Announcements – WordPress Foundation

Announcing the 2024 Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship Recipient: Cynthia Norman

In 2015, the WordPress Foundation established an annual memorial scholarship to honor the memory of Kim Parsell, a beloved and influential contributor to the WordPress community. This scholarship ensures that Kim’s core values continue to inspire and enrich the WordPress community.

This scholarship is awarded each year to a female WordPress contributor who has never attended WordCamp US and would require financial assistance to do so. More information on the scholarship, including past recipients, is available here.

We’re happy to announce that this year’s scholarship recipient is Cynthia Norman! Cynthia’s commitment to WordPress training and education embodies the values that Kim cherished.

A photo of Cynthia Norman standing in a garden, smiling at the camera.

Cynthia joined the WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program in its inaugural year as a mentee, and she credits that program with giving her the boost she needed to dig into WordPress and grow professionally. Cynthia began contributing to the WordPress Training team shortly after and hasn’t let up since!

When asked about her proudest contribution to WordPress, Cynthia points to a Learning Pathway course she developed for Learn WordPress:

I am an avid content creator with the Training Team and, so far, my proudest contribution to the WordPress open source project has been creating my first lesson for the Learning Pathway: Beginner Developer
course. Working collaboratively with WordPress educators has been so rewarding, and exactly what I needed to complement my freelance work as a WordPress developer.

If Cynthia’s name sounds familiar to you, it might be because she was recently featured in a WordPress Contributor Spotlight.

It’s also possible you’ve crossed paths with her in a WordPress Training team meeting.

You may have even stumbled across her YouTube channel full of WordPress tutorials!

To say that Cynthia keeps busy is an understatement.

When she’s not contributing to WordPress or playing with her six grandchildren, Cynthia enjoys spending her time outdoors in beautiful Ontario, Canada where she lives with her husband and her dog, Mya.

Apply for the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship for WordCamp US 2024

The WordPress Foundation is proud to announce the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship for 2024. Kim was a valued contributor to the WordPress open source project, and this scholarship honors her legacy. The Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to one WordPress contributor who is a woman, has not previously attended WordCamp US, and requires financial assistance to attend WordCamp US 2024.

The scholarship provides travel assistance for the recipient to attend WordCamp US, including travel from the recipient’s home city, hotel stay for the duration of the event, and a ticket to WordCamp US.

WordCamp US is an unparalleled opportunity to connect with web professionals, build your skills in the WordPress ecosystem, and meet WordPress contributors from around the world. This scholarship offers the chance to be part of a vibrant community and make lasting connections.

Eligibility Criteria

There will be one scholarship recipient in 2024. To be considered for the scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

An active contributor to the WordPress project
A woman
Not previously attended WordCamp US
Requires financial assistance to attend WordCamp US 2024

How to Apply

If you meet the above criteria, we warmly invite you to apply for the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship. The application is open through May 30, 2024. All applicants will receive notification by June 21, 2024.

For more information, please visit the WordPress Foundation’s page About the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship.

Apply for the Kim Parsell Scholarship Today!

The WordPress Foundation 2023 Annual Report is Now Available

The WordPress Foundation has recently released its 2023 Annual Report, highlighting the success of the programs and events supported by the non-profit organization over the year.

WordPress Foundation Programs

Last year, the WordPress Foundation reintroduced its programs to support charity hackathons and open source education worldwide. These initiatives contributed to a renewed interest in participation with 64 attendees.

Community Support Programs

The WordPress Meetup program saw impressive development in 2023, with 748 meetup groups hosting 3,869 events (+765 since 2022) and welcoming 5,242 new members. The United States, Spain, and Germany led as countries with the most meetups held.

WordCamps also increased to 76 (up from 27 in 2022), involving 24,335 attendees, 1715 speakers, and 890 organizers. The community remains committed to diversity, with an increase in female speakers from 28.5% in 2022 to 32.7% in 2023. Ticket sales generated $565,970, with an average ticket cost of $21.70.

Looking ahead to 2024, the WordPress Foundation is excited to build upon this success and continue to support education about WordPress and open source software through its programs and new, engaging community events.

Check out the 2023 Annual Report

2023 Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship Recipient: Yumi Nishioka (mimi)

This year’s Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship recipient is Yumi Nishioka (mimi). mimi is a passionate WordPress contributor who embodies the values that Kim would have appreciated.

mimi is a Web/UI Designer and Developer based in Tokyo, and has been a WordPress contributor since 2018. She was lead organizer of WordCamp Tokyo 2019. That year she also began hosting a personal study group on the Gutenberg Project, which meets twice a month. Then in 2021, she started co-organizing monthly small study sessions about Design and WordPress.

While there have been numerous contributions I’m proud of, one that stands out is my commitment to the core code. Although it was a small code change, the experience of being actively involved in the open-source software that I use daily was incredibly rewarding.
– mimi

The WordPress Foundation created this memorial scholarship in 2015, to honor the memory of longtime WordPress contributor Kim Parsell and ensure that Kim’s values would continue to be infused into the WordPress community.

