Hydrocephalus Association
Project proposal
Our purpose
We create joyful, equitable, inclusive digital experiences that enable changemakers to do their best work.
We create inclusive websites and future-forward technologies
for organizations driving transformational change.
for nonprofits and foundations strengthening communities.
for educators making learning accessible to all.
for credit unions and community-first finance.
for organizations protecting people and planet.
for fellow B Corps and purpose-driven businesses.
Executive summary
Founded in 1983 by parents of children with hydrocephalus, the Hydrocephalus Association works to find a cure and improve the lives of the more than 1 million Americans affected by the condition. Its team has already produced a concept for the new site structure, which will be tested with community members. This project turns that groundwork into a site the community can navigate, and the team can manage in-house.
Founded in 2009, Mangrove brings years of research, thought leadership and best practices 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 site built for the whole community
Visitors range from people newly diagnosed with hydrocephalus, to those who are very familiar with the condition. Each needs to find what they came for quickly, without clicking through page after page. Accessibility built in from the start, and a structure shaped by community feedback, give every audience a clear, welcoming path to what they need.
Finding what matters in a deep content library
The site holds a large library of articles on treatment, research, education and community resources. A search for a specific topic can bury the right article under tangential mentions or miss it entirely, leaving some visitors without the guidance they came for. Weighted search results and clear metadata will help the right content reach the people who need it.
A platform the team can manage and trust
Association staff work in the site daily, where a routine edit can break a page. The Find a Doctor directory has a similar problem: it breaks after plugin updates. The rebuild gives the team a stable backend with modular templates they can reuse, so content work no longer depends on developer support.
Our approach
Our approach has three phases, all building toward a site that carries the full depth of the organization's content. It gives the community a clear, accessible path to what they need.
Discovery validates the information architecture already in hand and identifies what carries forward from the current site. Design and the build then translate that into modular templates and reusable content blocks the team can manage and keep expanding.
Project phases
- 1 Kickoff, scoping & discovery
- 2 Brand, design and content creation
- 3 Development, QA, training & launch
Thoughtful execution at every step
Working with Mangrove means a process that is structured, collaborative, and designed to support your team.
Clear timelines and roles
Defined responsibilities, regular check-ins, and steady 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
Tier 1 · Foundation
A complete rebuild on native WordPress that the team can edit directly. Includes full content integration, a stable Find a Doctor replacement, WCAG Level AA at launch and AEO/SEO best practices.
$50,000–$60,000
Tier 2 · Growth
Everything in Foundation, with added blocks and content types. Includes advanced search.
$60,000–$70,000
Tier 3 · Complete
Everything in Growth, with an interactive state-level map and manual accessibility testing. Includes analytics and reporting setup, and additional blocks and content types.
$85,000–$100,000
Investment options
| Tier 1 · Foundation | Tier 2 · Growth | Tier 3 · Complete | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timeline | 5–7 months | 6–8 months | 7–9 months |
| Research & discovery | Discovery & strategic audit | Discovery & strategic audit | Extended discovery & strategic audit |
| IA & content | Sitemap & wireframes | Sitemap & wireframes | Sitemap & wireframes |
| Design & development | 4 design proofs (3 revision rounds) · 15 blocks & 6–7 content types (CPTs*) · full content integration · basic shop styling | 4 design proofs (3 revision rounds) · 20 blocks & 7–8 content types (CPTs*) · basic shop styling | 4 design proofs (3 revision rounds) · 20 blocks & 9–10 content types (CPTs*) · full shop styling |
| Accessibility | WCAG Level AA at launch | WCAG Level AA at launch | WCAG Level AA at launch, with manual testing |
| Search | Robust, functional search: search configuration + query weighting | All of Tier 1, plus advanced search | All of Tier 2 |
| Find a Doctor | Stable plugin replacement | Full directory rebuild | Full directory rebuild |
| Languages | Google Translate (automatic) | Google Translate (automatic) | Multilingual with manual translation override |
| Community map | — | — | Interactive state-level map |
| AEO/SEO & analytics | AEO/SEO best practices · GA4/GTM setup | AEO/SEO best practices · GA4/GTM setup | AEO/SEO best practices · GA4/GTM setup · analytics + reporting setup |
| Training & handoff | User manual & training · AI chatbot coordination · 2-week warranty | User manual & training · AI chatbot coordination · 2-week warranty | User manual & training · AI chatbot coordination · 4-week warranty |
| Investment | $50,000–$60,000 | $60,000–$70,000 | $85,000–$100,000 |
*Final counts confirmed during the technical strategy phase. Copywriting is available as an optional add-on.
