A unified multisite platform for three mission-driven nonprofits
Blackhawk Museum, Behring Global Educational Foundation, and Wheelchair Foundation are a series of connected nonprofit organizations located in California. Each plays a unique role in their respective areas of outreach. When these organizations came to WebDevStudios, their websites existed separately on three different WordPress themes and three different hosts. Regardless of their hosting location, all faced performance and usability challenges. Our goal was to create a modern, cohesive web experience that brought their missions to life while simplifying the editorial expertise and maintenance for their web team.
The Challenge
Before partnering with WebDevStudios, all three organizations were operating outdated WordPress websites that were difficult to maintain due to three different locations and significant performance issues. Each site faced its own unique challenges, but there were some common threads: limited functionality, poor Core Web Vitals, and frustrated editorial staff and end users.
“From the very beginning, the WebDev team has been incredible to work with, professional, easy to collaborate with, and committed to helping us tackle what initially felt like an impossible task. ”
~ Matt Hansen, Technology and Communication Specialist, Blackhawk Museum
The Solution
WebDevStudios connected these nonprofits with our partners at Pagely. They provided an affordable, high-performance Multisite network solution that will allow these organizations to scale. This shift immediately created a more stable, secure, and efficient environment, giving each organization access to enterprise-grade performance at non-profit-friendly, enterprise-level pricing. Pagely even migrated all three organizations to their platform, a huge cost and effort savings!
From there, we completely redesigned and developed the websites using a shared block-based WordPress theme that serves as a flexible design system across the Multisite network. This approach allows each site to maintain its own identity while sharing the same core blocks, patterns, and plugins.
Specifically for the Blackhawk Museum, we focused on improving site speed, clearer calls to action, and enhancing the event experience. Visitors can now easily browse upcoming programming, and the pathways to ticketing and donations were better highlighted.
For the Behring Global Educational Foundation and the Wheelchair Foundation, the redesigns provided a night-and-day difference. Both sites are now fully responsive and built to tell stories through high-quality photography and video. Intuitive navigation and clear calls to action make it easier for visitors to donate, learn, and get involved with only one click.
“The redesign delivered exactly what we needed and provided a solid foundation that we can be proud of. None of this would have been possible without their hard work, and we’re truly grateful for everything they put into making it happen.”
~ Matt Hansen, Technology and Communication Specialist, Blackhawk Museum
The Results
The new multisite network gives all three organizations the flexibility to manage content independently while maintaining a cohesive digital identity. Each site performs significantly better, offers a modern and accessible user experience, and reflects the professionalism and impact of the organizations behind them.
- Unified WordPress Multisite for centralized management and consistency
- Improved Core Web Vitals and overall site performance
- Fully responsive, accessible, and modern designs
- Streamlined donation, ticketing, and event experiences
- Affordable, scalable hosting with Pagely’s WordPress-optimized platform
Delivering Impact
Together, these redesigned sites strengthen the digital foundation for three impactful organizations, helping them better share their stories, grow their communities, and continue their missions with confidence.