World Vision International

The Client

World Vision International (WVI) is an Evangelical Christian humanitarian aid, development and advocacy organization dedicated to saving children in need all around the world. As one of the 10 largest nonprofits in the world, operating in more than 60 countries and managing more than 40,000 volunteers, WVI is on a mission to pull every child out of poverty for good, especially those most vulnerable. 

The Situation

Online donations make up WVI’s largest source of funding. The organization was previously not able to accept donations on its global site due to legal limitations, so potential donors were being sent to regional sites instead, which added steps to the process and could negatively impact the donation. WVI and partner Third and Grove set out to create a world-class global website to satisfy the needs of its entire digital ecosystem from the corporate office to field operations and support offices. 

The Challenge

The organization needed a visually stunning site that could serve as the core of the WVI ecosystem, seamlessly holding all of its operations together. As a multifaceted NGO with many stakeholders and moving parts, WVI struggled to create a cohesive digital experience among its many digital properties. WVI empowers regional offices to control their own digital presence and share stories that will connect best with local audiences. However, too much free rein can also make it difficult for some regional offices to manage a web property, and this freedom could put the brand identity at risk if the designs don’t align with the main site. A balance between regional autonomy and global oversight was needed. 

The Solution

The first step was to simplify the main site. There are many inspiring stories to share, but too many can also overwhelm visitors. An exercise in defining personas and customer journeys helped to distill the messaging that should be emphasized and what could be eliminated. Internal jargon was eliminated, unused parts of the navigation were removed and misleading pathways that were a dead-end for users were removed altogether. The next step was to create a natural transition to the regional support sites that collect the donations. Third and Grove built a top-down Drupal site and created customizable templates for each field office. This allows each office to tailor the content that resonates best with their local markets while staying aligned with the corporate brand. 

The Results

WVI now has a site that embraces its mission and shares the individual impact stories that drive an emotional connection to its work. The balance between autonomy and oversight is being realized as individual field offices now can have a voice and embody the unique characteristics of the culture they represent, while remaining seamlessly associated with the WVI brand as a whole.