Trottier Family Foundation
Project proposal
Our purpose
We create joyful, equitable, inclusive digital experiences that enable changemakers to do their best work.
Executive summary
The Trottier Family Foundation is moving off Squarespace to a bilingual site that can carry its brand foundations, its five-year communications strategy, and five program strategies at varying stages of refresh. Your RFP puts it precisely: the site should be a vehicle for both the program and communications strategies, not a static description of the foundation as it was.
You also need a platform with more flexibility and room to grow, built on thoughtful, audience-centered architecture. That’s the kind of foundation Mangrove builds.
Founded in 2009, Mangrove brings years of research and best practice to digital design and development. We help mission-driven teams bring clarity to complex information, so their websites support focused growth and impact.
Challenges & opportunities
A platform built to grow with you
Your current site has taken the foundation a long way. Moving to a new platform, like WordPress, opens real room to grow. Built on widely-supported, non-proprietary technology, a site built on WordPress lets your team add new page types, functionality, and integrations over time. The site will be able to keep pace with TFF rather than needing another rebuild down the road.
A bilingual experience, considered from the start
Full EN/FR parity is a chance to design something that works naturally in both languages: parallel authoring, language-aware navigation and metadata, and layouts that account for the length of both languages and hold gracefully, regardless. Our Senior Art Director is based in Montreal and works in both languages, so the bilingual experience gets shaped from the first wireframe.
Room for a strategy still taking shape
With several program strategies still taking shape, this is a chance to build for where TFF is headed. We can start with what’s already settled, your brand foundations and direction, and create flexible templates that welcome each strategy’s content as it lands.
Our approach
Our approach to this project is structured in three phases, all building towards a site that represents TFF accurately today and can absorb each program strategy as it lands.
The result is a bilingual site you can run on your own, easy enough to update without a developer, and structured so the next strategy refresh is a content exercise rather than another rebuild.
Project phases
- 1 Kickoff, scoping & discovery
- 2 Brand, design and content creation
- 3 Development, QA, training & launch
Kickoff, scoping & discovery
Connect and align on expectations, timeline, and ways of working.
Mangrove leads structured discovery sessions with project stakeholders to understand your mission, goals, audiences, and key challenges.
We review peer and comparable foundation sites, assess your current content and technical landscape, and take a baseline read of your analytics and SEO health (rankings, traffic, and redirects) while defining site structure (sitemap & wireframes) and project priorities.
We deliver a Creative Strategy presentation and a comprehensive Project Plan — including a Creative & Technical Brief, refined scope, and updated timeline.
Client expectations
Prepare for and participate in discovery, provide required back-end access, and collaborate through timely feedback, approvals, and ongoing engagement.
Design & content creation
Shape how your site looks, feels, and communicates.
Mangrove establishes a clear visual direction through moodboards, then creates responsive mockups of key pages to define the overall look and feel.
We develop a flexible system of custom content blocks and page templates to support scalable, consistent page building.
In parallel, messaging and content structure are refined to ensure alignment between story, design, and user needs.
Client expectations
Provide sample content and collaborate with Mangrove through timely feedback, approvals, and asset procurement as needed.
Development, QA, training & launch
Mangrove develops a flexible, editable website based on the approved design system, using custom blocks and content types, and integrating core functionality and analytics.
Content is integrated and the site is tested for performance, accessibility, and overall quality.
Training and documentation are provided ahead of Client QA to support effective review and content management.
Following launch, Mangrove provides a post-launch warranty, with optional digital partnership tiers to support ongoing improvements and site evolution.
Client expectations
Provide finalized content at the start of development, support launch readiness, and participate in QA through timely, consolidated feedback.
Thoughtful execution at every step
Working with Mangrove means a process that is structured, collaborative, and designed to support your team.
Clarity at every step
Clear timelines, defined roles, and thoughtful facilitation keep the project moving forward with confidence — no guesswork or chasing updates.
Strategic, not just tactical
We don't just execute — we help guide decisions, prioritize what matters, and keep the project aligned with your goals.
Designed to reduce your load
From working with content partners to managing feedback and approvals, we structure the work to make participation straightforward and efficient for your team.
Proactive and responsive
We anticipate needs, surface risks early, and stay responsive so nothing stalls or gets stuck.
