Inside a Non-Profit Tech Overhaul That Increased Donor Engagement

Most websites are built to serve business goals. But sometimes, they serve a broader social purpose.

That was the case when Infinum worked with SOS Children’s Village Croatia through its Foundation initiative. The non-profit needed a complete website revamp to support its mission of caring for children without parental care.

The new website is faster, easier to navigate, and simpler to donate through, improving the effectiveness of online contributions and user interaction.

Editor’s note: This is a sponsored article created in partnership with Infinum.

SOS Children’s Village Croatia is part of an international organization that supports children and young people without proper parental care. It provides family-style housing in two villages for preschool and school-aged children, along with programs for older youth.

As a non-profit that relies on external support, SOS Children’s Village Croatia needs a clear and accessible online presence. But its website was slow, hard to use on mobile, difficult to navigate, and overloaded with content that wasn’t connecting with visitors.

To improve the site’s effectiveness, Infinum focused on:

• Redesigning the user interface for clarity and warmth
• Streamlining the donation flow to reduce friction
• Simplifying content and navigation to improve mobile usability

These simple changes brought significant results, including:

A faster, more intuitive website isn’t just a luxury. Research from Akamai shows that a one-second delay in loading time can reduce conversions by 7%.

Independent Sector’s 2024 survey shows nonprofit trust rose by 5 points to 57%, underscoring that online credibility is crucial for donor confidence.

Zrinka Bakić, project manager at Infinum, said was to improve the donation experience without disrupting existing systems.

“Through research, prototyping, and close collaboration, we simplified the donation flow and aligned the new UI with their brand, evoking warmth and trust. The chosen direction reflects their identity and supports their goals of increasing donations and improving user experience.”

Aligning Expertise with Social Impact

This pro bono project was an exception to the Infinum Foundation’s usual approach. As Infinum’s social responsibility initiative, the foundation typically donates 1 % of annual profits to causes chosen by an employee committee.

Most Infinum Foundation contributions are financial or volunteer-based. In this case, the team used its design and development expertise to help SOS Children’s Village Croatia expand its reach. The foundation focuses on initiatives that support children and young people and equip them with the tools they need to succeed.

Agencies that integrate purpose into their services build trust and win business. According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, 63% of people trust businesses to do what's right, compared to 51% for NGOs, 47% for government, and 50% for media.

“Initially, SOS Children’s Village Croatia reached out for a quote to redesign their website. But after learning more about their mission and meeting their team, we realized this was exactly the kind of impact we hoped to support through the Infinum Foundation,” Infinum’s Project Management Team Director, Luka Marić, said.

“Instead of the usual donation or volunteer route, offering our design and development expertise felt like the most meaningful way we could contribute.”

Highlighting projects like the Infinum Foundation’s pro bono overhaul can help differentiate a company in pitches, client acquisition, and building long-term loyalty.

Infinum Foundation shows that technology-driven social initiatives can make a real impact while boosting an agency’s value.