Blok By Blok Cainan Barnett helps Springfield Area businesses and nonprofits be found online

Jeff Williams:
Welcome to Community Voices, a production of NPR Illinois. I'm your co-host Jeff Williams in the studio with me today, Cainan Barnett. Cainan, how's it going?
Cainan Barnett:
Hey, I'm doing well. How are you?
Jeff Williams:
Right on, Cainan Barnett. I said that all correctly.
Cainan Barnett:
Yeah, perfect.
Jeff Williams:
I like it. Okay, so right off the bat, looks like you're the founder and executive director for Blok by Blok Web Building Resource, is that correct?
Cainan Barnett:
Yes, correct.
Jeff Williams:
So yeah, tell us a little bit. bit about there.
Cainan Barnett:
So, my history over the past 15, 17 years or so, I have been a graphic designer, web designer, and developer. And really this got spurred out of the problems that I ran into along the way, of what I would say maybe the entire system of how websites are developed and hosted. That whole system seems like it was a problem. So, this kind of got born out of that of rebuilding a different type of system because these third-party hosting sites that they're free to build your site, Squarespace and Wix and all these other ones. But as soon as you want to turn it and point it to your domain, you have to start paying them every month. And so, I came out and built something that is different. It takes that away. And then on top of that, it's just this is a nonprofit. So, I'm trying to get those nonprofits and those small startup businesses a voice that they deserve, really at the cost that they deserve. So some of these new startup, very small businesses don't have $5,000 or $10,000 for a new website as soon as they launch, but it's 2026. You can't succeed without one. And so, there's this huge dilemma that I saw that, if they just had something that functioned for them or something that worked better, without having to pay all these additional fees for subscriptions to add on tools that should have been included from the beginning. So that's what block by block is, basically. nonprofit looking to put nonprofits and small businesses online, supported 100% by grants, donations, and local sponsorships.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. Very cool. So, you don't host like domains for people too, right? Or anything like that.
Cainan Barnett:
Yeah, so everything will be included. If they have a domain and they're already hosting it with someone, you know, that's fine, but we can also take that over for them so that they don't have to pay the yearly fee. And that's what we're fundraising and trying to eliminate for some of these small guys and allow them to still have a bite at some of the big bait, you know, that's out there. And really, take it one step further is, there's been a change in web development and web design per se in the last 10 years. When Squarespace and some of these other organizations came out, they basically said, you can build your own site now and you can be your web designer and your developer, and you don't have to pay for all of these things. What happens is when a baker goes on to build a website, it doesn't turn out the way that they want or the way that it should function for them. And then they get stuck with this payment, and they have a live website and then it sits dormant for three years and nothing ever changes, but they paid thousands of dollars just to keep it alive. And so that's what I'm trying to take away from this is build them a customized website based off of what they need, based off of what they need on how they operate. So, a restaurant needed. I built (the) Vondra Social House restaurant’s website. And, for them, they're very fast-moving people. They have a brand-new baby. They just bought this property, opened this restaurant. And so they don't have time. You know, that's the big thing that they don't have. And so, you know, I've built it and coded it in a way to where they can take a picture of their new menus and it uploads and removes the old menus and they don't have to do anything. And within one, 2 minutes, they can have a whole new website with a whole new Spring menu loaded and they didn't even really have to get on their computer. So that's the kind of development that I'm trying to take away from them. And then on top of that is that if they ever run into issues, they can reach directly out to Blok by Blok or me personally, and we will step in and we have the ability to fix anything that might have broken or if they uploaded things and something went wrong. we can be there to step in the way. But as we build these, we're also training those organizations and individuals on how to utilize it. Because what I've seen as the biggest, waste of resources is, having a website is great. And a lot of people have websites. You can buy your own name and it's cool. But then you get stuck. with it and nothing really comes out of it. It's not actually doing anything for you. And so that's where we're looking to change that is not have a cookie cutter templated website that, you know, is good for a t-shirt company and is good for a high financial, you know, those things don't go together. And so I'm trying to really listen to the individuals of what they need and where they're struggling and we can help them all the way from Google My Business profiles to the customized domains to building their logo if they needed a logo. to really building this full branding package and getting them a presence that really speaks about their mission.