A partner you can count on
Our team brings deep, focused expertise in their craft, and the experience to know how the pieces fit together.
Discovery, first
We take the time to understand your audiences, content, and how your site works, so we have a clear foundation for everything that follows.
Design with depth
Our designers are visual problem-solvers who translate your brand into a flexible digital system that feels intuitive to use and holds up over time.
Content that connects
The storytellers we partner with craft messaging that resonates with real people and works with the ways they find and engage with your site.
Technology, purposefully applied
Our developers are as fluent in strategy as they are in code, so every technical decision serves your goals, not just the build.
A result that performs and evolves
A backend built for you
Your website backend is intuitive and designed around how you actually work, so updating content is straightforward, not technical.
Custom and curated
Every component is thoughtfully designed to reflect your organization's voice and goals — a cohesive experience that supports your story.
Modular flexibility that lasts
Reuse, adapt, and expand components over time without starting from scratch — your site grows with you.
Scalable, reliable technology
Modern tools keep your site secure, stable, and ready for what's next — whatever that looks like for your organization.
Project details
Investment options
Core build
A complete, standards-based bilingual site, ready to launch and easy for your team to maintain. We take it from discovery through launch, and give your writers the structure and guidance to keep it current in both languages.
$75,000–$85,000 CAD
Extended
The Core engagement, with room to go further. It adds deeper discovery and stakeholder input, broader content support, and optional copyediting or AI discoverability (AEO).
$85,000–$100,000 CAD
30% deposit on signing (can fall within your current fiscal year); the remainder is invoiced monthly across the project. Post-launch support & maintenance is provided as a separate proposal, budgeted independently.
Investment options
| Core build | Extended | |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | 6–7 months | 7–8 months |
| Discovery | Strategic audit, peer/comparable-site review, content inventory, analytics & SEO review, redirect map, limited stakeholder interviews | All of Core, plus additional stakeholder engagement |
| IA & content structure | Sitemap, wireframes, and content-structure guidance for key page types with SEO built in (your team writes the copy) | Expanded guidance across more page types · optional bilingual copyediting |
| Design & development | Applies your existing visual identity · style guide & component library · bilingual EN/FR build · 12–15 blocks & 4–5 CPTs* | 16–20 blocks & 6–7 CPTs* · expanded component set |
| Bilingual (EN/FR) | Full parity, parallel authoring, language toggle | Full parity, parallel authoring, language toggle |
| Accessibility | WCAG 2.1 AA at launch | WCAG 2.1 AA at launch + manual testing |
| SEO & discoverability | Technical SEO foundation + SEO guidance for your writers | All of Core, plus AI discoverability (AEO) |
| Investment | $75,000–$85,000 CAD | $85,000–$100,000 CAD |
*Final counts confirmed during discovery. Stock-photo licences billed at cost against a stated allowance. Post-launch maintenance quoted separately.
Project timeline
Because you are carrying this alongside everything else on a small team, we’ll plan the schedule around your capacity rather than a fixed sprint. We can build in longer review windows and extra room during content creation, and if a phase needs a few more weeks, we’ll plan for that together up front so it never becomes a scramble.
We can begin now on what is already settled: discovery, mood boards, and your brand foundations. We create containers for the program content to fill in as each strategy finalizes through late 2026 and into 2027. Core build runs roughly 6–7 months of active work and Extended 7–8, with the calendar flexing to fit your pace.
When can we start?
Once the project is confirmed we set a start date and refine the sequence together in Phase 1. We are scheduling new work from November 2026. Because the deposit can fall within your current fiscal year and the remainder is spread monthly, you can commit budget now even if the heavier work begins in the new year.
Scope adjustments & how we plan for them
New information is often revealed during Discovery. We’ll hold a scope review meeting following Phase 1, so we can settle on a project scope, budget, and firmer timeline based on what we uncover.
Priorities also shift and new needs surface as a project moves forward, and we’ve navigated that many times. One project might call for a few more page templates or content types; another for a section that wasn’t in the original plan. When that happens, we estimate the hours and walk through the options with you, so you can decide how to adjust or add to the scope with the budget in full view. The decision is always yours.
