The Author
Richard Hamel is the founder/operator of Dot Org Web Works.
Why WordPress for Nonprofits?
When I’m asked why I use WordPress for my nonprofits, exclusively, I often have to take pause. Why? Well, there are simply so many good reasons. I suppose the pithy answer here would be “why re-invent the wheel?” WordPress, and its far-reaching providers of themes and plugins, have already done the heavy lifting with the technical parts. Thus, allowing for more of the website’s budget to be concentrated on outreach and fundraising.
Sure, there are a couple of other CMS (content management system) competitors still out there (Joomla and Drupal, to name the two of the more familiar ones). But, they don’t have nearly as many app and theme options as WordPress. Clearly, WordPress is the big dog when it comes to website platforms. And that makes a big difference.
Take a Look at WordPress
Let’s take a quick look at WordPress. It is the CMS of choice for roughly 60% of the market share. (Nonprofit organizations and commercial enterprises alike.)
- Firstly, WordPess is not-for-profit. It is an opensource collaboration that is free to download and customize to your specific needs.
- Secondly, learning to use WordPress is relatively easy. (That is, when compared to other competitors or building a site from scratch.) And if you get stuck, there is an extensive community of WordPress users and professionals who will be delighted to offer up solutions. Help is available through the WordPress Support Forum, or through the forum and pro-support hubs of specific theme and plugin applications.
- Moreover, there is a vast industry of themes and plugins for you to choose from. Many of these options are free or low-cost.
- Finally, WordPess is familiar. Because of WordPress’s dominance on the world-wide-web, nonprofit organization staffers and volunteers are more likely to have worked with WordPress already than with any other CMS platform.
User-friendliness
For nonprofit organizations, it is hard to beat WordPress. I sincerely believe that. Since nonprofits are legendary for being understaffed and underfunded, what time and resources that can be expended for the website (which is rarely enough) shouldn’t be squandered on building the website from scratch. That would take extensive knowledge of HTML, Java, PHP and more to accomplish. There are more important areas of website development to focus on.
WordPress will Be Around
WordPress has a solid reputation and has come a long way since 2003 when it was considered just a blogging platform. The introduction of a more intuitive Dashboard in 2008—and followed by further developments in 2010—had effectively put WordPress within the CMS arena. Today, the WordPress interface allows nearly anyone to jump right in. If you are even a little competent with general computer applications (e.g.: spreadsheet, word processing and slideshow programs) you should be able to adapt to WordPress quickly.
What’s more, you can update and make pages on-the-go via your mobile device.
DOWW Makes WordPress Even Easier
Although WordPress is easy to use overall, building custom pages takes skill. Creating columns and adding content can be tricky. It can be just “too much” for some.
That is why our websites also employ the use of drag-and-drop technology. Our theme’s “website builders” allow the over-committed staffer or time-constrained volunteer to develop a new page or post by just sliding content into place. Then it’s just a matter of applying your SEO and publish.
So, what does WordPress not do?
Each year WordPress and its extended family of theme and pluging developers, keep adding more and more applications and tools for you to consider. And with its continued growth, there is no reason to believe that will change. Or, that the WordPress platform will become antiquated before you’ve even fully learned to work program to your liking.
The parts of the website that are not technical, but intrinsic and unique to the organization, will still require a “customized” or hands-on approach. This would include: branding, UX planning, contentment development and SEO (search engine optimization) development of the website.
That is where Dot Org Web Works can help you most.
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