IgnitionDeck within a WP Multisite

What is Multisite?

Multisite is a type of WordPress installation that allows the creation and management of multiple websites from a single WordPress dashboard. This allows for changes and updates to all the websites from one place as they share the same database.

Why use Multisite?

Multisite networks are frequently used by corporations, educational institutions, news outlets, online businesses, and more.

In the crowdfunding environment, a Multisite network could be used for regionalization of projects (i.e. location and/or translation), or for each member group within a larger organization (i.e. individual sports teams under an umbrella organization).

What are the pros and cons of using Multisite?

	Pros	Cons
Central management of plugins and themes	Installation and update for all sites in one location reducing the workload and potential errors during updates, Leverage shared resources across sites, improving performance and reducing redundancy	Can't install plugins/themes for one site and not another without custom coding The database is shared so it is not possible to separate data should one site require migration One site goes down, they all go down Shared database; however, users and data will not be shared/accessible from one subsite to another
Option A: Network activation of plugins	All sites have same configuration settings, One time set up, All sites in the network will have access to the same plugin features, ensuring a consistent user experience	All sites have same settings, Sites cannot be individually configured
Option B: Site by site activation of plugins	All sites can be customized to suit that site's requirements and/or niche audience, Activating a plugin only where needed can enhance performance, reducing resource usage on sites that don’t require the plugin	Each site must be set up and managed manually

IgnitionDeck Echelon and Multisite

The IgnitionDeck Echelon plugin is a great option to use with Multisite. The Echelon license which allows for an unlimited number of activations is best suited for a site-by-site configuration.

Use Cases for Network Activation

Network Activation with Echelon is a great option for situations where there is a parent organization with child organizations underneath but any and all financial distributions and/or fulfillments are handled at the parent level. For example, the same of candy products distributed by a sports organization for individual team fundraising efforts.

Use Cases for Site-by-Site Activation

Site-by-site activation with Echelon is a great option that allows for tailored functionality without impacting all sites in the network. Again using the scenario of a parent organization hosting the multisite, in the site-by-site model the child organizations would manage their own payment gateways and fulfillment themselves within their own subsite.

IgnitionDeck Enterprise and Multisite

The IgnitionDeck Enterprise plugin can be used with Multisite with either method of activation; however, the license is valid for a single domain OR subdomain (i.e. domain.com, crowdfunding.domain.com, domain.com/en/, etc.) so the planned usage of the plugin must be considered carefully.

Use Cases for Network Activation

Network Activation with Enterprise is a great option for situations such as localization of projects or languages are required. In this scenario, the plugin would be activated and configured at the network level so that all subsites use the same settings and payment gateways, but the subsite could then be displayed in individual languages, regions, or have a targeted audience.

One caveat here is that projects are unique to the subsite and can not be linked to be displayed or show progress between sites.

Use Cases for Site-by-Site Activation

Site-by-site activation with Enterprise is a great option that allows for the creation of a white-labeled crowdfunding platform with its own branding without impacting all sites in the network. This is a popular option for an organization that already runs a multisite and wants to add crowdfunding to their existing network.

An example of this scenario would be an educational organization that runs a multisite witih portals for students, alumni, as well as a public face (i.e. school.com, student.school.com, alumni.school.com). A new subsite could be generated with the IgnitionDeck Enteprise plugin activated on the fundraising.school.com subsite.