We keep scope open and honest on every project, so you always know where your budget and timeline stand.
Content management system
We recommend WordPress for TFF’s site. It’s widely used, well-supported, and gives your team full control. It can be built so a small team can manage it day-to-day, without requiring a developer to update content. At the same time, it has the flexibility to handle more complex content types, plugins, and integrations, as needed.
A core advantage of using WordPress is that it’s 100% open source and highly customizable, giving us the control as developers to build advanced functionality and an editing experience tailored for TFF.
WordPress CMS & hosting
Why WordPress?
WordPress is open-source, so unlike a proprietary platform such as Squarespace your team is never locked into one vendor and keeps full control to edit and extend the site.
Accessibility can be built directly into the user experience, and conformance to WCAG guidelines can be better controlled.
Website hosting
WordPress is free, but maintaining a site involves hosting, ongoing maintenance, and potential plugin fees.
We recommend WPEngine, or one of a small handful of WP-specific hosts chosen for their attention to performance, security and scalability. Hosting accounts are always fully accessible by the client and can be set up in TFF’s name. Mangrove never gate-keeps clients from their hosting or website.
Ownership
When the work is done, the finished website is in your hands. Your team will have full admin access to manage it and full access to the files if needed. Our sites are built on open, widely-used technology, so nothing proprietary to Mangrove is required to keep it running or update it.
Post-launch, you may choose to retain Mangrove’s services or sign onto smaller maintenance plans with one of our partners.
Accessibility & SEO
Accessibility
We use a combination of digital tools and optional manual testing to support compliance with current WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines. Accessibility is considered throughout design and development.
Post-launch, we offer accessibility compliance monitoring as part of our digital partnerships.
If in scope, manual testing can be conducted by one of our trusted partners.
SEO and AEO/GEO
We ensure best practices during setup — installing an SEO plugin or third-party tool and setting up Google Analytics. At launch we re-index your new site and manage redirects and 404s. We can share best practice resources for keywords, meta descriptions, page titles and URL structure.
SEO guidance for your writers will be provided in a Content Strategy document as well as the content outlines (content blueprints for key pages).
In-depth SEO/GEO services can be implemented under the direction of one of our partners.
Security & data privacy
Security
Hosting. We host on WP Engine, whose environment is ISO 27001:2022 certified. It includes a proprietary firewall that blocks malicious bots, disk-write protection, segregated environments, regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, separate backups, and data encrypted at rest and in transit.
Application & ongoing. We harden each site with security headers, enforced two-factor authentication, and a security plugin. We keep sites protected via our maintenance plans that include ongoing updates, patching, uptime and security monitoring, and off-site backups.
Data privacy
We set your site up to support the data-privacy rules that apply to your organization. For TFF, that means Quebec’s Law 25 first, alongside frameworks like GDPR and CCPA where they’re relevant.
Where appropriate, we may recommend third-party services to maintain compliance.
The benefit
Each partnership tier includes proactive stewardship and strategic guidance to optimize performance and support long-term progress.
Your website becomes a dependable asset that evolves alongside your impact.
If none of our partnership tiers suit your needs, our partner organizations offer smaller website management options.
Ongoing partnership & support
Mangrove offers ongoing digital partnerships that help organizations maintain, improve, and evolve their websites over time. We provide security updates, performance monitoring, and strategic enhancements that compound quarterly.
Through strategic planning, we help you focus on what matters next and deliver meaningful improvements throughout each quarter. Your website grows stronger and more capable, adapting to your organization's changing needs.
Using blocks to build pages
As part of the site architecture deliverables, we recommend block types based on what best fits the site's content and functionality needs. These flexible blocks can be chosen and reordered for any given page.
Pricing option clarification
Blocks
Content blocks are a foundational part of your site. The number and type included shape the range of layouts and functionality available across your pages.
A thoughtful set of reusable blocks helps your team create consistent, flexible pages without ongoing development support.
Content types (CPTs)
Custom post types help structure and manage repeatable content — news, events, case studies, or team members.
This content automatically populates across your site, appearing in lists, grids, or featured sections without being added in multiple places.
Pricing option clarification (cont.)
Content migration
Content volume and migration needs are confirmed during the technical strategy phase, and scope can be adjusted then. We are continually developing new ways to migrate content more effectively.
