Building myGFA.org
We built a custom crowdfunding website in 2012.
After 3 years, the design, user interactions and code needed updating.
A Crowdfunding Site from Scratch?
Gospel for Asia wanted its own personal campaign website. At the time, this wasn't common and only a few nonprofits had this capability. Because this wasn't common, we knew we'd lose thousands of dollars each year in transaction fees if we had to use someone else's platform. Also, as an organization, we offered hundreds of items for a potential campaigners to raise funds for, which other platforms could not handle.
Challenge
- Design, develop, write and market a personal campaign platform for only GFA donation items.
- Make the platform especially user-friendly for users 50 years and older (GFA's main audience).
- 3 years later, redesign the whole site and all communications to be responsive and more modern.
Solution
The Web Director (at that time), myself and the lead developer worked through all the user screens, mockups and backend ramifications. We outsourced some of the design templates during the initial design for the first version in 2012.
We user tested the entire campaign creation process, wrote and implemented triggered emails for the initial phase.
After 3 years, we wanted to update the code to reduce web page load time, make the campaign pages and subsequent communications feel more modern and ensure the campaign pages worked well on smart phones. New designs, user flows and communications were mocked up. User testing commenced with this new version of the design and code as well. The new style launched in 2015.
Results
- More than 200 campaigns started in the first year.
- More than $400,000 donated through myGFA.org in the first year. At least 300 active campaigns run each year since.
- As campaigners shared with their friends, myGFA generated more leads for the organization.
- myGFA.org helped create buy in from donors and turned them into advocates.
- Received the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) "Most Creative Online Initiative" Award.
- After latest design, campaigns complete at a higher rate than before.