Support the next generation of WordPress contributors
WordPress Credits is a program of the WordPress FoundationWordPress Foundation The WordPress Foundation is a charitable organization founded by Matt Mullenweg to further the mission of the WordPress open source project: to democratize publishing through Open Source, GPL software. Find more on wordpressfoundation.org., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It connects students at partner institutions with real contribution work on the WordPress project, supervised by experienced mentorsEvent Supporter Event Supporter (formerly Mentor) is someone who has already organised a WordCamp and has time to meet with their assigned mentee every 2 weeks, they talk over where they should be in their timeline, help them to identify their issues, and also identify solutions for their issues. and recognised on their WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/ profiles. Students build on the skills they already have, learn how open sourceOpen Source Open Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. work is actually done, and bring a perspective the project does not get anywhere else.
The program has grown to the point where curriculum, translation, tooling, and the work of bringing new institutions on board all need steady funding behind them, and the sponsorship arrangements we started with were never designed for that. Companies in the WordPress ecosystem can now support the program through five partnership levels, from contributing mentorEvent Supporter Event Supporter (formerly Mentor) is someone who has already organised a WordCamp and has time to meet with their assigned mentee every 2 weeks, they talk over where they should be in their timeline, help them to identify their issues, and also identify solutions for their issues. time through to funding a complete program.
2027 is a pilot year
This is the first time we have offered partnership levels, and we are treating it as a test. We will run it through 2027, publish what we learn, and adjust or retire whatever does not work. If none of the levels below fits what your company wants to do, write to us and we will shape something that does.
These levels cover the WordPress Credits program only. WordPress Campus Connect events are organised separately and are not included here.
Founding partners
Automattic and Weglot have supported WordPress Credits since it was an idea on a page, sponsoring the people who designed and built the program and the mentors who guide students cohort after cohort. The levels below are built on what they made possible.
The partnership levels
Recognition is consistent across every level. All partners are listed in the same format, with descriptions of the same length, in alphabetical order rather than by level.
Friend
In-kind, through Five for the Future. For companies sponsoring mentors through Five for the Future. Mentorship remains the most direct contribution a company can make: mentors meet their students roughly every two weeks, review progress, and help work through problems.
- Company name on the partner page at wordpresseducation.org
- Mention in the mentor feature
- Acknowledgement in the annual partner thank you post
Supporter
$5,000 a year. Everything in Friend, plus:
- Logo and description on the partner page
- A badge for your own site
- The annual program report
Backer
$10,000 a year. Everything in Supporter, plus:
- Named for the part of the program you fund in program communications
- A report covering that cost line
- One self-written educational post about the sponsored product, published on wordpresseducation.org
Champion
$15,000 a year. Everything in Backer, plus:
- A second self-written post with factual, value-neutral information about additional products
- An invitation to the annual education partners session
- A webinar or event co-hosted with the education program
Partner
From $30,000 a year. Everything in Champion, plus a complete program funded end to end, the kind we have not been able to build yet because we have always had to work within the budget available. Students translating WordPress into languages with thin coverage, students working on accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility), students building sites for nonprofit organisations that could not otherwise commission them.
- Named as program partner on the program you fund, with the exclusive role in that program
- Named in launch communications
- A report specific to that program
Products donated for student use
Separately from the levels above, partners at any level may offer free access to their products for students to use in the program, and the Foundation decides how those are shared. Donated products are offered at no cost to students, require no card details to use, and come with a way for students to export or move their work so nobody is locked in.
Requirements
Applications are reviewed for alignment with the program’s mission and values. Partners must:
- Follow the WordPress Trademark Policy
- Show that they do not violate, endorse, or work for companies that misuse the WordPress name, logo, or software
- Understand that WordPress is released under the GPL
Student work always serves the public commons or a nonprofit beneficiary, never a partner’s commercial product.
Donations may be tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, less the value of any benefits received, and we will note that value in your acknowledgment letter. Donated products and services are not tax deductible. Please check with your own tax advisor.
If you already sponsor the program
A program managerProgram Manager Program Managers (formerly Super Deputies) are Program Supporters who can perform extra tasks on WordCamp.org like creating new sites and publishing WordCamps to the schedule. is contacting every current sponsor to talk through which level fits, and to make sure nobody ends up at a level that asks more of them than they intended. If you sponsor the program today, you will hear from us directly, so there is nothing you need to do.
How individuals can help
You do not need a company behind you to support the program. Community members can share the call for institutions and students, volunteer to review student work, or speak to a student cohort about their own path in the project. Experienced contributors who want to mentor can apply through the Call for Mentors.
Ready to partner with us?
Apply through the partner application form. If you would rather talk it through first, or you have an idea for supporting the program that does not match any level here, write to education@wordpressfoundation.org or find us in the #wpcredits channel in the Make WordPress Slack.