Design revisions beyond the included rounds are billed at $225 per hour.
Optional add-ons
Medical professional portal: sign-in
A dedicated area for medical professionals, protected by a password or a magic-link sign-in. Includes a content area for this section, so your team can add and manage resources there.
$3,000
Medical professional portal: membership
Member accounts and login, with features defined with your working group.
$9,000
Included in every tier: AI chatbot coordination with the developer who builds your chatbot. The chatbot itself is built by your developer, and implemented when ready.
Medical professional content: your Medical Advisory Board's content can be added at any point, including after launch. Launch does not depend on it.
Portal access: password-protected, public or a mix. Can be added in V1 or V2. To be decided once your working group has weighed in.
Scope Details
The RFP asks for specific prices on several items, however we cannot price at this level of detail before engaging in the discovery process. We quote ranges now, then review scope together after discovery. Together, we decide priorities in detail.
Already in the tiers
Search, Find a Doctor, the announcement banner and special popup, and baseline analytics (GA4 and GTM) are in the tier ranges. The community map is in Tier 3.
Settled in discovery
We prioritize these items with HA: the advocacy event callout, extra analytics, migration and page build, and a larger training program. Discovery, along with HA's survey and focus group findings, helps set the order.
Scope Review Meeting
After discovery, we meet to finalize the full project budget. Together we review all custom post types, content outlines, copywriting needs and third-party integrations, and triage features and priorities based on what discovery uncovered.
Later requests outside scope are HA's call: swap them for comparable work not yet developed, schedule a mini-project after launch, or approve a change estimate. Extra migration comes in 10-hour blocks.
When can we start?
Once your project is fully confirmed, we'll schedule a start date and outline what comes next. We'll continue to refine the timeline together during Phase 1.
The timeline may shift if signing or start is delayed, or if our capacity changes after this proposal.
Project timeline
We estimate approximately 5–9 months from start to finish, depending on the tier. Our estimated timelines are honest and are based on decades of experience: they account for holidays, realistic client preparation and content-creation time, a 2–3 day turnaround for client feedback, and our own working weeks. If this feels long, let's talk. We are open to discussing a V1/V2 launch or other creative solutions to uplevel your existing digital presence sooner.
We are currently scheduling new projects in January 2027. We schedule projects on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sample project timeline
| Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | |
| Phase 1: Kick-off, scoping & delivery | |||||||
| Phase 2: Design & content creation | |||||||
| Phase 3: Development, QA, training & launch | |||||||
| Phase 4: Warranty, post-launch |
What we need from HA to hold this schedule: feedback and approvals within 2–3 days, sample content during design, finalized content before development ends, and consolidated feedback during QA. Medical professional content can arrive after launch.
Choosing a tier
How do I choose a tier? Is Tier 1 enough?
We only put forth options that will satisfy the project requirements. Tier 1 is a complete, launch-ready website.
Higher tiers tend to add design depth, a higher accessibility standard and additional features or search scopes. Additional blocks and features can always be added in the future.
If you are unsure which tier fits, let's talk it through.
Are the blocks and content types in each tier enough?
Yes. We size the blocks and content types to the site's content and functionality, so every section has a home. We never put forward a set that would leave the site incomplete.
With a smaller set of blocks and post types, some pages or sections will reuse an existing layout vs expanding the design to include new elements. Regardless, the site will absolutely feel like a clear design and infrastructure upgrade.
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
Content types (CPTs)
Content types, also called custom post types or CPTs, are templates for content that repeats, such as news posts, events, case studies or team members.
