Foundation65 Website

Foundation65 is a non-profit educational foundation supporting the Evanston-Skokie School District 65. In 2018, they gathered feedback and found that donors and stakeholders would like their website to be more modern and better organized to showcase Foundation65’s resources and impact.

In 2019, I volunteered to finish recreating their website in Squarespace and help strategize content for an impactful, yet sustainable digital presence.

Requirements Gathering

Working with the Executive Director, Alecia Wartowski, I analyzed their stakeholder feedback, and the current WordPress and in-progress Squarespace websites.

I annotated areas of improvement in the Squarespace site and noted the following gaps:

  • The information donors wanted was technically on the website, but it was hard to discover. Sometimes, it was outdated as the website was hard to maintain.

  • The interface seemed outdated and gave the impression that it was also not updated. Donors wanted a more modern look to reflect current interface trends and showcase the foundation’s professionalism. It was also not mobile-friendly.

  • The foundation needed a sustainable way to produce new content, so they can generate campaigns to direct potential donors to the website.

  • The foundation’s previous website was text-heavy. They wanted to move away from this, but still needed to keep the same information present on the website.

Prototyping

Even though it was simple to change layouts on Squarespace, I still had us go through a mockup stage. This allowed me to learn more about the foundation, its website needs, and Alecia’s vision for the organization and its digital presence.

I iterated on these mockups — annotating them during our meetings and showcasing update ones in the next — until we were both happy and clear on the website’s direction.

Website Development

The website was created in mid-2019, before the release of the Fluid Engine Squarespace. There were limitations on grid configurations and assets, but there was enough flexibility to create visual interest that was easy to maintain.

I opted for two-column layouts that divided the lengthy text into smaller chunks and paired them with relevant images. Calls to action were also paired with images to signify the potential for impact.

Content Strategy

I also devised a strategy for Foundation65 to receive them from previous recipients of their grants. This was more service design than web, but it was interesting to think about the longevity and maintainability of a website through the lens of content.

Essentially, Foundation65 now invites every educator in their district to share their story to be published on the website and highlighted in future newsletters and fundraising campaigns. It has become a more sustainable way to refresh the website while showcasing the real-time impact of the foundation.

The new Foundation65 website launched in August 2019 to a receptive and appreciative audience. It continues to be hosted on Squarespace and easily managed by Alecia.