The brief
LAV is an animal-welfare organisation that runs on campaigns and on the long-term support of its donors. The website looked dated next to the organisation it represented, but the bigger problem was out of sight. Updating content was harder than it should have been, and donor and campaign information lived apart from the website, so nobody had a single view of supporters and campaigns.
LAV also wanted more people to give regularly. Recurring donations give a charity predictable income to plan around, so the new donation process had to make that option easy to find and easy to choose.
What we built
- A design refresh. A contemporary interface that reflects how LAV’s identity has evolved, with clearer routes into campaigns and ways to support.
- A bespoke CMS. The new front end connects to a bespoke content management system, so LAV’s team update pages, news and campaigns themselves.
- ERP integration. We connected the site to a tailored ERP system that handles donor data, campaign information and internal workflows. What a supporter enters on the website ends up in the system the team works in every day, instead of in an inbox waiting to be retyped.
- A new donation form. One-off and recurring gifts on the same form, so becoming a regular supporter is a choice on the page rather than a separate process.
Technology
The project had three parts: a redesigned, responsive front end, a bespoke CMS for content, and an integration layer between the website and the ERP for donor and campaign data. The donation form uses a payment provider that supports both single and recurring payments.
The main decision was to integrate with the ERP rather than replace it. Replacing it would have meant retraining staff and migrating existing records, on a project that was meant to be about the website. Integration has its own cost, because two systems have to agree on what a donor record looks like, but it kept the tools the team already knew and made the website part of the same workflow. For most organisations it is the cheaper and less disruptive route.
Deliverables
- Redesigned website reflecting LAV’s identity
- Bespoke CMS connected to the new front end
- ERP integration for donor data, campaigns and workflow
- Donation form with one-off and recurring options
- Responsive layouts for all devices
What this project shows
A website earns its keep when it is connected to the rest of the organisation. For a charity, a franchise or a growing business, linking the site to your CRM, ERP or accounts removes double entry and the errors that come with it. See our API development and integration and custom CRM development services, or talk to us.
