.ORG Showcase

Kiva.org

Kiva.org is a special non-profit site in that instead of soliciting traditional donations, Kiva asks donors to lend money to entrepreneurs in the developing world. To quickly explain their mission, Kiva has included a one sentence description of their cause directly below the top navigation bar. They've emphasized the need for lenders by placing two "Lend" buttons above the fold on the homepage: 1) in the top navigation bar, and 2) in the "Featured Entrepreneurs" section. An "About" link makes it easy for visitors to find more information about the organization and the "Impact This Week" section showcases up-to-the minute activity on new loans and lenders.

MercyCorps.org

The MercyCorp site uses a bold blue to highlight important features such as the "Donate Now" button. They've created a "Featured Content" section to call attention to important initiatives while a news feed keeps visitors up-to-date on MercyCorps' worldwide efforts. The site also takes advantage of Web 2.0 social-networking mediums by including links to Twitter® feeds, Facebook® pages, newsletter subscriptions, and more. This helps supporters keep current on MercyCorps' efforts from alternate locations.

Causecast.org

CAUSECAST.org is a different type of non-profit organization. The site's primary goal is to encourage participation in a multitude of causes throughout the world, and support them using social networking and Web 2.0 mediums such as videos, cause profiles, user profiles and more. CAUSECAST placed their mission statement front-and-center on the page, letting visitors quickly identify the site's purpose. The top navigation banner includes links to more information about the organization ("Who We Are") and contains a bright pink "Donate" button. A prominent email subscription field also entices visitors to stay connected with the organization.

DoctorsWithoutBorders.org

The news feed on the front of the Doctors Without Borders site makes it easy for visitors to learn more about the group's recent initiatives and current issues. Their "Donate Now" button is highlighted by one of the site's few splashes of color. Finally, the top navigation bar provides quick links for donors, volunteers, and press, while the ability to subscribe to newsletters and podcasts encourages visitors to stay engaged.

VolunteerMatch.org

VolunteerMatch uses topic specific boxes to segment the content on its home page. This segmentation, combined with clean lines and a light background, makes it easy for visitors to find the information they're seeking. As the primary focus of this site is to match volunteers with worthwhile causes, they've placed a search box in the center of the homepage. A bright yellow "Donate" button and a brief description of the organization's mission sits above the fold as well.

RoomToRead.org

The clean structure of Room To Read's website makes it easy to find the information you want. The home page includes three "Donate" call-to-actions (one in a pop-up menu under "Get Involved"). The top navigation bar contains quick links for volunteers ("Get Involved"), the press ("Media & Press"), and for those who want to learn more about the organization ("About Us"). A bar chart prominently displays the organizations success metrics and a "Latest News" feed showcases top news articles where Room to Read's efforts are mentioned.