LaFleur, a Grand Rapids-based digital marketing agency, announced today its first annual nonprofit website initiative. Through this initiative, LaFleur will build a new website for a West Michigan nonprofit organization at no cost to the nonprofit.
The nonprofit website initiative is part of the agency’s robust and expanding community engagement program. Since LaFleur’s inception in 2014, LaFleur has been committed to the Grand Rapids community through participating in community events and volunteering. Their community engagement program experienced significant growth last year.
In 2018, some of our staff top picks for nonprofits to support were great organizations like Gilda’s Club, KaBOOM!, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, Urban Roots, Kid’s Food Basket, and more!
LaFleur’s Community Engagement Program
“In 2018 each staff member chose a nonprofit they supported and our agency volunteered a half-day at the selected local nonprofit,” says Chip LaFleur, president of LaFleur. “Our volunteer efforts helped feed local children, increase play equity, and build awareness for refugee and animal rescue organizations.”
One of the 2018 volunteer projects included rebuilding a website for a local nonprofit.
“Jane Newton, one of our marketing strategists, is closely involved with Tyson’s Place and is passionate about animal welfare,” Chip says. “She saw their need for a new website and knew that our team could help Tyson’s Place improve their online outreach systems.”
A New Website for Tyson’s Place Animal Rescue
Tyson’s Place Animal Rescue’s mission is to assist terminally ill people find new homes for their pets. The small animal rescue is volunteer-run and depends on donations to operate. When the project began, their website was functional but outdated and didn’t meet their needs.
“Poor website optimization limited Tyson’s Place’s digital presence,” Chip LaFleur says. “Poor search results meant they were missing out on much needed traffic to get donations and volunteers. Since they are a small nonprofit, they did not have the resources to build a new website on their own.”
After meeting with representatives from Tyson’s Place, the LaFleur team identified the organization’s specific needs and began building a new website that provided:
- Improved calls to action for donations and foster home applications
- Integration of the Petfinder app into the website
- Streamlined forms for adoptions and fostering applications
- New sections that detailed Tyson’s Place’s policies, upcoming events, and adoption success stories
- Modernized design with an intuitive user interface
LaFleur’s design and content teams got to work immediately, aiming to improve the site’s UX (user experience) and increase conversion rates for donations and applications to adopt and foster. Two months later, in April 2018, the new Tyson’s Place website went live.
The new and improved Tyson’s Place website has had an increase in traffic and conversions. In less than a year, the rescue has received a 25% increase in donations and online adoption and fostering applications rose as well.
LaFleur’s 2019 Nonprofit Website Initiative
Inspired by their success with Tyson’s Place, LaFleur is proud to announce that each year it will select a local nonprofit to receive a website and other digital marketing services at no charge.
“We have a very talented and skilled group of people who are committed to their community and excited to give back,” says Sarah LaFleur, the agency’s volunteer and community engagement coordinator. “West Michigan is a remarkable place that deeply values philanthropy. We’re proud to do our part to strengthen our community and empower those who serve it.”
This year’s window to submit applications will run from Friday, February 1 to Friday, March 1 at 5 p.m. To learn more about the entire offering, eligibility criteria, and application process, visit lafleur.marketing/non-profit-website-project.
The selected nonprofit organization will be notified and announced in April.
About LaFleur
LaFleur is a forward-thinking digital marketing partner for growing businesses across the country. We create innovative, data-driven marketing strategies and assets for a wide range of clients that include law firms, healthcare organizations, and more. To learn about LaFleur, visit our website at lafleur.marketing.
About Tyson’s Place Animal Rescue
Tyson’s Place Animal Rescue is a West Michigan 501(c)(3) organization that fosters animals with terminally ill owners and places them in new, loving homes. Many of the organization’s animals are seniors or have special medical needs.
The organization is named after founder Jill Bannink-Albrecht’s beloved rescue cat. Before he was rescued, Tyson faced possible euthanasia due to his “advanced” age of five years. The experience deepened Bannink-Albrecht’s passion for animal rescue and helped her realize that both people and pets deserve love and respect no matter where they are in their life journey. To support Tyson’s Place, visit their website at tysonsplacerescue.org.