CASE STUDY

Redesigning a complex Nonprofit Website that provided simplicity for staff and clarity for donors

a laptop computer sitting on top of a field

OVERVIEW

GNWKCF is a nonprofit organization that partners with smaller foundations to support their efforts to make a positive impact in their communities. Their amazing team helps these foundations maximize their impact by providing assistance with administrative tasks and technical support, so they can focus on their mission and make the most of their resources.

CLIENT

GNWKCF

WEBSITE

GNWKCF.ORG

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GNWKCF had two main problems:

  1. The user experience was poor and no longer up to today’s standards. Which caused lots of calls from confused people and a lot of manual work for the team.
  2. The website was difficult for the staff to update and outdated content was still to be found on the website.

We were tasked with updating their current design to help their users find what they were looking for easier. However, their current site was huge and we had to first understand what we were dealing with.

The solution was to come up with an organized content management system that allowed pages and sections to be dynamically adapted to the content the team provided.

Simplifying Complexity

Components make it easy to build pages super quickly

We’ve constructed each page out of components.

Each component has variations in color and layout.

This makes it super simple to maintain pages and build them using components from the component library.

Data Browsers

FILTERS

By implementing some filters, users are now able to easily browse and find exactly what they are looking for in the fully accessible data. This results in a seamless and efficient search experience.

Designs for filterable sections
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Effortlessly responsive

We made sure that every page on the site looked great and was easy to navigate on any size device from desktop computers to tablets to mobile phones

a laptop, phone and tablet displaying a website

Balancing the needs of multiple user groups

We began our design process by gaining a thorough understanding of the users who will interact with the site. Through research and analysis, we identified four key groups of users:

  • Donors
  • Scholarship applicants
  • Grant applicants
  • Grant reviewers

By considering the needs and perspectives of these users, we were able to create a user-centered design that meets their needs and expectations.

Website sitemap
One of the many user story maps we created. We break down user’s goals into steps and those into potential solutions. Not all of these solutions get implemented but it gives us a place to start.

Next, we conducted a thorough analysis of the current website structure to identify areas for improvement and develop a more logical and manageable design.

Comparison of the old sitemap with the new one. Showing the simplification of the new sitemap

Quickly accessing information and functionality

People are busy and attention spans are low. To address this challenge, we have carefully designed the site to be easy to navigate and understand. Our layout clearly presents the most commonly used pages, allowing users to quickly find the information they need and get back to their busy lives. By prioritizing simplicity and clarity, we aim to make our site user-friendly and accessible to all.

A website section with 6 buttons that flip when user hovers over them
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Helping visitors navigate a complex website

The site is a starting point for many people to access areas behind a login.

This presents a unique challenge for a user who might know what they want to do but doesn’t know where to go to do that.

We’ve created detailed story maps in order to figure out what use-cases these people would have.

The end result was a page that led people to where they need to go based on their role and what they want to do.

A screen recording that shows how collapsible elements can be interacted with
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Making donation easy and convenient

Objectively, the most important aspect of a community foundation site is the ability to collect donations. This is the lifeblood of the foundation and therefore the community itself. So we knew this was an important task to tackle.

However, GNWKCF has 270+ funds it manages (and counting). These funds are often managed on behalf of their affiliate foundations. All of this adds layers of complexity for the user.

To improve the user experience of the donation process, we developed a two-step form that allows users to easily search for and donate to the specific fund they are interested in supporting. By breaking the process into two steps and providing a search function, we make it simple and convenient for users to find and support the causes they care about.

Screen capture of a website form section
Left: First step of the form where the user picks a fund to donate to. Right: Second step of the form where the user enters their donation info.

One Form, Endless Impact

GNWKCF provides the ability to accept donations to several community foundations that operate with the help of GNWKCF. At the time of writing, there are 20 foundations that rely on GNWKCF in one way or another and for each of these, there is a need to manage all of their donations.

Depending on the nature of the donation, the form needs to be adaptable. For instance, during match events, the donation form displays a project selector.

We created a donation form that adapts based on the GNWKCF team’s input. Since all donations are managed centrally in one form that adapts to the situation, the back office complexity was reduced from 25+ individual forms to just one.

Effortless Foundation Management

Not every foundation that works with GNWKCF has a website. Therefore, it is essential their dedicated pages on GNWKCF website dynamically updates based on match events (match events are when an organization will financially match the donations made by the donors).

We’ve set up a system where the GNWKCF team can schedule dynamic changes based on these events which allows them to automate multiple foundations’ requirements with ease.

Conclusion

The website we created for the non-profit organization was a success in terms of providing simplicity for staff and clarity for donors. The clean and user-friendly design made it easy for staff to update and manage the site, while the clear and concise information provided on the site made it easy for donors to understand the mission and impact of the organization. The integration of online donation capabilities also allowed for an efficient and secure way for donors to contribute to the organization's cause. Overall, the website has greatly aided in the organization's ability to effectively communicate with and engage its audience, and has helped to further its mission and goals.

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
"We are thrilled with the work that ReachTech did in creating a new website design for our organization. Justin and his team were flexible and quick to respond when we changed our design direction mid-way through the process. The customer support and expertise in guiding our decision making was wonderful."
 — 
Carol Sloper, GNWKCF