Jeff Williams:
Right on, that's cool. You know, like you mentioned earlier, for example, a baker, they got to keep, they're baking, you know, they don't have time to sit there and once the, you know, at first, the first month or so, the website is up, operational. As soon as they have to make changes to it, then it's like they've got to dig into it a lot and start trying to learn. Then they're just burning a bunch of time doing that. They can't keep an eye, the other things that they're trying to do. You already explained that, but I was just sort of rehashing. So how did you start getting involved with web design or graphics, as you mentioned, too?
Cainan Barnett:
Yeah, so I have always had a pull towards the arts as a kid, and I actually just cleaned out my garage the other day, and I found a Time magazine that I created in Photoshop in 8th grade. And so, I was always into Photoshop. It was the first thing that got me into that in my teen years and really kind of launched that. And I built logos in high school, and I was a very graphically coordinated individual for that era. But that led me into some marketing positions over those. You know, I went to Lincoln Land, I went to UIS for communications, but that led me to some marketing positions and, into some director of marketing and I also oversaw some sales. And so I was really overseeing a lot of these websites and, an organization I came back into after I worked for five years before they needed a rebrand. So I was that person to come in and rebuild the logo and build an entire new website. And that was just something that I loved and it just stuck with me and so it's always something that you want to find as a passion that is deep down and so that's what that's where I'm at is that I have these skills and so now I want to use them to help people and really take away the stigma of you know what a website is because if you go up to anybody just anybody and say how much do you think a website cost you'll get a mixed number. You'll get $500, you'll get $30,000. And they're right about all of those because you pay for what you get. And what we're trying to give is basically for $1,000, so if somebody donates $1,000, an entire organization will go online forever. And so we're a little bit different than some other nonprofits as far as some people donate $1,000 or $10,000 every single year to specific nonprofits and become a sponsor. But this is like a compounding interest, basically. last year you donated and you put this organization on and they're still online and they're still saving money and they're still doing better and they're still getting a better voice. And now you donate it again and it's a different organization. So, it's not just like you're sponsoring a golf outing, and we're raising funds to pay our bills. No, you're raising funds to literally take somebody from offline and not seen or a Facebook page business or Facebook page nonprofit and allow them to become a voice with the big dogs.
Jeff Williams:
Very nice, right on. So, and so what is this like considered like a 501c3?
Cainan Barnett:
Yeah, so we actually filed our 501c3 and so we are in a pending status right now. So as soon as we have that, will be a launch for the summer of what I'm looking forward to with a lot of the economic growth grants that are out there, as well as there's some digital initiatives that have come out in the past few years through state grants that we're going to be applying for very heavily. It's very competitive, but we think we have a really good pitch. And some of these grants are like 100% matched to exactly what we're trying to do, to try and grow nonprofits, to try and grow startup businesses basically get the economic growth of the community that you're involved with on a different level.
Jeff Williams:
Right, I know there's been a swing, at least it seemed like in the last few years as I talked to different people where a lot of the a lot of grant money seem to be staying in the greater Chicagoland area, but they've been, it looks like there's been a push spread out more through the state. Downstate entities are able to access some of this. That creates more economic, more of an economic engine for people across the board. It's not just. money that's going out and that's just the end of the line; it then creates things where people are able to employ more people or whatever it happens to be. It helps the economy overall.
