Another remark, if I may...

Don't try to use "special effects" in order to make a site that looks
appealing and different from the others. That is an aproach for
commercial ventures. They spend much money to create those sites,
because making a colour rich, "artistic" website which still looks
professionnal is a very difficoult task. For a non-profit venture
this is a waste of time.

There's another reason not to do this: It's rather irritating for
visitors to a non-profit project. The interest in the project must
come from the quality of the project and activities of the Firebird
group, and not from a fancy website. Visitors expect a place where
one concentrates on the job and not on fancy presentation. Being
simple is the best (and easiest) way to give a professional
impression.

The important thing for the design of the site is its structure. It
should be well thought-out and allow the visitor to find easily what
he's looking for.

Markus