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