Content types typically share a template and a set of custom fields. They can be categorized, tagged, and filtered, and are often displayed across a site as a list, grid, or featured section, each with its own index page as well.
Blocks (section layouts)
Blocks are the page layouts we design once and reuse across the site. Pages are built by stacking blocks, and your team can add new pages the same way.
The number of blocks sets how many distinct layout styles we design, not how many pages the site can hold.
Design revisions
We gather feedback early, at the mood board stage. We then build a homepage mockup from that feedback and refine it through revisions.
Proofs and revision rounds for each tier are listed in the investment options table. The design system and the blocks are built out from the approved homepage.
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.
Accessibility levels
Every site is built with accessibility best practices. Where WCAG Level A or AA is included, we test and remediate to that level before launch, using a combination of digital tools and optional manual testing.
Post-launch, we offer accessibility compliance monitoring as part of our digital partnerships.
AEO/SEO audit and implementation
A comprehensive search audit covering technical structure, content, and AI discoverability. Findings become directives we implement as part of the build.
These audits also include clear direction on what content to create, informed by current search research and your competitive landscape.
In-depth search services are typically implemented under the direction of one of our trusted partners.
Assumptions & exclusions
What we assume
Your team leads the focus groups and shares the survey results with us. We are glad to observe.
We build the templates, and we migrate and build most pages as part of content migration. Your team adds new content on the approved templates after that.
Medical professional content is written with your advisory board and may arrive after launch. Launch does not depend on it.
What is outside this scope
Subdomain microsites.
Rebuilding the donation and WALK registration pages hosted on GoFundMe Pro.
Building the chatbot itself.
Shop setup, product management and shop email notifications. We style the existing storefront only.
Anything not in the selected tier or an add-on above.
Built into every site
Accessibility
We consider accessibility throughout design and development to build best practices into every site.
Good accessibility and good search start in the same place. The clean, well-structured markup that serves a screen reader is the same foundation that search engines and AI answer tools rely on.
GTM/GA + AEO/SEO readiness
Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager installed and configured to a standard baseline. Custom tracking plans and deeper analytics configuration are available as an added service. We also install and configure an SEO plugin or equivalent tooling.
Our sites are built with clean schema, semantic structure, and search best practices, giving the site a clean technical baseline that any additional search work can build on. At launch we re-index the site and manage redirects and 404s to protect existing rankings.
Security & privacy
Our baseline security protocols meet current ISO 27001 A.9, A.12.4, A.13.1, and GDPR compliance. Our digital partnership tiers add user authentication, firewall & malware protection, activity logging, and SSL.
We make data-privacy recommendations based on your project's requirements (e.g. GDPR and CCPA), including third-party services where appropriate.
Why native WordPress
Stable on update
Gutenberg, WordPress's built-in block editor, is part of WordPress itself. Pages built from its native blocks and patterns do not depend on a separate page-builder layer, so routine updates are less likely to break them.
A system your team can extend
A scoped set of templates, blocks and patterns gives staff approved parts to build with. New pages follow the design system without developer help.
A better system for developers and editors
Gutenberg has been the default WordPress editor since 2018. Developers and editors work in the same tooling, which makes the site easier to maintain over the long term.
WordPress CMS & hosting
Why WordPress?
A WordPress site is 100% owned and managed by the client, not locked to a proprietary platform. It is open source and highly customizable, with full support for complex content types, API integrations, and tailored editing experiences.
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 typically build on our WPEngine hosting account. We recommend WPEngine and a small handful of other WP-specific hosts for their attention to performance, security and scalability.
Ongoing partnership & support
Mangrove offers ongoing digital partnerships that help organizations maintain, improve and evolve their websites over time. Plans range from $750 to $7,500 a month (USD). Learn more about our partnership plans.
After launch
Warranty is 2 weeks after launch, or 4 weeks with Tier 3. Support beyond the warranty is billed at our hourly rate of $225, or covered by an ongoing plan. Support coverage runs through December 2027.
Ongoing plans respond to critical issues within 2 hours and to urgent and standard requests within 1 business day. Plans do not cover third-party service failures, issues caused by the client, or requests outside the plan's scope.
