The theme of WordCamp PDX 2015 is about how WordPress is changing lives, a web publishing platform and tool used by 25% of the web. We are honored to have some amazing speakers talk about how WordPress is not just changing their lives, but changing the non-profit industry with the ease of web publishing and social media integration. To see when each are speaking, including those speaking on development topics, check out our schedule of events.

Designing and developing for the non-profit industry isn’t as easy as for a traditional business. While a traditional business site serves customers and the general public, a non-profit is often a community service funded by donations and grants, not income. Non-profits invest in causes not profits, often using as much income as possible directly for the cause and rarely for the website. Their websites are highly message-driven, directing people to the information they want and need, and their events and fundraising – often obeying idiosyncratic requirements set by the same donations and grant programs as well as the laws and standards for their industry dictating what they can and cannot do on the web.

Non-profit sites often have memberships or information available to subscribers. Some even require integration of databases to provide educational, research, and informational data within the WordPress site. The more information on a non-profit site, the more demand for usability testing, studies, and evaluations, designing and developing a needs-based site to serve the non-profit community.

Our speakers are well-versed and experienced in developing sites for a wide variety of non-profits. Whether or not you may ever work with a non-profit’s website, there is much for-profit sites can learn from the challenges and goals of non-profit sites in WordPress.

Designing and Developing WordPress Non-Profit Sites

Jocelyn Mozak is the founder and owner of Mozak Design, and an Electrical Engineer turned web programmer and expert in developing non-profit sites in WordPress. She will be presenting “Helping Non-Profits Change The World With WordPress,” sharing stories and walking through the process and challenges of designing and developing non-profit websites with WordPress that transform the way their organizations work.

She will focus on online fundraising, membership systems, communication tools, video sharing, and a variety of WordPress Plugins and tools that help non-profits to harness WordPress to streamline their tasks, improve their fundraising experience, and keep their focus on their causes, thus continuing to change the world. Jocelyn says, “With WordPress, there is no limit to what they can do. We just need to show them the opportunities.”

Serving a Community with a WordPress Non-Profit Site

Marc Benzakein will speak about “From Homeless to Hopeful,” on his work building community sites for the homeless and to help troubled children, many struggling after their families fell apart. Marc lives in Wisconsin and is Manager of Operations at ServerPress, which develops DestopServer, software for web design and development workflows.

His community work has changed the lives of many by using WordPress not only as a publishing platform but communication tool. We hope that you will learn about how WordPress can be used to change lives as well. Continue reading Speakers: Building WordPress Sites for Non-Profits →