This scholarship provides travel to WordCamp US for a woman who contributes to the WordPress open source project, and who would not otherwise be able to attend WordCamp US. More information on the scholarship, including past recipients, is available here.

Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship for WordCamp US 2023

The WordPress Foundation will once again offer the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship for travel to WordCamp US 2023.

At each in-person WordCamp US, the WordPress Foundation honors Kim’s commitment and valuable contributions to the WordPress open source project. The Foundation’s goal is to further the efforts of contributors who demonstrate Kim’s spirit, by helping to ease the financial burden of travel to WordCamp US.

This scholarship is awarded to someone who:

Identifies as a woman
Is a WordPress contributor
Has never attended WordCamp US before
Requires financial assistance to attend

This scholarship provides financial assistance so that the recipient can attend WordCamp US, including travel from the recipient’s home city, hotel stay for the duration of the event, and a ticket to WordCamp US.

If you meet these requirements and would like to be considered, please apply no later than Monday, June 12, 2023 at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. All applicants will be notified by June 29, 2023.

For more details, please visit the WordPress Foundation’s About the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship page.

Apply for the scholarship today.

2022 Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship Recipients: Margherita Pelonara, Simona Simionato, and Pooja Derashri

This year’s Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship recipients are Margherita Pelonara, Simona Simionato, and Pooja Derashri, enthusiastic WordPress developers, Meetup and WordCamp organizers, and contributors to the open source project and WordPress community.

These contributors share the passion of empowering people with WordPress. Whether helping women freelancers succeed in business (Margherita), contributing to the Diversity Speaker Training project (Simona), or being the Team Rep for the Training Team (Pooja), these women succeed in their community goals, and it’s an honor to award the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship to them.

The WordPress Foundation created this memorial scholarship in 2015, to honor the memory of longtime WordPress contributor Kim Parsell.

This scholarship provides financial support to a woman who contributes to the WordPress open source project, who would not otherwise be able to attend WordCamp US. More information on the scholarship, including past recipients, is available here.

Thank you to WordCamp US organizer, Michelle Frechette, for this post.

The Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship Returns for WordCamp US 2022

The wait is over! WordCamp US is once again being held as an in-person, and with that the WordPress Foundation’s Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship returns.

Kim’s commitment and valuable contributions to the WordPress open source project are honored at each in-person WordCamp US by the WordPress Foundation. The Foundation’s goal is to further the efforts of other contributors demonstrating Kim’s spirit by helping to ease the burden that travel can bring.

This scholarship is awarded to someone who:

Identifies as a woman.
Is a WordPress contributor.
Has never attended WordCamp US before.
Requires financial assistance to attend.

Finally, since the WordPress Foundation was unable to offer the scholarship in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year only there will be three (3) scholarships awarded for 2022, 2021, and 2020.

If you meet these requirements and would like to be considered, please apply no later than Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 12 am Pacific. All applicants will be notified by July 12, 2022.

For more details, please visit the WordPress Foundation’s About the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship page.

Apply for the scholarship today.

The WordPress Foundation publishes its 2020 financials

We are glad to announce that WordPress Foundation has published its financials for the year 2020.

In 2020, the WordPress Foundation and its subsidiary B-Corp (WordPress Community Support, PBC) provided support and guidance for a total of 33 WordCamps and hundreds of Meetup groups, organized by volunteers in communities all over the world.

WordPress Foundation’s total revenue in 2020 was $10,787, with donations making up all of this amount. Expenses for the WordPress Foundation totaled $3,438. Major 2020 expenses include:

do_action charity hackathon grants $1,650
Dues & Subscriptions $759

You can read about our finances in detail in our 2020 financials page:

2020 Financials

Support the WordPress Foundation

As you all may know, the WordPress Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that pursues a charter to educate the public about WordPress and related open source software. We regularly host educational programs like charity hackathons and open source educational events. These programs are made possible through the help of generous donations from our donors.

If WordPress has helped you in any way, kindly consider donating to the WordPress Foundation.

Money raised by the WordPress Foundation will be used to ensure free access to supported software projects, protect the WordPress trademark, and fund various programs. 2022 will be an exciting year for the WordPress Foundation, as we have a plethora of exciting plans in mind, including a potential global charity hackathon program along with a host of novel educational initiatives through learn.wordpress.org.

In short – your donations will go a long way in sustaining and growing the WordPress project.

Every penny you contribute will help us build and grow our charitable programs that will in turn empower individuals and communities with the help of the WordPress open source software.

You can either make a one-time donation or choose to donate annually. If you sign up for any one of the four annual subscription plans, you will be featured on our Donors page – as a token of our gratitude for supporting education programs about WordPress and open source. A big thank you to all our donors for supporting us in our journey so far!

Check out our donations page for more information:

Donate

Show your support for WordPress by taking part in the Worldwide WordPress 5K run from wherever you are! You can also support the WordPress Foundation by donating to us directly through their website. Hurry up! The event concludes on October 31!

