RiseUp Industries Non‑Profit Website Redesign
A faster, donor‑focused site delivered ahead of the annual gala
Executive Summary
RiseUp Industries is a San‑Diego non‑profit that equips formerly incarcerated men with CNC‑machining skills and holistic support. I was engaged to rebuild their public‑facing website so donors, employers, and prospective participants could instantly understand the mission, explore success stories, and give with confidence—delivering a modern, mobile‑ready site in time for the organization’s annual “Big Night” fundraiser.
Background & Context
Existing site offered little imagery or video; the narrative felt abstract to new visitors.
Staff relied on in‑person donor nights for funding but wanted year‑round reach.
Social‑media efforts lacked a central hub to drive traffic back to.
Tight deadline: launch before the Big Night gala to showcase the brand on event screens and printed collateral.
Objectives & Success Criteria
- Show the mission visually - Integrate photo & video stories across the home page and “Our Story” section
- Clear paths to engage - Dedicated “Get Involved” hub for donors, employers, and volunteers
- Mobile‑first UX - Fully responsive design, sub‑3‑second load time
- On‑brand design - Colour palette and typography aligned with RiseUp visual guidelines
- Launch readiness - Site live two weeks before the gala, staff trained to update content
Approach & Key Actions
Discovery
Conducted interviews with program participants and staff to capture authentic success stories.
Benchmarked Homeboy Industries and two other re‑entry nonprofits for navigation and storytelling best practices.
Performed a full site‑map audit and content inventory to identify gaps in donor journeys and media assets.
Design & Build
Re‑platformed on WordPress + Elementor using a lightweight theme to improve load speed.
Integrated a high‑impact hero video, donor‑story carousel, and participant portrait gallery to humanize the mission.
Applied a refreshed colour palette and typography system aligned with RiseUp’s brand guide for consistent visual identity.
Content & SEO
Drafted new copy for the mission, fellowship, CNC‑training, and success‑story pages, emphasising clarity and donor value.
Implemented on‑page SEO with Yoast (meta titles, descriptions, and Open Graph tags).
Configured Google Analytics 4 and event tracking for Donate button clicks.
Deliverables
- Responsive WordPress website
- Video‑ready hero section + donor‑story carousel template
- “Get Involved” landing hub with tailored CTAs for donors, employers, and volunteers
- SEO meta‑framework and XML sitemap
Software & Tools Utilized
Key Competencies Demonstrated
Full‑cycle Project Management
Drove the engagement from stakeholder discovery through design, build, QA, and hand‑off—delivering the new site ten days ahead of the gala deadline with a documented rollback plan and training assets in place.
UX & Content Strategy
Mapped donor pathways, introduced story‑first navigation, and implemented responsive components that keep CTAs visible and copy scannable on desktop and mobile screens alike.
SEO Foundations
Created meta‑tag architecture, XML sitemap, and GA4 events for Donate clicks—handing off a performance dashboard the team can update without developer support.
Stakeholder Alignment
Led workshops with staff, interviewed program participants to surface authentic narratives, and presented design iterations to the board for rapid consensus and approval.
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