I'm Rob Butz, a web developer and strategist who can help your business or non-profit get to the next level.
Through website building and content strategy, I'm here to help you figure out your image, find your people, and make your brand or organization something that others are thrilled about being involved with.
Making custom websites to empower community health and advocacy.
I've built complex websites for advocacy organizations that are powerful hubs of organizing and easy to use.
I've created websites for a national organization, alternative businesses and community organizations-to support public health and an equitable society. I am a big fan of WordPress, Action Network, and Mailchimp, but I can work with any platform or CRM you're currently running.
The Stand Community Organizing Centre began life as a co-working and meeting space for activists, artists and community groups next door to Saskatchewan's independent bookstore, Turning the Tide.
During the pandemic, meeting space became less relevant, so we found other means of networking and projects to keep us relevant. One of those is maintaining a curated community activist calendar for Saskatoon, for which I wrote code to customize and easily export to Mailchimp campaigns for fast production of the newsletter.
Take Action Against COVID is a grassroots group that began out of protests to the Sask Party government refusing to implement mandatory public health measures, even with the highest per capita death and hospitalization rates in Canada.
TAAC has managed to operate a petition that has collected 10K signatures, done public art activism and memorials, and filled a void in actual health campaigning.
While success in terms of government policy has so far been limited, the group continuously operates, particularly through its Facebook group, as a concerned community sharing information and resources, especially among immunocompromised residents of Saskatchewan.
Earth's General Store, a hugely popular destination store in Edmonton to acquire sustainable, local and organic food and common products required a massive revamp of their website to accommodate their new branding, simplify navigation throught their offerings. I revamped their website once in 2015 and when also bringing them under the roof of a web studio I worked with, basing new design decisions based on the popularity of various sections on the website.
Turning the Tide, Saskatoon's only independent, single-location bookstore, came to me to do a rebuild of their website on the BookManager platform: content management software for independent bookstores that is tied into the book distribution, warehousing and ordering system in North America. Until 2023, I assisted with adding new features and book lists to the website, running mailing campaigns in Mailchimp, and promoting them in a popular Instagram feed (@ttt.books).
Turning the Tide’s website and social feeds are currently maintained (and taken to another level) by Nikki Barrington, my business partner in Moonjoule.
The website I built with one of Saskatoon's most unique community social services features a from-scratch WordPress theme, a wealth of custom shortcodes to move content around, and directs visitors to sign up for CNYC’s Mailchimp-based mailing list. Membership fees are collected via Gravity Forms and Square.
Saskatoon's Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op (CNYC) needed a great-looking website to show off their organization's awesome youth programming. I collaborated with CNYC to unearth specific issues with connecting the organization and their audience, and still work with them today to develop their content strategy for their site and social media presences, as well as build engagement through their Mailchimp mailing list.
My custom, responsive, fast-loading Wordpress theme loads different images by photographer Andrea Cessna depending on the day. I brought my expertise in customizing the Wordpress 'Dashboard' (content editing area) to the task of creating ease and flexibility of placing content on the site. Photography: Andrea Cessna | CNYC Logo: Rebecca Harbin
Great brand design, social feeds, and ad campaigns.
I've been 'that person' in the group who makes a group's flyer, logo, poster, or ad for as long as I've been involved in community organizations.
Let's work together.
Looking for a developer, designer or strategist to take your project to the next level? Get in touch and let's discuss what you want to do!
If you're having any issues with this form, please don't hesitate to send me a regular email.