Thank you so much, for all that you do, to support our goal of serving the public good through our myriad initiatives.

Announcement: In-person do_action hackathons are back!

As announced in the Make/WordPress Community blog, in-person do_action charity hackathons are back! do_action hackathons moved online in March 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the past 18 months, we have had five do_action hackathons so far. As more and more people around the world are getting vaccinated and as the spread COVID-19 pandemic, it is time to bring back in-person do_action charity hackathons. While our online hackathons have been impactful, in-person do_action hackathons bring people volunteers, and non profits together in a shared space, helping to create a wonderful experience for everyone.

How do I organize an in-person do_action charity hackathon

Announcement: Returning to in-person do_action charity hackathons

Local WordPress Meetup groups can organize an in-person do_action charity hackathon if their region allows in-person events AND if their COVID cases are under control OR if vaccination/testing is freely available. The flowchart below describes the conditions for organizing an in-person charity hackathon.

If you wish to organize an in-person do_action charity hackathon, follow these steps:

First, check if your local health authority allows in-person events. If local gatherings are not allowed, you cannot organize an in-person event in your region.
If your local health authority allows in-person events, fill up the in-person meetup decision checklist in the Make/Community Handbook. (Here’s a direct link)
If the checklist recommends that you organize a do_action hackathon, go ahead and fill up the do_action event application. A community deputy will get back to you with more details on how to organize the event.
If the checklist does not recommend organizing an in-person event, you can still consider organizing an online do_action event.

The WordPress Foundation would like to highlight do_action events (whether they are held online or in-person) on the WordPress Foundation website (wordpressfoundation.org), through social media, and whenever possible, in local media. Send an email to info@doaction.org or ping one of the Community Deputies in Make/WordPress Slack if you would like help with organizing a do_action hackathon or if you need help with outreach.

Feeling inspired? Do you wish to organize an in-person do_action charity hackathon? Apply now!

do_action Nigeria coming up on November 29 – December 5!

The WordPress community of Nigeria is back once again to organize an online do_action charity hackathon from November 29 – December 5, 2021! For the last three years, local communities in Nigeria have organized in-person do_action WordPress Charity Hackathons in several cities, where they had spent an entire day building brand new websites for a selection of local charities and NGOs. This year, for the second annual regional do_action Nigeria event, the team aims to repeat the same in an online format, for a handful of charitable organizations! Learn more about the event by following the link below:

Nigeria 2021

Announcement: Online do_action hackathons in India and Nigeria

Following the success of online do_action events worldwide in 2020, the WordPress Foundation is doubling down on its mission by supporting more charity hackathons in 2021. Even as COVID-19 continues to wreck havoc around the world, our community organizers in India and Nigeria are working hard to empower local non profits by helping them build a stellar online presence. We are excited to announce do_action Karnataka 2021 and do_action Nigeria 2021!

do_action Karnataka (India) 2021

do_action Karnataka will be a week-long online hackathon which is being planned on: 07 – 15 Aug 2021. WordPress enthusiasts in the state of Karnataka, India are coming together to organize this event, and the efforts are led by the WordPress Bengaluru meetup group. Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka, has already seen a successful do_action event in 2019.

A snapshot from do_action Bengaluru 2019

The hackathon has shortlisted three Non-profits: Luv Kush Foster Home (a foster home that aims to care for animals in need), Peacespark Foundation (which aims to support the education of underprivileged children), and Vridhi Foundation (Women and children welfare). The event has also put forth its call for participants/volunteers – if you would like to support non-profits by helping them build websites, simply fill up the form on the event website. Read the participant’s guide for more details on what is expected of you when you sign up. You can also support the event by signing up as a sponsor. Please email the organizers at: karnataka@doaction.org if you are interested in sponsoring the event.

You can find more details about the event in their website:

Karnataka 2021

do_action Nigeria 2021

Following the spectacular success of do_action Nigeria 2020, the vibrant WordPress community of Nigeria is back once again to organize an online do_action charity hackathon from October 25 through October 31, 2021! For the last three years, local communities in Nigeria have organized in-person do_action WordPress Charity Hackathons in several cities, where they had spent an entire day building brand new websites for a selection of local charities and NGOs. This year, for the second annual regional do_action Nigeria event, the team aims to repeat the same in an online format, for a handful of charitable organizations!

do_action Lagos2019 — Participants are building websites for non-profits at do_action Lagos 2019.

do_action Nigeria has currently opened up its call for non-profits. If you represent a non-profit based out of Nigeria which does not have an online presence, please submit the application on the event website. Applications close on the 15th September 2021. You can also support the event by sponsoring the event, please visit the do_action Nigeria website for more details. You can also email the organizers at: nigeria@doaction.org if you would like to support the event.

Nigeria 2021

Organize a do_action charity hackathon in your region

Are you excited about these upcoming do_action events? Would you like to support your local community by organizing a do_action event for your region? Send in your application right away! You can read more about do_action in the event handbook. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions you may have in the comments.

Thank you for all that you do to empower the global community through WordPress!