If additional migration support is needed beyond what's outlined, it can be scoped as an add-on. Our training also supports your team in taking a more hands-on approach, if preferred.
GTM/GA + SEO setup
If included: keyword research & analytics audit, GA goal-logic recommendations and setup, a reporting template with live data & campaign dashboard, and follow-up review/updates and reporting.
Case studies
Experience with foundations
Over 80% of Mangrove’s revenue comes from purpose-driven organizations: nonprofits, B Corps, and Public Benefit Corps. Foundations are a core part of that work.
We help foundations communicate their mission clearly, put their impact in front of the right people, and connect with stakeholders through accessible, intentional design. We’ve worked with community foundations, environmental foundations, and foundations focused on financial-sector reform, education, and equity.
Case study
Inspiring generosity in Winnipeg, forever
Winnipeg Foundation
The Winnipeg Foundation is Canada's first community foundation. Its previous site was outdated, hard to manage, and reliant on PDFs that kept content out of date and out of reach. We rebuilt it on WordPress, with the Gutenberg editor and page-building instructions embedded directly in the CMS so the team can maintain it themselves. We restructured the information architecture around its distinct audiences (donors, grant seekers, and community partners) through user journey mapping sessions, and converted 200+ PDFs into accessible HTML to bring the site to WCAG Level AA.
Case study
Uniting a community of givers across the Mid-South
Community Foundation of Greater Memphis
The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, a philanthropic hub connecting donors, nonprofits, and community partners across three states, needed a cohesive digital home to match the breadth of their work. With content scattered across three separate sites, they wanted a unified platform that could serve distinct audiences while making it easy for everyone to find what they needed. We rebuilt their site on WordPress, consolidating three sites into one, and developed a custom nonprofit directory, connected grants database, and purpose-built member portal — all designed and built to WCAG Level AA standards.
Testimonial
“It was such a pleasure working with the Mangrove team to bring our new website to life. They embraced our vision and offered creative, solutions-oriented ideas. Simple to manage yet incredibly robust, the site is full of tools and resources for donors and grantseekers alike. I truly believe it will drive increased philanthropy in our community.”
Julia McDonald
VP of Marketing & Communications · Community Foundation of Greater Memphis
Case study
Accelerating the clean energy transition effectively, responsibly and at scale
Dunsky Energy + Climate
Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, a B Corp with a 20-year legacy, helps governments, utilities, and corporations build a clean, resilient energy system. With expanded services and a growing team, they needed a modern website that reflects their expertise, mission, and people-first values. We partnered on a multilingual, WCAG Level AA-compliant WordPress site featuring custom animations, improved navigation, and a refreshed design that highlights their work and culture — making it easier for visitors to engage, learn, and take action.
Case study
Protecting our environment, communities, and future
Sierra Club Canada
As Sierra Club Canada prepared to redesign its website, the strategy we developed together set three goals: build pride and trust among members and new visitors, tell a compelling story of impact, and amplify its local, national, and international connections. As an organization focused on sustainability, an energy-efficient design that is gentle on the planet and accessible to visitors with disabilities and bandwidth limits was also a priority.
Want a closer look?
Visit our website to explore more of our work, expertise, and approach to building websites that last.
References
Paulo Vergara, Exec. VP of Marketing and Development, SF Zoo
Project type: Website build (pre-launch) / Email: [email protected] · 415.753.7286
Wil Kristen, Senior Director, Strategic Communications, Beneficial State Foundation
Project type: Website / Email: [email protected]
Jill Hollosi, Marketing Programs and Brand Manager, Assiniboine Credit Union
Project type: Website / Email: [email protected]
Ericka Taylor, Co-Executive Director, Americans for Financial Reform
Project type: Website / Email: [email protected]
Mary DeNardo, Director of Communications, Prospect Sierra
Project type: Website / Email: [email protected]
Conor Curtis, Head of Communications, Sierra Club Canada
Project type: Website / Email: [email protected]
About Mangrove
Mangrove is a woman-owned website design and development company with a diverse and talented team distributed around the globe. We have headquarters in both the United States and Canada.