Cainan Barnett:
Yeah, So I mean, these companies are, on average, especially when you get into the business side of things, when you're an individual, you can get internet for, 40, $50. But when you become a business or a nonprofit, they have these higher packages all of a sudden. And so, these nonprofits, profits that, are, I don't want to say struggling to get by, but struggling to push their mission, struggling to fund the things that they're trying to do out of the goodness of their heart. And so they're paying, 100 to $300 a month. I mean, and so what I'm trying to do is just alleviate some of that to exactly what you said, just reinvest that money into what their cause is or be able to pay an additional member on their team or redo what they're using with that money and reinvest invested into something else that they can move forward. So, my goal this year is over the next 50 weeks is I'm going to try and get 50 organizations online over the next 50 weeks. Again, just take them to the next level, allow their website to flourish in a different way. And then if they don't have those websites to get them a domain, to get them a website, if they need additional marketing material, to really just give them a package to be able to use and then be a resource there for them to reach out to as far as digital strategies or things that they might come across. So yeah, that's my goal is to get those 50 organizations on. I've already built 13, I'm working on 14's website right now before I launched this 50 and 50 initiative. So by the end of this year, hopefully moving forward, I will save 60 or so organizations $150,000 a year every year forever.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, no, that's great. So once again, let people know who you are.
Cainan Barnett:
Yeah, So I am Kanan Barnett. I am the founder and the executive director of Block by Block. It is a nonprofit looking to get nonprofits online and reduce the third-party costs, as well as startup businesses that really can't afford a website to really give them an online presence here in the modern era. But everyone can learn more about what we do at Blok by Blok, B-L-O-K by B-L-O-K.org. And if you want to donate, you can do blokbyblok.org slash build. Or if you are in need of a website for your organization, And we have a slash apply. So blockbyblock.org slash apply.
Jeff Williams:
And that's blok BLOK.
Cainan Barnett:
By BLOK.
Jeff Williams:
Just so people, you know, to make sure that they're listening. Sometimes it's like they're hearing it, but they're not thinking it. (laughter) So, there's no seeing that. So, it's good to just to make that clear for everybody. Are most of the businesses in central Illinois?
Cainan Barnett:
I mean, technically they could be anywhere, but really what I'm trying to do is I'm from here, and I've really been rooted into trying to help our downtown and trying to help our city overall, over some of these hurdles in the past, four or five, 10 years. And so I'm really vested here and I really want to help my community and so I'm really focused on Springfield and that's what that's why I made this initiative of 50 and 50 and so I want to you know hit the ground running and already have you know probably 25 applications put in just over the past you know we launched just over 10 days ago or 8-9 days ago. And so my goal is to get all of them on board, but really go through Springfield and really figure out, who needs an additional push and who seems to be doing the right things, but not being heard. and those are the types of things that I'm trying to fix because somebody can live in a city for, 40 years and still not know that a business exists just because they didn't make it happen. And so we're just trying to take that away, but also alleviate some of those funds to help them over the long run. And then really just kind of, like I said, compound and just keep building this system. But it's expandable. So, as we grow over the next, hopefully 5, 10, 20 years, it is expandable. We can go across, further than just Springfield. And we would look to do so at that time, but really just trying to focus on my city.
Jeff Williams:
No, love it, love it for sure. I can see then maybe getting into the satellite or, you know what I mean, some of the communities around, but to focus on Springfield right now, that's I love it. That's a great, great thing because, a lot of people, man, they, I mean, some people are like, shoot, I'm going to, I'm just going to get out of here. Then they go do something. So I'm like, why didn't you do it here? You know, you could have come here too. I mean, you're from here and you, so you got your roots and everything. So yeah, I commend that. Once again, we're in the studio with Cainan Barnett, founder, executive director for Blok by Blok Web Building Resource. People should check out here in the area, social media presence.
Cainan Barnett:
Yeah, again, it's BLOKbyBLOK.org is our main website. You can follow us on social. It's BLOKbyBLOK, again, no C, Inc. So just BLOKbyBLOKINC on both Facebook and Instagram for now.
Jeff Williams:
Well, once again, Cainan, thanks a ton for coming in, man.
Cainan Barnett:
Yeah, absolutely. I appreciate you having me. And yeah, if anybody, again, knows of organizations, send them, send them our way, and we'll hope to take care of them.
Jeff Williams:
Love it. Love it. Thanks a lot, Cainan.
Cainan Barnett:
I appreciate it.
Jeff Williams:
Yep. Community Voices is a production of NPR, Illinois.