The challenge
California Women for Agriculture was formed in 1975 in the Coachella Valley, and its first chapter included consumers as well as farmers and ranchers. Today it counts 1,300 members in more than 20 chapters, from Butte County to California's southern border. Members advocate on local, state and federal issues and promote agriculture literacy in schools.
The website has to work at two levels. Each chapter has its own leaders and events, and many keep their own website or Facebook page. The state organization, meanwhile, collects dues, recognizes donors, hosts statewide meetings and keeps a private area for members.
The solution
We put the organization's history on the homepage. The line under the homepage headline gives the 1975 founding date, and an Our Beginning section tells how CWA started in the Coachella Valley. The About Us page lists the State Executive Board and the district directors, each with their home chapter.
The Chapters page groups the chapters into five districts (Northern, North Central, Central, Central Coast and Southern) and links most chapters to their own website, Facebook page or information sheet. A member in the Salinas Valley goes straight to the Salinas Valley chapter's site instead of reading statewide pages that do not apply to them.
The Membership page lists every dues and donor level, from the $20 student membership to the $5,000 Titanium donor level, each with its own online payment link, plus a membership inquiry form. The Events page lays out statewide meetings with dates, schedules, prices, hotel details and flyers. The Media and Resources page keeps past issues of The Compass, CWA's state newsletter, and the CWA Foundation page explains the scholarships that help emerging leaders attend state meetings and leadership training. Members request a password for the Members Only area by email or through the contact form.
How we built it
From first call to live site, here is how California Women for Agriculture’s project came together. It’s the same process every client goes through.
Discovery
Mapping the organization: more than 20 chapters in five districts, the dues and donor levels, and a history that starts in the Coachella Valley in 1975.
Design and build
Building the homepage history section, the district-by-district chapter directory, the membership and donor page, and the events page.
Review and refine
Testing every chapter link and the payment link on each dues level.
Launch
The state site went live with the chapter directory, the dues and donor page and the events page.
What we built
Every feature below is included at $99/month, no add-ons, no surprises.
- Chapter directory grouped by district
- Membership and donor levels with online payment
- Events page with schedules and flyers
- Archive of The Compass newsletter
- Password-protected Members Only area
- History, state board and district directors
- CWA Foundation and sponsor pages
- Contact and membership inquiry forms
- Mobile-responsive design
A state site should send members to their chapter
A statewide organization can try to keep a page for every chapter on its own site, but those pages only stay accurate if the state office hears about every new chapter officer and local event. CWA's chapters already run their own websites and Facebook pages, so the state site links to them by district. The state site keeps its own pages for what only the state handles: dues, donors, statewide meetings and the members' area.
“CalTech Web gave our organization a professional online home that our members love. The event registration and chapter pages have made it so much easier to stay connected across the state.”
