Case Studies: Samaritan House

“Our new website has become an integrated part of our agency. Online donations on the site increased from $2,000 total last year to receiving $19,500 this past December alone. We have also added the component to allow volunteers to sign-up for jobs and send us their information online. Our new website allows us to get our information out in our community and beyond in a way we have not been able to do before!”

- Marsha Eddleman, Development Director, Samaritan House

About Samaritan House

Founded in 1974, Samaritan House is a community-based nonprofit organization with 30 years of experience in meeting the needs of low-income residents of San Mateo County, California. Samaritan House offers an integrated course of programs including individual case management, emergency assistance, food, clothing, shelter, education, counseling, medical care, dental care, and holiday assistance - all provided free of charge to over 12,000 residents each year.

The Challenge

According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, nonprofits have seen a greater than 40% surge in online giving in the past year. The website that Samaritan House was using was five years old, had a confusing layout, and lacked the functionality necessary to adequately support this new and highly effective form of fundraising. Engaging the organization’s 3,000 volunteers was cumbersome, and not supported by the website. Samaritan House had also recently implemented a new branding image, which was not yet reflected on their website.

The Work

The Taproot team of five professionals assessed the Samaritan House's needs for a highly functional and interactive website through extensive interviews with staff and volunteer leaders. They designed a site architecture for the new site that anticipated even greater functionality as use of the website expanded. The Taproot Foundation team then worked on the design of the site and assembled content in consultation with Samaritan House staff. After all this groundwork had been properly laid, the Taproot Foundation team worked diligently to implement the website according to plan. All during the project, team members made sure to provide Samaritan House staff with opportunities to develop new web management skills, to ensure the organization’s own self-sufficiency after the project was completed.

The Result

The new website has current information on the organization, enhanced online donation capabilities, and user friendly information for volunteers. Samaritan House now has a vehicle through which it can participate in the surge taking place in online philanthropy. The graphics have a contemporary look, and reflect the branding image recently developed for Samaritan House. The project was a “fantastic learning experience” for staff members who learned new skills in website design, production and maintenance. The new site was launched in May 2004, just three weeks behind an ambitious six month schedule. Feedback concerning the new site has been fantastic, as constituents have commented on the improved design and usability of the site.

The Service Grant Team

The engagement team included:

Kathleen (Kathy) O’Leary, Partner, Tesla Design, Formerly Senior Director of
    Marketing, Oracle Corporation, extensive experience with engagement
    management

Jane Tsai, Senior Group Marketing Manager, Oracle, expert in developing
    marketing campaigns and leading teams

Mark MacCollin, Web Producer, Scuba Holdings, expertise in designing and
    creating web sites

Andrea Leggett, Marketing Strategist, SPL Worldgroup, marketing and
    positioning expert

Carl Yoshihara, Graphic Designer and Web Developer, Publishing Power, Inc.,
    expert in coding websites

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