At Grid & Arrow, we provide solutions online in a lot of ways, but one that recurs over and over again looks like this:
- Define the problem
- Research open source tools that get close to solving that problem
- Customize the software to meet this particular organization’s needs
- Host and upkeep the solution on our servers so it works long term
Earlier this year, we were approach by a ministry in South Sudan about launching a site that could process monthly credit card donations for a pastor sponsorship program they wanted to roll out.
WordPress and WooCommerce are tools we call on over and over again. They fit into our way of working well and I knew with some light customization, we could put together something that would work great for the program’s donors and facilitator’s.
In time for Giving Tuesday, we’ve launched In Deed And Truth’s sponsorship site. Go check it out! I’ll be here when you come back.
It’s a very basic customization of the Storefront theme, but it checks off the core features we needed to launch:
- Automated monthly credit card processing
- Automated stock management (each team member can only be sponsored by four donors)
- Ability for donors to manage their donations (change payment method, cancel, etc)
- Reporting for facilitators
There’s a lot of features I’m itching to add – better tools for communicating with donors so that the platform can help build relationships and further customizations to the user experience so it feels less like a store are the two that come to mind first.
As we continue to develop this tools, we’d love to add additional organizations to join our pilot program so we can receive feedback to improve the solution. Might that be your organization? If so, fill out the form below and I’ll be in touch with you.