GUIDE_Series_WordPressForNonprofits

WordPress for Nonprofits

Presented by Chris Wolf & Harrison DeStefano

1-866-4106539 (US) Conference Code: 427 795 7952

A Blackbaud Production!

WordPress for Nonprofits Presented by Chris Wolf & Harrison DeStefano

WordPress for Nonprofits It’s About More than Just a Platform

•  Fundamentals of a Successful Website It’s about more than just a platform

•  Choosing the Right CMS Is WordPress right for you?

•  Going Beyond the Theme Don’t celebrate too early



Successful Website Allows you to focus on your mission

•  Brand Distinction Interaction with your visual representation makes your brand more valuable

•  Content at the Core Keeping content as the priority is key to maintaining a relevant web presence

•  User Experience Don’t let your platform get in the way of the user experience because you’re cutting corners to make it work

•  Get Users Take Action Convert your users from seekers to readers to supporters



Choosing the Right CMS Is WordPress right for you?

When you have to choose a CMS, what questions are you asking?



Choosing the Right CMS Is WordPress right for you?

•  Will it Help You Accomplish Your Organization’s Goals? Evaluating your functional and operational requirements is the first step.

•  Open-Source vs. Proprietary As proprietary systems serve a very specific purpose, content management is not always a priority.

•  WordPress vs. The Others WordPress leads market share for CMS-based websites. Many developers hate it, but content managers love it.



It Packs a Mean Punch



WordPress It Packs a Mean Punch

•  Open-Source Development A philosophy, or pragmatic methodology, that promotes free redistribution and access to an end product's design.

•  Website or Blog? Both. Originally designed as a blogging tool, but refocused for comprehensive website management.

•  Great for Nonprofits A lot of “bilities”



Great for Nonprofits The “bilities” of WordPress

•  Capability

•  Flexibility

•  Trainability

•  Manageability

•  Affordability




•  Capability - Content management system at its core - Can manage an entire website or just a blog - Plug-in oriented, so you’re not stuck with the basics

•  Flexibility

•  Trainability






•  Capability

•  Flexibility - Thousands of plugins available - Highly customizable - Integrates well with other systems

•  Trainability






•  Capability

•  Flexibility

•  Trainability - Very little to learn, and easy to understand - Easy to train new people that join your team - Several tutorials available






•  Capability

•  Flexibility

•  Trainability

•  Manageability - Don’t have to fuss with a complicated system - Don’t have to be an IT professional - Allows communication professionals to regain control of their site





•  Capability

•  Flexibility

•  Trainability


•  Affordability - No cost for the software and cheap to host - Several themes that are cheap or free - Low upfront cost means more to invest



Going Beyond the Theme



Going Beyond the Theme Don’t celebrate too early...

•  Installation and themes are only the beginning It’s like a house with no furniture

•  Don’t just dump in content Think beyond copy and paste, and make content strategy the focus

•  Themes don’t include strategy Remember the objectives of a successful website: Brand, Content, Experience, Action

•  Work with the right team Maximize your success with the right experts guiding you

GUIDE_Series_WordPressForNonprofits

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wordpress right

right cms

theme don t

content strategy

furniture don t

right team

valuable content

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