1. Content Management Systems
What’s Possible & What's Best
for You and Your Organization?
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

2. Agenda
• Introduction
• Temperature Check
• What is a CMS?
• Do you need a CMS?
• What is possible with a CMS?
• What to consider when choosing a CMS
• Recommendations
•Q&A
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

3. Introduction
Austen Levihn-Coon
Strategist
Fission Strategy
@AustenLC
austen@fissionstrategy.com
Austen provides innovative online consulting services to nonprofits and
foundations. He has worked with dozens of organizations to implement
the latest online technologies and build websites to create meaningful
change. Clients have included: MomsRising.org, Greenpeace, ONE,
Reform Immigration for America, J Street, NARAL Pro-Choice America,
and many more.
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

4. Background
• Fission Strategy
o Online Campaign Strategy
o Website Design & Development for Non-profits and
Foundations
o Social Media Integrations
o Facebook and Twitter Apps
o Online-to-Offline Campaigns
• Examples
o Jstreet.org
o DefineAmerican.com
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

5. Temperature Check
• Why are you here?
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

6. What is a Content Management
System (CMS)?
• A content management system (CMS) is a computer
system that allows publishing, editing, and modifying
content as well as site maintenance from a central page.
• Content is created and edited on the web in an
administration portion of the web application (referred to
as the Backend). The resulting content is then displayed
to the viewers on the regular site (referred to as the
Frontend).
- From wikipedia.com and http://www.webdesignerdepot.com
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

7. Do You Need a CMS?
• Do you plan to regularly update your site?
• Do you plan to have a blog on your site?
• Will you update your site remotely?
• Who will update your site?
o Web Developers?
o Non-Web Developers?
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

8. What is Possible with a CMS?
• Low Barrier to Entry
o Tumblr.com
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

9. Tumblr: What is Possible
• Free
• Set up in 10 minutes
• Design and technical skills not necessary
• Attractive templates available for free
• Displays photo, video, text
• No traditional comments by default
• Limitations on layout design, features, etc.
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

10. What is Possible with a CMS?
• NationBuilder
o Easy to set up a basic campaign site using existing
templates
o Collect sign-ups
o Integrated with voter outreach and advocacy tools
allows you to run an e-advocacy campaign
o SMS & Email tool integration
o Custom needs require custom design and
development
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

11. What is Possible with a CMS?
• Enterprise Level CMS:
o Features:
 Contextual Visitor Targeting
 E-business set-ups
 Multi-channel publishing
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

12. What is Possible with a CMS?
• Enterprise Level CMS:
o Features:
 Easily run multiple websites through a single CMS
 Set user-level permissions
 Option to store assets on an S3 server
 Support multiple languages
 Customer Support
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

13. Middle Ground of CMS Options
• Open Source
o WordPress
o Drupal
o Joomla!
o Expression Engine
• Custom CMS
o Options of CMS’s that can be custom built for you.
• Proprietary CMS
o Provide support
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

14. Things to Consider
• Scope of Site and Site Content
o Regular Updates?
o Include a Blog?
o Multiple authors?
o Integrations:
o Online Toolkit
o Facebook App
o MeetUp
o Donations
o Custom Functionality
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

15. Things to Consider
• Organizational Goals
o Ease of Use
o Branding
o Visitor Targeting
o Advocacy and Sign-Ups
o Content Promotion
o Permission Levels
o Social integrations
 Facebook, Twitter, your advocacy toolset, etc.
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

16. Things to Consider
• Organizational Tech & Design Capacity
o Do you have a tech savvy staff member who will be
making updates to the site.
o Good idea to have one person internally who will
own the site upkeep.
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

17. Things to Consider
• Budget
o Present
o Future
o Staffing
 Are developers or support staff easily available
and are they expensive to hire?
• Do it Yourself?
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

18. Some CMS's
• Open Source Solutions:
o Drupal
o Joomla!
o Expression Engine
o Django
• Enterprise Level:
• CoreMedia
• CrownPeak
• RedDot
• Sitecore
#NN12CMS @AustenLC

19. Recommendations
• Include all stakeholders in the process
• If possible, hire an external party to do a
needs analysis – minimizes internal biases
and politics.
• Take your present and future organizational
needs and budget into consideration when
making the decision.
• Ultimately, your website should reflect your
organizational priorities.
#NN12CMS @AustenLC