The challenge
1 in 7 babies in the UK need specialist care at birth. SSNAP (Support for the Sick Newborn And their Parents) does amazing work to support sick and premature babies, their families, and the dedicated NHS teams caring for them in the Newborn Care Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital.
The charity offers support to families, invests in neonatal staff, funds equipment, runs events (including the popular Little SSNAPlings groups), fundraises and gets involved in research. It’s a lot to keep track of!
We were introduced to SSNAP by one of our longer-standing clients who also happens to be a trustee of the charity, and who had sufficient first-hand knowledge of how we work to recommend us confidently. The site’s previous platform was proving slightly tricky to use and had some hard limitations when it came to presenting content in the way the team wanted.
We started liaising quickly with Emily Byrne (SSNAP’s Charity Lead) and worked out a full scope where we could not only rebuild the site from the ground up, but critically perform necessary integrations with Donorfy, the charity CRM and donation platform.
What we did
Having a baby in neonatal care often means long days at the hospital, missed meals, and very little time to think about anything beyond your baby. We could see that, along with general audiences, there was a group who might have temporary reduced cognitive capacity due to the stress and uncertainty, so it was important the site was structured clearly and segmented information appropriately.
It was also clear the mission is very personal for many of the staff, trustees and volunteers, so telling their stories became an important part of building a rapport with users.
We began with our Information Architecture process, designed to plot all the required pages, elements and structures before moving on to wireframing and design. SSNAP were involved at every stage and signed off at various milestones to ensure they knew exactly what we’d be delivering for them.
Comprehensive Homepage
Showcasing key content, important updates and upcoming events quickly for users, strengthening brand and improving online engagement and the overall first impression.
Team biographies
Dynamic content type allowing more staff, trustees and volunteers to be easily added over time. For those personally affected there are additional, humanising details and photos of their experiences.
Historic Timeline
Key events from 1981 to the present day, plotted on a timeline, allowing new developments to be added. Highlights SSNAP’s growth and impact over time.
What SSNAP does
Clearly explains SSNAP’s broad range of activities (Family Support, Investing in Neonatal Staff, Funding Equipment, Little SSNAPlings and Research), making it simple for supporters to take action.
Stories
Dynamic area to communicate impact by publishing charity news, and the stories of those the charity has supported.
Events
Dynamic events stream where newly added events appear in upcoming order, and automatically archive past events. Possible to customise for different signup routes including Donorfy.
Shop
Ecommerce flow taking payments for physical and sponsorship products to support the charity. Allowed the removal of another separate platform for streamlined operation.
Getting involved
Provided multiple avenues for community engagement, including Donation, Membership, Fundraising, Volunteering, Corporate Partnerships and Knitting – all integrated with Donorfy.
The result
It’s been a distinct pleasure working with Emily, Vicky and the SSNAP team to bring their website to life and to put it live in line with their desired timescales. Not to mention putting our skills to use for such an amazing cause.
The feedback from SSNAP and users alike has been wonderful, and we look forward to seeing the site grow.
We strongly suggest you take a look at the SSNAP website and read about the work they do, or consider supporting SSNAP. Even if the topic hasn’t affected you directly, with 1 in 7 babies needing specialist care, the chances are that you know someone who has been.
And, if your charity or nonprofit is thinking about a new website, this is a great example of how we can help. Working with good causes fits right in with our ethos. Get in touch to start a no-pressure conversation.
