COMMUNITY DECISIONS WITH CLEAR RULES
Non-Profit Vote API
Give every participant the same clear promise.
A nonprofit may seek volunteer preferences, member feedback, or input on a community activity. The useful starting point is the decision the poll will inform, not the number of buttons on the page. This guide explores a proposed non-profit vote API for clearly scoped community participation. It does not offer a voting service or determine an organization's formal governance or legal obligations.
Explain how the organization will use the result
State whether the poll is advisory or whether a named decision-maker has committed to follow the published outcome. Define the eligible group, allowed choices, participation period, tie rule, and treatment of repeat submissions. Use the same language in the invitation, poll page, and result summary. If an activity has practical constraints, explain them before collecting preferences. A community deserves to know whether it is selecting an option, ranking possibilities, or simply contributing information to a broader decision process.
Keep participation accessible and proportionate
Match the identity requirement to the actual decision. A volunteer activity preference may not need the same assurance as a restricted membership process. Collect only the information needed for the published rule and define who may inspect it. Use readable instructions, labeled controls, visible focus, and a text explanation of results. W3C's accessibility guidance provides a reference for reviewing web interaction. Also plan an assistance route so a participant who encounters a technical barrier can ask for help without having their preference exposed unnecessarily.
Reconcile contributions before publishing a conclusion
If the organization accepts more than one participation channel, define how those records will be reconciled before opening the poll. Avoid an informal spreadsheet correction after the public result is announced. Keep an audit trail of consequential edits and distinguish provisional totals from a reviewed publication. Name the person responsible for a disputed receipt, a mistaken configuration, or a canceled activity. A result summary should state the audience and participation conditions so voluntary responses are not exaggerated into a claim about the entire community.
COMMON QUESTIONS
A clearer
starting point.
Can an informal poll replace a nonprofit's formal decision process?
Do not assume that. A preference poll and a formal organizational decision may have different requirements. Identify the process the organization intends to use and obtain appropriate guidance for that process. This topic explains interface and data choices, without determining governance validity or providing a certified voting system.
How should an organization handle a rule change after opening?
Treat a material change as a decision participants should be able to see and assess. Document what changed, why, and how earlier participation is affected. Depending on the published process, cancellation and a new poll may be clearer than quietly applying a new rule to existing submissions.
CONTINUE EXPLORING
Connect the ideas.
All 18 topic guides14 / 18
Sporting Event Vote API
A fan poll can invite supporters to choose a highlight, favorite performance, or event experience. It should explain exactly what that choice.
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11 / 18
DAO Vote API
A DAO result needs more explanation than a winning percentage. Participants need the proposal, voting rules, relevant voting power, and evidence of.
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17 / 18
WordPress Vote API Plugin
A WordPress block can explain a poll or display a result, while a separate service may own the participation record. Keeping those.
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