Technology for local government & nonprofits
STOA
Public software people can actually use.
Stoa builds community-facing tools, public data systems, and accessible websites for cities, local government agencies, and nonprofits.
- Working prototype first
- Fixed fee, no nonsense
- WCAG 2.2 AA accessible
The prototype gallery
See the website before you sign anything.
Every tile below is a redesign concept Stoa built to compete for a real procurement. Each one is a working answer to the question every buyer has: what would this look like if Stoa built it?
Click through any of them right now — no login, no sales call. Every page is clearly marked as a Stoa concept, not the agency's live site.
- Gallery pieces
- 89
- Clickable pages
- 5114
Why Stoa?
No translation required
We arrive already fluent in procurement, compliance frameworks, and the constraints public agencies work within. That saves weeks of scoping and produces software that fits how government actually works.
Built to be used, not shelved
We build for the people who actually have to use the software: the resident filing a permit at 11pm, the staff member juggling a busy front counter. Adoption is the measure of success, so we design for it from the first sketch.
Law, policy, and code under one roof
The same expertise that reads the statute also understands the accessibility requirement and writes the implementation. No handoff, no lost context. Just faster delivery and less time explaining the same thing twice.
What we build
Citizen-facing tools
Portals, dashboards, and search tools that make public services easier to use, built around how residents actually behave. Fast load times, plain language, and mobile-first design, because a resident who can't find their permit status calls the front desk instead.
Example: City of Campbell PortalPublic data access
Open data, budget transparency, and records search, including AI-powered retrieval over dense government datasets like meeting minutes, recalls, and permit archives. We turn FOIA-worthy information into searchable, linkable public interfaces that reduce staff burden while improving accountability.
Example: Budget DashboardADA Title II & WCAG 2.1 AA
The DOJ's 2024 Title II rule requires local government websites and apps to meet WCAG 2.1 AA. DOJ extended the compliance dates in April 2026: larger entities now have until April 26, 2027; smaller entities and special districts have until April 26, 2028. We build accessible by default, not retrofitted.
Read the plain-English Title II guideSelected builds
Full sites, real data, clickable today.
A sample of the redesign concepts in the gallery — complete, multi-page sites for cities, counties, courts, utilities, and parks. Every one is live right now; open any card.
Concept · Regional nonprofit aging-services agency (Virginia)54 pagesSenior Services of Southeastern VirginiaEight localities, one agency: a site that starts with where you live, because that is what decides which help reaches your door.Locality-first service finderReadable document libraryReal WordPress themeView project 
Concept · Workforce board website concept33 pagesSouthwestern Oregon Workforce Investment BoardStart where you are.The three-county spineIndicator reader with labelled seamsApprenticeships open by countyView project 
Concept · Joint sports and exhibition authority (Pennsylvania)299 pagesSports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny CountyTwo authorities hold the ground the region plays on. This is the register of which one, and the record of every decision about it.Ownership registerDecision trail from signed minutesSearch or Ask the SEAView project 
Concept · Destination marketing website concept36 pagesWhidbey and Camano IslandsTwo islands, four ways in.Four arrival doorsThe arrival plannerFreshness chips on every listingView project 
Concept · Watershed grantmaking nonprofit (Maryland)12 pagesChesapeake Bay TrustA 40-year watershed grantmaker whose site starts where its grants do: who you are, where you are, what you want to grow.Grant Pathway FinderSearch or Ask the Bay TrustReal WordPress themeView project 
Concept · City government (Missouri)18 pagesCity of Excelsior SpringsCity Hall, brought to the surface: resident tasks and public records organized as a Hall of Waters civic atlas.Task-first civic atlasPinned page and document searchReal WordPress theme and civic pluginView project
How it works
Three steps from first email to working software. Here's how a typical engagement goes.
Brief us
Tell us what you're building, who it serves, and what's in the way. A paragraph is enough. No formal RFP required.
Scope together
Get a clear proposal with a fixed scope, timeline, and price. No vague estimates or bloated statements of work.
Build and ship
Tight sprints, regular check-ins, clean handoff. You own the code, documentation, and deployment. We don't disappear.
Start a conversation
Stoa takes on a small number of projects at a time. If your work fits, we move fast.
Good fits
- Citizen-facing tools: resident portals, service request systems, public-data search
- Open data and transparency tools: budget dashboards, council minutes, public records
- AI-assisted government search: permits, policy documents, meeting archives
- ADA Title II compliance: WCAG 2.2 AA audits and retrofits (clearing the 2.1 AA legal floor) for local government systems
Get in touch
Tell us what you're building and where you're stuck. A paragraph is enough to get started.
Send us a messageOr email directly: stephen@stoa.works
Stoa is led by Stephen Stanwood, a lawyer and developer in Campbell, CA, with experience at law firms and in government.