Modernizing digital presence for a century-old organization while preserving historical accessibility
Project Overview
A well-established historical society came to me with a challenge that many established nonprofits face: their aging HTML-only website could no longer support their evolving mission. As younger board members joined the organization, they envisioned leveraging digital tools to engage new audiences while maintaining the society's commitment to historical preservation and community education.
I developed a comprehensive WordPress solution that transformed their static web presence into a dynamic, multi-functional platform supporting everything from membership management to digital archives.
Goals
Audience Expansion & Engagement
Enable regular news updates with automated cross-posting to social media and mailing lists
Create intuitive pathways for visitors to discover historical programs and resources
Establish the society as a modern, accessible community resource
Operational Efficiency
Streamline member onboarding and renewal processes through online membership management
Automate donation collection and fundraising campaign support
Centralize visitor information for multiple historical properties
Digital Archive Creation
Build a searchable virtual library for historical essays, records, and digital collections
Ensure long-term accessibility and preservation of historical materials
Create user-friendly research tools for historians and community members
Technical Challenges
Budget-Conscious Architecture
Working within nonprofit budget constraints, I needed to deliver enterprise-level functionality using cost-effective hosting and minimal premium plugins. The solution required careful selection of tools that provided maximum value without ongoing licensing burdens.
Multi-User Content Management
The platform needed to accommodate board members with varying technical skills—from digital natives to volunteers more comfortable with traditional methods. This required intuitive content management workflows and comprehensive training materials.
Hybrid Membership Integration
Perhaps the most complex challenge: creating a digital membership system that integrated with existing offline processes. Members renew through multiple channels (online, mail, in-person events), requiring a flexible system that prevents administrative overhead while maintaining accurate records.
Development Approach
WordPress Foundation with Strategic Customization
Selected WordPress for its balance of functionality, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use
Implemented membership management plugin with custom configuration for hybrid online/offline workflows
Integrated knowledge base plugin for the digital archive with custom taxonomies for historical categorization
Added event management capabilities for programs and fundraising activities
Custom Design & User Experience
Developed custom CSS modifications to the selected template for brand consistency
Created comprehensive graphics package reflecting the organization's historical character
Optimized navigation for both casual visitors and research-focused users
Knowledge Transfer & Sustainability
Produced detailed internal documentation covering all administrative functions
Created screen recordings for complex workflows like membership management and content publishing
Established maintenance protocols that board members could manage independently
Results & Impact
Measurable Engagement Growth
300% increase in website visits within six months of launch
70% of new memberships now originate from the website
Operational Improvements
Membership processing time reduced from hours to minutes
Digital archive infrastructure established with framework for future content expansion
Long-term Sustainability
Board members successfully manage content updates independently
System continues to operate effectively three years post-launch with minimal maintenance costs
Technical Skills Demonstrated
WordPress Development
Custom theme modification, plugin integration and configuration
Content Strategy
Information architecture for diverse user types and use cases
User Experience Design
Intuitive interfaces for both public users and content administrators
Training & Documentation
Creating sustainable knowledge transfer for non-technical users
Budget-Conscious Architecture
Delivering enterprise functionality within nonprofit constraints
Integration Solutions
Bridging digital and traditional organizational workflows
