WordPress Developer Needed: Nonprofit Application Portal - March 1 Deadline

About Empower Her Village

We are a newly established 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Charlotte, NC, dedicated to supporting single mothers with children. We bridge the gap between insufficient government assistance and the resources mothers need to thrive.

Website: www.empowerhervillage.org (currently live with basic homepage)

Nonprofit in Charlotte, NC needs an experienced WordPress developer to build a secure multi-step application portal for beneficiaries to apply for support services.

Website: www.empowerhervillage.org (basic homepage live)

HARD DEADLINE: Launch March 15, 2026

CRITICAL REQUIREMENTS ⭐

You MUST Have:

✅ Portfolio with 3+ nonprofit sites (provide live URLs)

✅ At least 1 site with a custom application/intake portal (not just contact forms)

✅ Demonstrable backend experience (admin dashboard, file management, status tracking)

✅ Gravity Forms OR WPForms expertise (multi-step, conditional logic, file uploads)

✅ Stripe integration experience (preferably nonprofit rates)

✅ Availability to start Feb 5 and launch Feb 28

⚠️ DO NOT APPLY IF:

❌ You only have basic WordPress/theme customization experience

❌ You cannot show a live application portal you've built

❌ You cannot start immediately or meet the March 1 deadline

❌ You cannot provide a fixed-rate bid with milestone breakdown

PHASE 1 SCOPE

1. Government Resources Hub Page

Educational content page with federal/state program directory

FAQ section, mobile-responsive, Google Analytics

2. Secure Application Portal ⭐ CORE DELIVERABLE

6-Step Multi-Step Form:

Personal info → Household data → Government assistance history → Service needs → Documents → Consent

Save & resume functionality

Secure file uploads (PDF/JPG/PNG, 5MB max, encrypted storage)

Auto-generated reference numbers (EHV-2026-00001)

Conditional logic and field validation

Email notifications (applicant + admin, branded templates)

PDF summary of completed application

Mobile-responsive with progress indicators

3. Application Status Tracking Portal ⭐ CORE DELIVERABLE

Client Side:

Public page where applicants check status by reference # + email

Display status: Submitted → Under Review → Approved/Denied/On Hold

Admin Backend:

View all applications in WordPress dashboard

Click into applications to view details and download files

Change status via dropdown (triggers email to applicant)

Search/filter by status, date, name

Add internal notes

4. Donation Page

Stripe integration (nonprofit account provided)

One-time/recurring options, preset amounts

Automated tax receipt emails

5. Legal Pages & Core Updates

Format 4 legal pages (content provided)

Contact form, cookie banner, Google Analytics 4

XML sitemap, basic SEO, social meta tags

6. Design & Branding

Apply brand colors (teal #29A29D, coral #F05A28)

Typography (Montserrat, Open Sans)

Logo integration (6 variations provided)

Consistent button/form styling

7. Security & Accessibility

File security: encrypted storage, admin-only access, tokenized downloads

SSL, input sanitization, login limits, security plugin setup

WCAG 2.1 Level A: keyboard navigation, alt text, color contrast, ARIA labels

8. Testing & Launch

Cross-browser/mobile testing

Form submission testing (all paths)

File upload testing, email notifications

Page speed optimization (90+ target)

1-hour admin training + documentation

2 weeks post-launch bug fixes

TECHNICAL ENVIRONMENT

Hosting: Hostinger (cPanel provided)

Form Plugin: Gravity Forms Elite OR WPForms Pro (specify which)

Payment: Stripe nonprofit account

CMS: WordPress (latest version)

HOW TO APPLY

Your Proposal MUST Include:

1. Fixed-Rate Bid

Total price for complete Phase 1 scope

Milestone breakdown (e.g., Week 1: $X, Week 2: $X)

Specify what's delivered at each milestone

Clarify if plugin licenses are included or billed separately

2. Portfolio ⭐ MANDATORY

3 live nonprofit site URLs

Identify which site has an application portal and describe:

What the admin backend can do (view submissions, change status, download files?)

What applicants can do (submit forms, track status, upload documents?)

Be prepared to demonstrate the backend during interview

3. Technical Approach

Gravity Forms or WPForms? Why?

How will you implement save & resume?

How will you secure file uploads (storage location, encryption, access control)?

How will you generate auto-reference numbers?

How will you build the status tracking portal?

4. Timeline

Week-by-week plan (Feb 5 → Feb 28)

Any risks to March 1 deadline?

5. Experience

Describe 1 project where you built a multi-step form with file uploads

Describe 1 project where you integrated Stripe payments

Describe 1 project where you built custom admin functionality (viewing submissions, changing statuses)

6. Availability

Confirm start date (Feb 5) and launch date (Feb 28)

Timezone and daily availability for 15-30 min check-ins

References: 2 contacts from previous nonprofit/application projects

SELECTION PROCESS

Feb 3-4: Review proposals, shortlist 3-5 candidates

Feb 4-5: 30-min video interviews + backend demo of previous work

Feb 5: Award contract, fund first milestone, kickoff immediately

AUTOMATIC REJECTION IF:

❌ No portfolio URLs provided

❌ No application portal in portfolio

❌ Hourly rate instead of fixed-rate bid

❌ Cannot start Feb 5 or launch Feb 28

❌ Generic proposal without technical approach answers

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 10, 2026

We review proposals on a rolling basis and may close early if we find the right candidate.

SUMMARY CHECKLIST:

Fixed-rate bid with milestone breakdown

3 live nonprofit URLs (1 with application portal)

Backend demo description (what can admins do?)

Technical approach answers (save/resume, file security, reference #s, status tracking)

2 references

Availability confirmed