Our next project is to do a website for a nonprofit organization. Our first step is to choose three and then call them and ask about what they do and what they use their website for. Here are my organizations:
This charity described themselves as a group who saves birds, specifically pigeons and doves. In San Francisco, they receive hundreds of domestic pigeons and doves in shelters where they are not being adopted. Because of this, many end up getting euthanized. Palomacy aims to end this problem by saving and adopting out these birds. They said that their website has a few primary purposes. Since this nonprofit runs on volunteers, recruitment is one big part of their website. Another important aspect is showing the birds they have available for adoption to those interested. Educating the public about both the issue of rescue doves/pigeons and also the mission of the nonprofit is also important, so a lot of what they have on their website is aimed towards education. Finally, donations are also a very important part of the site and can be done through the purchase of merchandise in their store, or through PayPal/credit card.
The Greyhound Adoption League of Texas was explained to me as a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing greyhounds who were race dogs and adopting them out to people and families. They talked about why having a greyhound rescue was important, because all race dogs are required to retire after 2 years, therefore there are many young dogs that need homes to live out the rest of their lives. I asked about what they used there website for and they said it was for several reasons. One of the most important is to promote fundraising events for their organization. They also said that information about the greyhounds for adoption was also important. In addition to this, information about the dogs as pets was also important because they felt education was one of the most important elements of their nonprofit. They also used the website to acquire donations.
When I asked what the Blind Cat Rescue was about, they told me that their passion was rescuing blind cats from shelters. The reason for this was because normal shelters often euthanize blind cats because they were considered un-adoptable. Since it seemed like there was nowhere else to go for these cats, this nonprofit was created. I asked what was most important about their website. To them, the main focus is on the cats and caring for them. The website is their way of showing the cats they have, which they do not adopt out. They also are constantly in need of donations both monetarily, but also items needed to care for the cats, so having a place where people can see what's needed and donate is important to them. Sponsoring a cat is one of the most important parts of their website, and they try to emphasize sponsorship. They are also always looking for volunteers to help.
