Sponsor Vetting Process

Sponsor vetting ensures that companies sponsoring WordPress events comply with GPLGPL GPL is an acronym for GNU Public License. It is the standard license WordPress uses for Open Source licensing https://wordpress.org/about/license/. The GPL is a ‘copyleft’ license https://www.gnu.org/licenses/copyleft.en.html. This means that derivative work can only be distributed under the same license terms. This is in distinction to permissive free software licenses, of which the BSD license and the MIT License are widely used examples. requirements and WordPress trademark guidelines.

This process applies to sponsorships for WordCamps and WordPress events, such as WordPress Campus Connect (WPCC), WordPress Dev Days, WordPress Women’s Day events, and similar community-led events.

The goal of sponsor vetting is to support the health of the WordPress project by encouraging compliant sponsorships, offering transparency for organizers and sponsors, and keeping sponsor records consistent across events.

Accounts & Access

Sponsor vetting work requires access to the following tools:

Airtable credentials from 1Password
Airtable Sponsor Vetting workspace

Roles

Sponsor Vetting Reviewer: responsible for intake, review, compliance follow-up, and preparation for approval
Approver: responsible for final approval decisions

START
  ↓
Get list of sponsors from:
  • Sponsor invoice (via WPCS), or
  • Organizer-provided sponsor list submitted through Help Scout
  ↓
Search for sponsor in Airtable
  ↓
Is the sponsor already in Airtable?
  ├─ NO
  │    → Create a new sponsor record
  │       • Go to the Kanban View
  │       • Next to the “Needs Vetting” status, click the + sign to create a new record
  │       • Status is automatically set to “Needs Vetting”
  │
  └─ YES
       → Open the existing sponsor record
       → Re-vet the sponsor for the new event
          • Move the previous “Current Event Name” to
            “List of Past Sponsored Events”
          • Update the “Current Event Name” to the new event
          • Update the “Current Event Email Address” to the new event
     • Update the "Current Sponsorship Amount" to the new event
• Remove the Batch date and previous Approval Date, if any.
  ↓
Vetting review (Trademark + GPL)
  ↓
Are there GPL or trademark issues?
  ├─ NO
  │    → Add “All good” in the GPL field
  │    → Add “All good” in the Trademark field
  │    → Mark status as “Compliant and Needs Approval”
  │    → Set the batch date (first Monday of the week)
  │
  └─ YES
       → Add detailed notes in GPL and/or Trademark fields
       → Mark status as “Needs Compliance”
       → Trigger infringement email by:
            • Ensuring the sponsor email address is filled out
            • Ensuring the event email address is filled out
            • If we’re emailing the sponsor, check “Trigger Infringement Email.” If the organizers are emailing the sponsor, follow up with them directly.
       ↓
       Record the email conversation:
            • Go to Help Scout → Community Inbox
            • Go to Closed Emails
            • Copy the link to the automated email sent to the sponsor
            • Paste the link into the “Email Conversation Link” field in Airtable
       ↓
       Change status to “Compliance Requested”
       ↓
       Sponsor updates their site
       Sponsor replies via email
       ↓
       Re-review sponsor site
       ↓
       Are there still GPL or trademark issues?
       ├─ NO
       │    → Continue to the previous “Are there GPL or trademark issues?”(see the “NO” path)
       │
       └─ YES
            → Reply manually to the sponsor
               • Clarify what still needs to be changed
               • Reference previous notes or updated findings
               • Do not trigger the infringement email again
       ↓
       (Loop back to “Re-review sponsor site” after sponsor updates)
  ↓
Ready for approval (handoff to Approver)

Approver

Approval review
  ↓
Is the sponsor ready for approval?
  ├─ YES
  │    → Mark Approval Status = Yes
  │    → Add the approval date
  │    → Update the Status from "Compliant and Needs Approval" to "Compliant"
  │    → Check “Trigger Approval Email” to notify the event
  │    → Approve the sponsor invoice, which confirms approval to the sponsor
  │
  └─ NO
       → Update status as needed
          • Needs Follow-up
          • Canceled
          • Other appropriate status
       → Flag the record for team double-check if needed
  ↓
END

Status	What it means
Needs Vetting	The sponsor has been added, but has not yet been reviewed for GPL or trademark compliance.
Needs Compliance	Potential GPL or trademark issues have been identified and documented. The sponsor has not yet been contacted, and next steps are being prepared.
Compliance Requested	The sponsor and event have been contacted with specific GPL and/or trademark feedback. Updates or clarification are pending.
Compliance in Progress	The sponsor has acknowledged the feedback and is actively working on the requested changes.
Compliant and Needs Approval	The sponsor has been reviewed and is compliant with GPL and trademark requirements. The record is ready for final approval.
Compliant	The sponsor has been approved and is cleared to sponsor the event.
Needs Follow-up	Additional follow-up is required, such as when responses are delayed or confirmation is still needed.
Double-Checking	An internal signal that a second review or additional input from another reviewer is needed before proceeding.
Good Faith	The sponsor has outstanding trademark issues, has committed to resolving them, and is approved temporarily due to a very close upcoming event, with follow-up planned to confirm compliance.
Not Eligible	The sponsor is not eligible to sponsor a WordPress event and cannot proceed with sponsorship after review or discussion.
Canceled	The sponsorship was canceled or withdrawn, for example due to a change in branding or event plans.

