Gunny's Ridge — Transforming Trauma into Strength
A mission-driven WordPress experience for a veteran-founded nonprofit, designed to lead visitors from awareness to action and to spotlight restorative programs for those who served.
Experience the Build
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Client Snapshot
Gunny's Ridge is a nonprofit sanctuary where veterans and first responders process trauma through sustainable agriculture, woodworking, leadership development, and peer mentorship. The board asked SoLoVision to craft a digital home that reflects the land-based experience, equips supporters with clear next steps, and makes future content updates approachable for a lean volunteer staff.
- Client
- Gunny's Ridge
- Industry
- Veteran & First Responder Support Nonprofit
- Headquarters
- Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, USA
- Founded
- 2021 (in honor of GySgt John “Gunny” Wilson)
- Organization Size
- Volunteer-led 501(c)(3)
Project Timeline
8 weeks
Platform
WordPress + Elementor Pro
Deliverables
UX, content architecture, custom theme build, GiveSmart integration
From Ideas on Paper to a Living Digital Campus
When we joined the project, Gunny's Ridge had a logo, program outline, and a passionate board—but no cohesive web presence to rally donors and participants. We needed to translate an in-person healing journey into a clear, trustworthy digital story that donors, volunteers, and veterans could immediately connect with.
Clarify the Mission Narrative
Surface the pillars of Awareness, Advocacy, and Action while honoring Gunny Wilson's legacy with a voice that feels reverent and forward-looking.
Streamline Calls-to-Action
Guide visitors toward donations, program sign-ups, and newsletter subscriptions without overwhelming them with options.
Empower a Volunteer Team
Deliver a WordPress build with modular sections, reusable Elementor templates, and detailed documentation so the board can launch new events autonomously.
Our Approach
Co-Designing with Those Who Serve
We collaborated closely with the board through working sessions on positioning, content priorities, and accessibility. Every decision—from color choices to CTA phrasing—was tested against the question: “Does this support the healing journey?”
Research & Alignment
Hosted discovery workshops with board members, catalogued program details, and audited comparable nonprofit sites to shape messaging and navigation.
Experience Mapping
Mapped primary user flows for donors, volunteers, and program participants, ensuring each pathway culminates in a high-impact action.
Design System & Content Modeling
Built an earthy design language with forest greens, safety orange accents, and bold typography that mirrors the land-based experience. Authored modular content blocks to scale across future program pages.
WordPress Build & QA
Implemented custom Elementor templates, synchronized donation embeds, optimized performance, and validated accessibility across devices.
Project Objectives
Elevate the Mission Story
Craft a homepage narrative that communicates how Gunny's Ridge transforms trauma into community-driven healing experiences.
Centralize Five Core Programs
Design program detail pages with FAQs, schedules, and pathways to join sustainable agriculture, woodworking, leadership, and K9 initiatives.
Increase Supporter Conversions
Integrate donation, volunteer, and event registration forms with prominent placement and social proof.
Ensure Maintainability
Deliver training and low-code editing tooling so volunteers can publish news, testimonials, and event updates without developer support.
Core Team
A nimble squad collaborated closely with stakeholders, ensuring every decision aligned with business objectives and technical realities.
Product Strategist
Focus: Narrative & audience mapping
Led stakeholder workshops, defined key audience journeys, and carved out messaging for supporters, veterans, and first responders.
UX/UI Designer
Focus: Visual system & component library
Designed responsive layouts, iconography, and typography pairings that balance solemn respect with optimism.
WordPress Engineer
Focus: Implementation & integrations
Custom built Elementor templates, configured donation embeds, optimized site performance, and documented updating workflows for the board.
Four-Week Timeline
Weeks 1-2
Discovery & messaging
Stakeholder interviews, brand voice definition, sitemap, and priority user stories.
Weeks 3-4
Low-fi flows & content architecture
Wireframes for homepage, program hub, donation, and newsletter funnels.
Weeks 5-6
Visual design & Elementor system
High-fidelity comps, component library, and style guide for typography, color, and iconography.
Weeks 7-8
Build, QA, & training
WordPress implementation, performance tuning, accessibility review, and volunteer team handoff sessions.
Design System Highlights
The visual language blends cinematic depth with a confident accent palette, reinforcing the team’s dedication to clarity and innovation.
Grounded palette
Applied deep forest greens, sunset orange, and parchment neutrals inspired by the property itself, balanced for WCAG contrast.
Purposeful typography
Pairing bold condensed headings with legible serif body copy to echo military discipline and pastoral calm.
Iconography & illustration
Curated icon sets representing programs—seedlings, K9 badges, toolkits—to orient visitors instantly.
Content Strategy
Mission-first storytelling
Lead with Gunny Wilson's legacy, the Awareness/Advocacy/Action pillars, and plain-language explanations of trauma-informed programming.
Actionable pathways
CTA modules tailored to donors, volunteers, and program participants appear within every major section.
Trust signals & testimonials
Used board member bios, participant quotes, and event imagery to reinforce credibility and impact.
Technical Highlights
Elementor theme architecture
Reusable section templates allow the board to spin up new landing pages while maintaining visual consistency.
Donation & CRM integrations
Embedded GiveSmart donation forms and integrated newsletter signup flows with Mailchimp automations.
Performance & accessibility
Optimized imagery, configured caching, and ensured keyboard navigation and ARIA labeling across interactive elements.
Event-ready content blocks
Built promo modules for recurring sporting clays events and retreats with configurable dates, registration links, and countdowns.
Results
Measurable Impact & Client Praise
+72%
Increase in volunteer inquiries within the first 90 days post-launch.
+58%
Lift in newsletter sign-ups after adding embedded forms and QR code collateral.
+36%
Growth in online donations driven by clearer CTAs and GiveSmart integration.
“SoLoVision translated our vision into a digital home that honors Gunny's legacy and mobilizes supporters. The site finally reflects the community we're building on the ridge.”
Chris Ann Phillips
Vice Chair, Gunny's Ridge
Metrics provided by Gunny's Ridge volunteer operations and GiveSmart reports (first 3 months post-launch).
Impact
The new Gunny's Ridge experience bridges land-based healing with a modern digital invitation. It empowers the board with easy publishing tools, equips supporters with transparent CTAs, and positions the nonprofit to grow programming capacity.
- Faster event promotion cycles with reusable Elementor blocks and program templates.
- Increased donor trust through storytelling that centers service members and first responders.
- Volunteer-run updates without developer assistance thanks to training resources and modular design.
- Digital presence aligned with the organization’s in-person hospitality and mission pillars.
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