Contribute to MasterWP's WordCamp Sponsorships
Donation protected
Hi there! It's Nyasha, Rob and the team from MasterWP, the independent source for WordPress industry insights. As you may know, WordCamp US recently asked companies to sponsor speakers from groups that are underrepresented in tech in order to increase diversity at this year's WordCamp US conference in San Diego.
Our company is sponsoring at least 6 speakers, organizers and volunteers by providing $1,500 for their hotel, airfare and meals. We believe that no one should be economically excluded from a wonderful career-building event like WordCamp.
We've also heard from the community that many people would like to contribute to a "general fund," so that they can pitch in without needing to set up and administer a full sponsorship themselves. We think that's an awesome idea, so we created this quick way for you to contribute! Any contributions to this fundraiser will allow us to sponsor even more people in addition to the six sponsorships we've already pledged.
We've also heard from the community that many people would like to contribute to a "general fund," so that they can pitch in without needing to set up and administer a full sponsorship themselves. We think that's an awesome idea, so we created this quick way for you to contribute! Any contributions to this fundraiser will allow us to sponsor even more people in addition to the six sponsorships we've already pledged.
Importantly, this is a contribution to the MasterWP sponsorship fund, not the official WordCamp organization. We are a separate and private company, and we are registered with WordCamp US 2022 as an outside sponsor of underrepresented speakers. That said, it's important to know that we are a separate entity and we are not the organizers of WordCamp; we are a separate company sponsoring individuals by paying for travel.
Here's how your contribution will work:
- Pitch in any amount you'd like. 100% of your contribution will go directly to a speaker, organizer or volunteer from an underrepresented group attending WordCamp.
- We are not a non-profit, so this is not tax-deductible as a charitable contribution. However, speak to your accountant about other ways you might be able to treat it as a business expense.
- There is a 2.9% fee from GoFundMe (standard credit card fee); you can choose to cover that during checkout if you'd like.
- As of now we are planning to provide $1,500 in reimbursements for airfare, hotels, meals and other travel expenses to each sponsored person. The more we raise, the more people we can sponsor!
- We will handle all payments directly with the sponsored person (this is what WordCamp is requesting at this time). We'll also follow any new guidelines the WordCamp US team releases in the future.
- We're happy to show "the receipts" to any contributors who'd like to see them after payments are made, and we'll share the stories of many of the sponsored speakers and organizers. (Some may choose to remain anonymous.)
- If we end up with more money than we need, we will use the excess funds for sponsoring speakers or organizers at future WordCamp events, and/or for covering additional travel costs for sponsored people.
- You can learn more about our sponsorship program here.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at hello [at] masterwp [dot] com. If you would prefer to contribute by check or another method rather than via the GoFundMe, please e-mail us as well – we are not picky about payment methods.
Thank you for your contribution! A big shout-out to Winstina Hughes for spearheading this new sponsorship program for WordCamp US!
To ensure we are not duplicating effort, we reached out to members of the WordCamp US leadership team, and they confirmed that they do not plan on creating an official WordCamp method for individuals to contribute to speaker sponsorships, and are planning only on connecting speakers to companies willing to sponsor: "It is not the intention of WordCamp US or WordPress Community Support PBC to assume any role beyond introducing accepted speakers to companies who have expressed an interest in sponsoring speakers who identify as being part of an underrepresented group." We're thrilled that WordCamp is taking on that role of connecting speakers and companies – and this fundraiser is only intended for individuals who can't administer a full sponsorship themselves (instead, this allows them to contribute to sponsorships that MasterWP will administer).
About MasterWP:
Every week, we publish our newsletter to more than 40,000 WordPress pros, covering the latest industry news, opinion and analysis, plus links to the biggest WordPress stories from around the web.
Our parent company, Howard Development & Consulting, is a small business focused on WordPress development, including client services, maintaining open-source software like the Understrap theme framework, and building plugins and tools like WP Wallet.
On diversity, equity and inclusion, we have a simple philosophy: Put your money where your mouth is. Everyone at our company receives transparent, equal pay. We publish salaries on every job listing. Every member of our team receives a share of the profit. We pay every contributor who writes for us. Learn more and meet our team.
To ensure we are not duplicating effort, we reached out to members of the WordCamp US leadership team, and they confirmed that they do not plan on creating an official WordCamp method for individuals to contribute to speaker sponsorships, and are planning only on connecting speakers to companies willing to sponsor: "It is not the intention of WordCamp US or WordPress Community Support PBC to assume any role beyond introducing accepted speakers to companies who have expressed an interest in sponsoring speakers who identify as being part of an underrepresented group." We're thrilled that WordCamp is taking on that role of connecting speakers and companies – and this fundraiser is only intended for individuals who can't administer a full sponsorship themselves (instead, this allows them to contribute to sponsorships that MasterWP will administer).
About MasterWP:
Every week, we publish our newsletter to more than 40,000 WordPress pros, covering the latest industry news, opinion and analysis, plus links to the biggest WordPress stories from around the web.
Our parent company, Howard Development & Consulting, is a small business focused on WordPress development, including client services, maintaining open-source software like the Understrap theme framework, and building plugins and tools like WP Wallet.
On diversity, equity and inclusion, we have a simple philosophy: Put your money where your mouth is. Everyone at our company receives transparent, equal pay. We publish salaries on every job listing. Every member of our team receives a share of the profit. We pay every contributor who writes for us. Learn more and meet our team.
Fundraising team: MasterWP Team (3)
Rob Howard
Organizer
Raised $70 from 2 donations
Denver, CO
Nyasha Green
Team member
Sammi Sim
Team member
