Nonprofit success
SECUMD Foundation
The SECU MD Foundation is a dedicated nonprofit organization that partners with SECU MD Credit Union. Its core mission is to empower Maryland communities by providing scholarships and grants to students and organizations, fostering financial wellness and support across the state.
- Nonprofit
- Creative Services
- Development
Challenge
The SECU MD Foundation faced a critical deadline: a new website needed to be launched within one month to accommodate the upcoming 2025 scholarship and grant application cycles. Their existing website was a significant hurdle, running on an outdated WordPress installation with obsolete themes and functionality, making content management and updates exceedingly difficult.
The Foundation sought a partner who could not only provide strategic advice for a rapid website launch but also offer expert design and development services. The goal was to revitalize the SECU MD Foundation’s brand guidelines, enhance its overall online presence, and significantly improve the user experience.
Key functionalities required:
Scholarships
Providing comprehensive details for Maryland students and a streamlined application process for available scholarships.
Grant applications
Enabling businesses and organizations supporting Maryland communities to easily apply for grants.
Financial wellness
Featuring other financial wellness services and support programs offered by the Foundation.
Event showcase
Highlighting upcoming events to engage the community.
Solution
Partnering for success
With a tight timeframe of just three weeks, the newly designed and developed SECU MD Foundation website was successfully launched and made accessible to the public.
Brand guideline refinement
I created refined brand guidelines that encompassed updated colors, typography, and imagery usage. A defined design system was established to ensure consistency across all marketing channels.
Comprehensive redesign
The new SECU MD Foundation website was meticulously redesigned from the ground up using Figma. This process infused the refreshed brand identity, incorporated meaningful imagery, and presented newly defined content crafted to engage users and powerfully convey the positive impact of the SECU MD Foundation within Maryland communities.
Robust website development
The website was rebuilt and customized on a new staging environment, ensuring a smooth transition. The new architecture was specifically designed for easy management and maintenance by internal teams, ensuring long-term sustainability.
User experience enhancement
Emphasis was placed on creating an intuitive user experience, allowing students and organizations to navigate the site quickly and find the information they needed to engage with the foundation.
Results
This project not only revitalized the SECU MD Foundation’s online identity but also strategically positioned it to increase accessibility and support for Maryland communities. The successful launch within three weeks underscores the importance of responsive design and development in the nonprofit sector, ensuring that essential services reach those who need them most.
In record time, the newly designed SECU MD Foundation website was launched, bringing a vibrant new life to the organization’s online presence. Post-launch, the foundation saw an influx of applications, with dozens of students and organizations benefiting from the scholarships and grants offered. The new site has improved visibility into the foundation’s mission and services, thereby fostering greater community engagement and support.
Increased engagement
A fully rebranded website that significantly improved user engagement, leading to increased product demos and client inquiries.
Unified brand experience
A cohesive marketing strategy that elevated SECUMD Foundations's brand visibility and consistency across multiple channels.
Optimized user experience
Positive feedback from users on the updated experience highlighting the ease of navigation and overall experience.
