Literacy Volunteers had a WordPress website preceded by Joomla.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Before: Joomla, 2016
The Joomla website design (above) included a custom social media menu, a new donate button, Google Calendar integrations to display in-person learning and training opportunities, and a new feature to text us at the main phone number.
It also housed a complete self-paced tutor training curriculum, which was one of the key developments that brought the organization to a new digital level. The previous website used the same Joomla platform, but the visual theme was updated in 2016 to offer this new dynamic user experience.
After: WordPress, 2017
The WordPress website (above) was created in 2017 to elevate the brand experience, attract new volunteers, and cultivate new donors.
At the same time, the Illinois Budget Impasse had been happening in the background, which had a profound impact on the financial health of nonprofits. The Impasse was a 793-day-long budget crisis in the state of Illinois. From July 1, 2015, to August 31, 2017, Illinois was without a complete state budget for fiscal years 2016, 2017, and part of 2018. As a result, many state-funded nonprofits had to cut services while the smallest of them were forced to close their doors.