METHODS: Competitor Research | User Journey Map | Annotated Prototypes | Implementation Roadmap

TOOLS: Sketch | Keynote

Client

The Minnesota Environmental Fund The Minnesota Environmental Fund (MEF) provides fund-raising for 24 other environmental non-profits in the state. A majority of donations have come from workplace giving, however that has decline significantly in the last decade. MEF came to us for ideas around increasing overall donations and engaging a younger generation of donors and volunteers.

Approach

Our research found that Millennials (and those close in age) grew up with the internet and technology, and utilize social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  However, they aren’t just on their phones all the time; they enjoy social activities like sports, gardening, hiking, dining out, checking out breweries and the like.  They are also quite concerned with the environment, and want to feel they’ve had a meaningful impact on improving it.  Giving back is important, and they want to see the results of donations and volunteering, so they know they’re making a difference. They want to be part of a larger community of like-minded individuals who strive to help the environment.

While reviewing the current social media posts and the MEF website, we noticed that many of the Member events they were sharing on Facebook were not posted with the ability to link back to the MEF site, which would drive exposure to the MEF site. Also, the MEF site itself didn’t have upcoming events posted. With this already-existing network of member events being organized, we thought: Why can’t MEF promote AND attend these events with a table of information and a representative to help people learn about MEF and sign-up for further engagement via email? The answer was: Well, they should.

With an understanding of the needs of both MEF and the desired group of new donors, we set forth a new design strategy:

All user experience touch points for MEF will help the younger generations of environmentally-conscious Minnesotans to feel engaged and connected so they’re able to contribute to Minnesota’s natural environment in a purposeful way. We will do this by highlighting the various ways MEF positively contributes to the well-being of Minnesota’s environment. 

Touch Points & Prototypes:

Website:

One touch point improvement opportunity is the existing website. To make MEF more accessible to all users, we made adjustments to the navigational text and pages. Now the website has four main headings - about us, upcoming events, contact us, and a donate button with a border to make it pop more. The home page includes a call to action box that offers more ways for users to help as well as a concurrent box that details upcoming events to increase visibility.

The donation page has a new structure. Users can choose to donate via the traditional one-time payment model, or they can elect to donate with a subscription-based system that charges them a small price once a month for the year. To bolster interactivity and the freedom of choice, users can also choose gifts based on the amount they have donated and can decide how much of their donation goes to each of the 24 partner organizations.

Email & Newsletter:

 An email is sent right after a donation is made so the donor feels appreciated. It also invites them to get involved via the event & website links to to see more, and invites them to follow on social media. The newsletter shares the work that MEF volunteers and members are doing to bolster involvement. Also highlighting an upcoming event encourages donors to get involved and perhaps bring a friend and introduce them to MEF. 

Swag & Stickers:

Local artists can create artwork for stickers that will be given out at events to people who sign up for the newsletter. Higher quality gifts like the branded notebook could be given to donors who donate above a specific amount. In addition to these prizes MEF can utilize partner and sponsor merchandize to host raffles and other giveaways.

Brochure: 

The new brochure is a postcard that can fit more easily in a bag or pocket. It has social media information, the website, the mission of MEF, all the organizations that are supported by MEF and ways to get involved. 

Social Media:

Previously social media was underutilized. Social media can be revamped to include all upcoming events not only for MEF, but also member organizations events. Regular postings of all the great work MEF and their members are doing in the community is pivotal in increasing visibility, contributions and engagement of the new and current donors. 

Next Steps:

An Implementation Roadmap will help guide these changes and gauge success over time.

Final Thoughts:

Minnesota Environmental Fund’s mission and vision of shaping a sustainable and just future for Minnesota’s environment, with clean water, air & energy, healthy food and natural places for wildlife and all people, is one that is shared by many Minnesotans. With the engagement of new generations of donors & volunteers, we know MEF will be able to continue the great work of sustaining and improving our state’s greatest treasure: Our beautiful natural environment.