Dear Philimina,
I hope this finds you well! This is a great question and one that we know many community organizers around the country are dealing with. I will share a few options here, but feel free to ask your community partners if they have a platform that they are using, as that might help with cost savings.
Zoom - you can have up to 2 people on Zoom for free for unlimited time. Beyond that you will need to pay for a monthly account. This services offers you basic videoconferencing options, such as screensharing, chat, and polling. It also is useful for community facilitators because you can use a break out room function. Recording is also available on this service.
Google Hangout - This is a free service through google. You can share a link for your participants and as long as they have a google log-in, they should be able to participate. Video conferencing for up to 10 people and group chat ability for up to 150. Google also offers G Suite which is a paid service that has more capabilities.
WebEx - In order to respond to Covid demand, it looks like WebEx now offers a free account for up to 100 participants with no time limit. Features include shared white board and other collaborative features. Recording is also available on this service.
Skype - this is a free service that allows you to connect with up to 50 people and it allows screen sharing for presentations and information sharing. Recording is also available on this service.
I hope you find a good fit for your group's needs. In addition to the Community Tool Box's resource on effective meetings, I'd encourage you to check out tips for online meetings that can help you stay connected during this time. Here's one resource that might be of interest Beth Kanter's Nonprofit blog and Seth Godin's blog.
All the best to you and your community during this difficult time.
Wishing you well,
Kiley Bednar