This section outlines the sponsor vetting process from intake to approval. The steps below serve as a reference to support consistent reviews and shared understanding across the team.

Sponsors enter the vetting process through one of two paths:

Sponsor invoices (via WPCSWordPress Community Support WordPress Community Support PBC is a Public Benefit Corporation, created specifically to be the financial and legal support for WordCamps, WordPress Meetup groups, and any additional “official” events organized within the WordPress Community Events program.), or
Organizer-provided sponsor lists submitted from Help Scout, for pre-vetting requests or events not running payments through WPCS.

Once a sponsor is identified, they are added to the Sponsor Vetting workspace in Airtable.

Before adding a new record:

Search Airtable for the sponsor’s company name.

If the sponsor does not exist:

Create a new record.
In the Kanban View, on the ‘Needs Vetting’ status, click the plus + sign to add a new record. The status is automatically set to Needs Vetting.

If the sponsor already exists:

Open the existing record.
Re-vet the sponsor for the new event.
Move the previous Current Event Name to List of Past Sponsored Events
Update the Current Event Name and Current Event Email Address to the new event
Update the Current Sponsorship Amount to the new event
Remove the Batch date and previous Approval Date, if any

3. Vetting Review (Trademark & GPL)

The sponsor vetting reviewer checks the sponsor’s website and materials for compliance.

Trademark review includes:

Use of “WordPress” in domain names
Product, service, plan, or package names using “WordPress”
WordPress logo usage (size, prominence, or modification)
Any implied endorsement or affiliation with the WordPress project

For reference, see the WordPress Trademark Policy.

GPL review applies to:

Theme and pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party sellers
Clear license disclosure
GPL compatibility
Source code availability

Reference: GPL Vetting Checklist guide

4. Record Findings

If no issues are found:

Enter “All good” in both the GPL and Trademark fields.
Update status to Compliant and Needs Approval.
Set the batch date (first Monday of the week).

If issues are found:

Add detailed notes to the GPL and/or Trademark fields.
Update status to Needs Compliance.

5. Compliance Communication (Automated)

When issues are identified, communication with the sponsor and event is handled via automation.

To trigger the automated email:

Ensure the sponsor email address is filled out.
Ensure the event email address is filled out.
Ensure the correct status Needs Compliance is selected.
Check the Trigger Infringement Email checkbox.

Automation details are documented here: Automation: Sponsor Application Email Notifications

5.1 Compliance Communication (Manual)

If the organizing team is handling sponsor communication, we’ll manually email the organizers to share any GPL or trademark notes, as well as the approval status.

6. Record Email Conversation

After the automated email is sent:

Go to Help Scout Community Inbox
Open the email tab ‘Closed’
Copy the link to the automated email sent to the sponsor
Paste the link into the Email Conversation Link field
Update status to Compliance Requested

This ensures clear context and traceability for future reviewers.

7. Re-Review and Follow-Up

Sponsors update their site and reply via email.
The reviewer re-checks the sponsor’s site.
If issues remain, do not trigger the infringement email automation again. Instead, send a manual follow-up email to the sponsor to clarify what still needs to be changed, referencing previous notes or any updated findings.
This review and follow-up process continues until all issues are resolved, or further action is required.

8. Approval

Sponsors marked Compliant and Needs Approval are reviewed by an approver.

If approved:

Approval Status is set to Yes
Status is updated from Compliant and Needs Approval to Compliant
Approval date is added
Trigger Approval Email checkbox is checked to notify the event
Approve the sponsor invoice, which confirms approval to the sponsor

If not approved:

Status is updated as appropriate
The record may be flagged for team double-check

Notes

When a sponsor applies to multiple events, it helps to work through them one event at a time:
- Start with the earlier event.
- Use one Current Event email address at a time.
- If there are trademark concerns, trigger Infringement Email as needed.
- Once approved, send the approval email for that event.
- Then update the Current Event details for the next event and mark the sponsor as Compliant & Needs Approval so it can move through approval as well.
Adding notes in Airtable record’s right-hand column can be helpful for others who may review the sponsor later. Flagging the case in SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. is also encouraged when shared visibility would be useful.

Expected Turnaround Times and Follow-Up

Sponsors without GPL or trademark issues are generally reviewed and approved within around 7 business days.
If issues are identified, review timelines may extend to 7–14 business days or longer, depending on how quickly the sponsor makes changes and responds.
In some time-sensitive situations, a sponsor may be approved in Good Faith. This is used when there are outstanding trademark issues, the sponsor has acknowledged them, and has shared an intention to make the required updates, but the sponsored event is happening very soon. After the event, sponsors are asked to complete the agreed updates within 15 days, and the team will follow up to confirm everything has been addressed. Completing these updates helps ensure the sponsor remains eligible for future sponsorship opportunities.
Organizers are encouraged to submit sponsor details as early as possible to allow enough time for review and follow-up.

Sponsor Vetting Process

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