how a studio can give work away: we ask to show it, so the next organization can find us.
- 01
Permission to show the work
A case study on this site, written with you and approved by you before it goes live.
- 02
An honest review
If we earned it. If we didn’t, we would rather hear why.
- 03
A small credit
“Built with Arctos Keystone” in your footer. Optional, and yours to remove.
- 04
A check-in after launch
Thirty minutes, a few months in, so we learn what made a difference.
Is Keystone really free?
Yes. Arctos does not invoice for the design, build or setup of a Keystone project. Third-party costs such as your domain, hosting or software subscriptions stay with you, and we help you find the nonprofit pricing many providers offer, often free.
Do we have to be a registered charity?
No. Registered charities and nonprofits are welcome, and so are community groups, social enterprises and small businesses going through a hard season. What matters is the difference the work makes.
How many Keystone projects do you take?
A small number each year, so each one gets the full studio rather than leftover time. If we can’t take your project now, we tell you, and we can keep your application for the next opening.
Who owns the website and the code?
You do. The site, the code, the content and every account are set up in your name, so you are never locked in to Arctos.
Why would a company do work for free?
Because it is good work worth doing, and because it is the clearest way to show what the studio can do. We ask to share the project as a case study, and that is the trade.
Where do you work?
Arctos is based in Calgary, Alberta, and works with organizations across Canada and the United States, remotely or in person in Calgary.
Start here
Doing workthat matters?
Tell us about it. Applications are read by the people who would do the work, and every one gets a reply.