Every plan includes
Monthly WordPress core and plugin updates, 24/7 security monitoring, daily backups, SSL management and a one business day response time.
Larger plans add
Quarterly planning and strategy sessions, a site health dashboard, a strategic roadmap, leadership oversight and hours of implementation each quarter.
Case studies
WEBSITE
Providing support and hope for Manitobans living with dementia
The Alzheimer Society of Manitoba supports Manitobans affected by dementia through counselling, education, research funding and community engagement. Having outgrown its previous site, the Society wanted a welcoming place where visitors could find information, explore services and events, and support the mission. We built a custom WordPress site with a reorganized Resource Library, an events calendar that manages programs without duplicate posts, and calming colors and photography of individuals and families with diverse lived experiences, all meeting WCAG Level AA.
WEBSITE
Inspiring generosity in Winnipeg, forever
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 with ease. We restructured the information architecture around 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 compliance.
WEBSITE
Making accessible design usable for everyone
The Association of Registered Graphic Designers’ (RGD) AccessAbility website is an accessible digital version of their acclaimed accessibility handbook. Mangrove partnered with RGD to transform the resource from a static PDF into a flexible WordPress site that supports clear content structure, intuitive navigation, and alignment with WCAG Level AA requirements. The platform makes the guidance easier to use across devices and enables RGD to update and expand the resource over time, supporting their work to educate and advocate for inclusive design practices.
Testimonial
“Working with Mangrove on the AccessAbility website was a great opportunity! Their attention to detail and incorporation of accessibility into every aspect of the design honoured the core principles behind RGD's AccessAbility handbook.
They were a great team who encouraged collaboration and input from us.”
Hilary Ashworth
Executive Director · Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD)
WEBSITE
Uniting a community of givers across the Mid-South
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 the need to inform and inspire diverse audiences — and offered creative, solutions-oriented ideas for our stakeholders and community.
Simple to manage yet incredibly robust, the site is full of tools and resources for donors and grantseekers alike. I truly believe its content and ease of use will drive increased philanthropy in our community.”
Julia McDonald
VP of Marketing & Communications
Community Foundation of Greater Memphis
Community Foundation of Greater Memphis
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 ZooProject type: Website / Email: PauloV@sfzoo.org · 415.753.7286
Wil Kristin, Senior Director, Strategic Communications, Beneficial State FoundationProject type: Website / Email: wkristin@beneficialstate.org · 857.919.9855
Jill Hollosi, Marketing Programs and Brand Manager, Assiniboine Credit UnionProject type: Website / Email: JHollosi@acu.ca
Ericka Taylor, Co-Executive Director, Americans for Financial ReformProject type: Website / Email: ericka@ourfinancialsecurity.org
Mary DeNardo, Director of Communications, Prospect SierraProject type: Website / Email: mdenardo@prospectsierra.org
Conor Curtis, Head of Communications, Sierra Club CanadaProject type: Website / Email: conorc@sierraclub.ca
About Mangrove
Mangrove is a woman-owned website design and development company with a diverse and talented team distributed around the globe. We are headquartered in California with team members in Canada, Europe and South America.
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), a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and a 1% for the Planet Member.
We are technologists and designers, who see the world from both perspectives.
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, websites, and technology 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
Project team
Maiya Holliday
Founder & CEO
A creative leader focused on digital solutions that drive organizational impact.
Chloe Ross-Rogerson
Sr. Project Manager
Experienced nonprofit digital PM with a track record of transparent, on-time delivery and genuine client partnership.
Chae Clark
Dev Enablement & Sr. Tech Strategist
Bridges strategy and development, ensuring the technical architecture supports the client experience and long-term scalability.
Michael Marshall
Content Strategist
Guides messaging and content strategy, translating complex ideas into clear narratives and user-centered content.
Shelby Neville
Designer
Leads visual design execution, ensuring high-fidelity design translates beautifully across devices and contexts.
Cristina Mayol / Dan Acuña Moreno
Sr. Developers
Custom development with a focus on performance, security, and accessible front-end implementation.
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.