As a Certified B Corp, we are committed to meeting the highest standards of social and environmental impact. We are also a certified Women's Business Enterprise (WBENC) and a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB).
We are technologists and designers, equally.
Our work bridges human-centered UX with deep technical expertise to create intuitive, robust digital experiences. We bring a values-driven perspective to building thoughtful, inclusive technology.
This approach allows us to create sustainable design systems and websites that last.
Clarity first
We believe good digital work starts with getting clear. When information is organized and grounded in real thinking, teams can make better decisions and focus on what matters.
Designed with care
We approach our work with intention, creating experiences that are accessible, inclusive, and grounded in the values our clients bring to their work.
Built to grow
We take a long-term view. The systems we build are flexible, maintainable, and designed to evolve, so your site continues to support you over time.
A few clients
Mangrove leadership
Maiya Holliday
Founder & CEO
A creative leader focused on digital solutions that drive organizational impact. With over 15 years solving complex technology challenges for mission-driven organizations, she pairs deep technical expertise with strategic vision to build platforms that amplify reach and engagement. Maiya founded Mangrove to empower changemakers to do their best work.
Andrew Boardman
Senior Art Director
Andrew's mission is to design a web that is more humane, crafted ethically, available to all visitors regardless of ability, and built on open-source technologies. With over 25 years working with innovative, diverse mission-driven clients worldwide, he brings his skills as a designer, technologist and ally to every project. Based in Montreal, Andrew supports information architecture and design with a bilingual lens.
Project team
Chloe Ross-Rogerson
Sr. Project Manager
Experienced nonprofit digital PM with a track record of transparent, on-time delivery and genuine client partnership.
Karen Niedzwiecki
Sr. Art Director
Leads visual design execution, ensuring high-fidelity design translates beautifully across devices and contexts.
Chae Clark
Dev Enablement & Sr. Tech Strategist
Bridges strategy and development, ensuring the technical architecture supports the client experience and long-term scalability.
Cristina Mayol
Developer
Builds robust, accessible front-end and WordPress implementations, turning design into a maintainable, secure site.
Michael Marshall
Content Strategist
Guides messaging and content strategy, translating complex ideas into clear narratives and user-centered content.
Our practice
Diversity is our strength
Given the tech industry's well-known diversity gap, we are passionate about widening career opportunities for people who identify as Black, Indigenous, non-Black people of color, women, non-binary, LGBTQIA+, disabled, or any other underrepresented group.
We are committed to working with designers and developers from diverse backgrounds, bringing broader perspectives, deeper empathy, and more innovative solutions to every project.
Design for equality
We utilize best practices in design based on many years of UX research and web development practice.
Our design team works with universal design principles in mind to ensure that our products can be perceived and operated by most people, including those with diverse and divergent backgrounds and abilities. The web is made for everyone. Our mandate is to help bring that to fruition.
Our practice
Our Use of AI
Mangrove uses AI thoughtfully to support our team's creativity and effectiveness. Our approach is guided by principles of intentional use, client benefit, transparency, human oversight, and responsible data practices.
We use AI for tasks like transcription, research, and development, always with a human in the loop. We do not use client data to train AI models and aim for transparency around AI use where appropriate.
We build for the long-term
A core objective for every client engagement is to create a website that lasts. A sustainable and durable website requires long-term thinking and planning, which is done up front and before we ever touch design or code.
For us, extensibility is non-negotiable. Modular components, smart infrastructure and backend usability are fixtures in our practice. We want every client to see deep, lasting value in their digital investments.
Next steps
Thank you
We would love to work collaboratively with you to build an impactful site that will catalyze your growth and success. Thank you for your consideration.
If the outlined scope and budget look good to you and you're interested in moving ahead, just let us know as soon as possible so we can lock in the timeline and budget.
If you'd prefer to chat further before moving forward, we are more than happy to do so! Schedule a time to chat.
Next steps
Moving forward, our next steps would be:
1
Scope of work
Create a detailed SOW to confirm scope, project timing, and budget.
2
Agreement
Prepare your contract and deposit invoice to send with the finalized SOW.
3
Kickoff
Schedule an official kickoff call with key stakeholders to align on goals and next steps.
4
Scheduling
Confirm your ideal meeting schedule and communication rhythm for the project.
