A Humanist Congregation Needed a Digital Home as Thoughtful as Its Mission
The Ethical Society of St. Louis is a Clayton-area community built on ethics, reason, and shared responsibility. Their old web presence no longer matched the warmth of Sunday Forum and Platform, the complexity of their programs, or the operational reality of running a venue, nursery school, and year-round calendar of gatherings.
Sizzle partnered with their team on a complete WordPress rebuild from the ground up - not a theme swap, but a new information architecture, design system, integrations, and editorial workflow tuned to how staff and volunteers actually publish.
Storytelling That Feels Human: Video and Photography
A new community-focused video anchors the story of who they are: real voices, real spaces, and the feeling of showing up on a Sunday morning. On the homepage, authentic member photography replaces stock imagery so first-time visitors see the faces of the community they might join.
Inside the site, dedicated staff and board headshot experiences make leadership approachable and searchable - important for a congregation navigating transitions like their 2026 Leader search.
Editorial Pipeline and Content Design
Nonprofits outgrow "a few people who know how to log in." We designed a content pipeline with clearer roles, reusable patterns for announcements and long-form pages, and components that keep typography, calls-to-action, and event promotions consistent. The result is faster publishing with fewer broken layouts.
Giving, Newsletters, and Trust Signals
Donation platform integration connects supporters to the Society's fundraising flows without sending them to a disconnected third-party experience. Newsletter modules highlight their Weekly Connection and other updates, and Google review presentation helps newcomers see social proof (including praise for programs like Candlelight tributes hosted in their building).
15+ Calendars, One Coherent Schedule
Between Forum, Platform, youth programs, rentals, and partner organizations, the Ethical Society juggles many scheduling systems. The new site integrates 15+ calendar sources so visitors get a single, trustworthy view of "what is happening this week" instead of hunting across tools.
Rentals: A Revenue-Ready Venue Story
A dedicated Rentals experience supports an important institutional goal: growing rental and event income. The page sells the 414-seat auditorium, Becker fellowship hall, hybrid AV (projector, PTZ cameras, livestream options), accessibility, parking, MetroLink proximity, package framing, and nonprofit pricing - so event planners can qualify the venue before they ever pick up the phone.
Member Hub, Media, and Discovery
Beyond the homepage, the build showcases Member Hub thinking for logged-in resources, a Watch experience that points people to Sunday livestreams and archived addresses on YouTube, structured pathways like Learn, Visit, Engage, and Belong, nursery school and history content, and Leader Search 2026 resources with downloadable congregational materials.
Social and podcast platform links (YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Instagram, Facebook) meet people where they already spend time.
Built in St. Louis, With Pride
We are proud to have our name in the footer: Made with love in St. Louis by Sizzle. If your mission-driven organization needs the same level of craft - WordPress or beyond - talk to us about a rebuild.