At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island, every day is an opportunity to inspire and engage young minds. With two clubhouses serving more than 3,200 kids across Northern Rhode Island, these Boys & Girls Clubs have a significant impact on the families they serve year-round.
Yet, the website they were using to reach those families was far from inspiring. A frustrating user experience and dated design created friction for parents trying to register their kids. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island team shares how redesigning their website with Daxko led to a 1,107% increase in program registrations in just 30 days.
The Challenge: A Website That Didn’t Serve Their Community
“Our website looked like it was from 2005,” says the BGCNRI team. The website was stuck in the past – it was difficult to navigate, felt clunky, and just didn't do justice to the vibrant life within the club walls. The result was a confusing online journey for both parents and staff.
“It was built using a tool that I had never seen before, and when I started here I had to learn that tool from scratch,” says one BGCNRI team member. With so many critical tasks on their plate, navigating the outdated website and learning the new tool was a struggle. “I’m not a web designer. I’m a fundraiser. So, it was definitely a curveball for me to suddenly take on that responsibility.”
The unfriendly design impacted the parent experience as well, making it difficult for parents to register their kids for upcoming programs. “[We] didn’t have the expertise to make our online forms really streamlined and functional...We didn’t have any way for parents to make their own account. They would have to register their kids and complete all the forms every time for every single program they wanted to sign up for. That was a big burden and created a lot of friction.”
“When the number of families you’re serving is in the thousands and you have a staff of about 20 people, you need automation,” share one BGCNRI team member. “You need tools to be able to connect with all those families and make sure that they’re getting a great experience.”
The Real Cost: Frustration and Missed Opportunities
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island runs a host of impressive programs, but it was a struggle to authentically represent them. “Everything just looked really dated, which doesn’t reflect well on the quality of the programs that we offer because the programs we offer are fantastic,” one BGCNRI team member shares. “We have a four out of five star BrightStars rating for our childcare programs...Our athletic programs have grown exponentially to the point where, in 2022, our flag football travel team won the national championship for NFL Flag. To see those accomplishments and then look at our website to see that it was ugly and didn’t serve the needs of our members was frustrating.”
The old website wasn’t just a nuisance; it was a barrier. By making the registration process harder and more time-consuming for parents, it increased the risk that fewer kids would get to participate in the club’s life-changing programs. The outdated design was impeding the club’s mission of enabling young people to reach their full potential. As each day passed, the need for a streamlined, welcoming digital presence became more apparent. The club knew they couldn’t let outdated technology stop them from giving kids the opportunity to play, learn, and grow.
The Solution: A Website Redesign
Recognizing the need for change, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island decided it was time for a new chapter. They needed a website that was as lively and welcoming as their club. To build the website they envisioned, they needed a partner who understood both the technical aspects of nonprofit website design and the needs of community-focused organizations. With its expert design team and 25 years of experience working with nonprofits, Daxko was the perfect match.
Beginning this large-scale project was met with a mix of emotions. While there was excitement about the potential benefits a new website could bring, there was also a natural apprehension about the unknowns and complexities of the redesign process.
“When we first embarked on this new website redesign, I was definitely a bit nervous because I had never done a website redesign before,” says one BGCNRI team member. “I didn’t know what went into that process. I wasn’t sure that I or my team had the expertise needed to finish the project and improve the website.”
A website redesign was a significant step outside the comfort zone. However, as the project unfolded, the initial nervousness gave way to growing confidence. “Once we started working with Daxko, it was clear that they had all the support we needed.”
The BGCNRI team shares, “a lot of nonprofits struggle to do digital communications well because they can’t afford the expertise that they need to do it properly. Daxko has a really unique offering here by making it affordable and giving you all the expertise that you need to execute on the vision you have for your digital presence.”
Building Confidence With Expert Guidance
One of the unique challenges of nonprofit website design is the need to cater to multiple audiences simultaneously. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island serves a wide array of stakeholders – from the kids and families engaged in their programs, to the donors and community members who support their mission. Each audience has distinct needs and expectations for the website.
The Daxko team engaged in a thorough discovery process to understand the club’s unique impact on the community. “The team at Daxko asked all of the right questions when it came to understanding our needs, both as an organization and what we needed for our digital presence,” says the BGCNRI team. “We spent a lot of time with their project managers, their designers, and their coders, to help them understand the impact we have in the community and the different programs we offer. When it came time for them to create the user experience and design, they were doing it from a really informed position.”
The result was a versatile, inclusive website that authentically represents the club’s relationship with the community it serves.
The Impact: A More Engaging Club Experience
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island’s new website is a game-changer for how the club connects with its community. With its modern design and user-friendly navigation, the site is a true reflection of the club’s heart and energy. The transformation is also making a big difference in getting more kids and families involved in their programs.
A Positive Parent Experience
One of the most significant changes has been the ease with which families interact with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island online. Registering for programs, finding information about events, and understanding the club’s impact have become straightforward and hassle-free. Their team says families “are finding that it’s a much easier process to sign up for our programs and figure out which ones they’re registered for than it was with the old site.”
The impact of the new website was immediate and profound. This simpler process has minimized barriers to participation, allowing more families to benefit from the club’s programs. Within just 30 days of its launch, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island experienced a dramatic increase in engagement.
- Membership joins increased by 142%
- Childcare registrations surged 300%
- Programs registrations skyrocketed by 1,107%
These statistics, compared to the 30 days prior to the website’s launch, underscore the pivotal role that an effective digital presence plays in reaching and serving your community.
Reflecting on the Journey
Behind these impressive figures is a deeper story of a community revitalized through increased access and engagement. The new website has enhanced the experience for every family and become a crucial tool in furthering the club’s mission.
“Now that we’re at the finish line and the website is live, I’m really satisfied with how it came out,” says one BGCNRI team member. “I’m really happy that we’re representing ourselves authentically to all the different groups we serve. That includes donors, the families that we serve, government officials, and potential funders. I’m positive that all of their needs are satisfied now when they visit our site.”
Reflecting on the project, the BGCNRI team “never felt unsupported by Daxko.” With a single, dedicated account manager, the club avoided the common pitfalls of miscommunication and inefficiency. "The team was always organized and up to speed. There was not a lot of repeated information or asking the same questions over and over, which has been [our] experience with some other agencies.”
The BGCNRI team continues to use Daxko as a supportive resource now that the project is complete. "We’ve moved away from seeing the account manager every week, and the team that they have put together to manage the site and update it is really responsive. It’s been great working with them so far.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island’s partnership with Daxko has marked a significant milestone in their journey. With a new website that continues to inspire and engage community members, they’ve ushered in a new era of growth and impact for the families they serve.
Ready to Begin Your Transformation?
Feeling inspired by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island’s digital transformation? It’s time to take the first step towards your own success story.
Schedule a free consultation with the team to learn how Daxko’s dedicated team can empower your organization with a tailored, impactful website design and development.