Storytelling and ActionAid India

Thoughts on storytelling and simplification of ActionAid International and India websites

ActionAid is an international non-governmental organization whose stated primary aim is to work against poverty and injustice worldwide. Founded in 1972, the nonprofit organization has more than 45 country offices including India.

Wondering why I am talking about ActionAid? Even if you aren’t I will respond just for the sake of writing this article. Anyway keeping away my dead sarcasm, I had recently shared my thoughts about the State of Global Online Fundraising - an extensive study done by NextAfter and Salesforce.org.

Right at the end of the report, you have a list of all the Nonprofits that NextAfter had conversed during this study. 

For a normal person, it might be a huge list, for a blogger, it is a goldmine that not only gives me the opportunity to know about the work various nonprofits are doing but also ideas for new content.

When you start reading an author’s note or references at the end of the book; you have grown as a reader? Okay, that’s my way of showing off.

Back to the article.

ActionAid SEO title and description

ActionAid was one of the nonprofit organizations on the list from the US. To understand more I wanted to land on the website and hence I was on Google.

This was my search result:

Full marks to ActionAid India for running a Google ad on the keyword. If you don’t have the budget to run Google ads; integrate Google Ad grant. The monthly budget is limited to 10,000 USD (INR 761,805) and the daily budget to 329 USD (INR 25,063.38) which is still not bad even if you have to use it for text-based ads.

Though, not really convinced why the description of the Indian ActionAid isn’t in sync with its parent organization ActionAid.

I believe that the core(Why) cannot be different for each office. Irrespective of whether it is in India, Australia, or the US the core statement remains the same.

Rather than telling the world what problems the organisation is trying to solve; the Indian wing is busy telling the world how genuine, best, and trustworthy organisation is.

And also the title? From my experience, I can say that almost every other NGO in India has this habit of saying that they are the best NGO. No one really cares.

Since I was on Google I also checked if the Indian wing has owned the business on Google. They do and have been active. Often we ignore this simple process of listing businesses in Google which is an effective organic mechanism.

By now I had opened up both the websites on the web of ActionAid (International)

and ActionAid (India).

After spending some time observing the design, content, and layout of the home page here is what I think:

Mobile-first thinking

ActionAid International has simplified mobile-first thinking which should be the case considering the consumer behavior patterns. This is the mobile preview when you fire the link of ActionAid International.

The best thing is that no slider (sliders are old and offer lag ) - one hero image from a recent story driving the narrative of the organisation. Basically, rather than the organisation boasting about their work; they are putting stories of change or from the ground to make a point.

However, the web has a “Donate Now” button, and interestingly it is missing on the mobile. Why? Maybe one can remove the “Search” button and make space for the “Donate Now” button on the top bar of mobile. 

With mobile, the challenge is always what one should show and what needs to be hidden. The “Donate Now” button should be visible in bold unless you are expecting the consumer to take the effort.

And this is the ActionAid India mobile preview which is just a complete replica of the web into mobile. My design sense has died after observing the website both on the web and mobile.

Since the India organization has replicated the website on mobile so there are three layers before the hero image comes up. There is this top layer with “Contact us and Subscribe” options, then the second layer of the logo and categories icon, and then there is a third layer with an option of the “Donate” button. Finally, you come to the images which is basically a slider that shows everything the organization is doing in one go.

Every layer has its own color and with my minimum design sense that is really lame. Pretty obvious that we believe in quantity rather than quality.

Storytelling 

How can we build trust? Nonprofits struggle with this question. I don’t know why because the answer is bringing clarity in Why, How, and What. Once you have that one needs to be relentlessly communicating the same to the donors.

Storytelling is a way by which you assure your donors/subscribers that the hard-earned money invested is being used in these respective ways.

Since trust can’t be earned in a day or week or month so one needs to keep doing it relentlessly. The medium is not the issue but the intent is.

ActionAid International trusts in storytelling and this is why from the first fold to the last fold on their homepage you only find stories/news that leads to its blog.

ActionAid India has different thinking where it is focussed on the impact, causes it supports, and awards. Wonder who wants to find out the awards you have won other than the people working in the organisation.

ActionAid India has chosen to embed the campaign mindset rather than storytelling.

Nonetheless, storytelling finds its space right at the end of the website. These stories are of change but why are they right at the bottom? One can argue that the slider has one option that talks about stories of change but do you really think that the donor/subscriber will have the patience to check all your slider content.

Additionally, the content on the blog or the styling of content is primitive. Looks like someone did without even thinking whether the donor/subscriber will love to read it.

Simplification

Simplification happens when you have clarity. The question one needs to ask -

What are the things I don’t want to show on the website?

To begin with, on the web - ActionAid India can check ActionAid International how they have simplified the categories that are visible on the top fold. You can clearly see that storytelling is their important means of communication with its target audience. Show only those categories that are important and the rest you can hide in the drop-down list.

Mobile is a challenge but still, you can remove the categories that are not required. Your data can tell you the best. Here both the organizations need to simplify the categories. Similarly, you can simplify the footer. It makes no sense to have a long footer.

When it comes to the “Donation Page” ActionAid India needs to simplify and have a strong value proposition when it is asking to sponsor a child or do monthly giving. Why should I do it? What are the benefits for a donor and how are you going to make the change happen. Storytelling will save you - tell it via a video like Charity: Water does or make the use of your own blog. The call is yours but make it happen.

ActionAid UK is a great example of a simplified and effective donation page. Once you click on the donate button you are taken to a page on mobile that educates you on the various ways one can support the organisation.

“Sponsor A Child” is one of them and on the further click, it educates you with relevant information on what happens when someone sponsors a child. On how the money will be used and a relevant story of child sponsorship to get the donor’s trust.

And finally, you are welcome to make a monthly or regular donation.

Asking money is not about showing hungry and crying people it is a relentless effort and needs to be communicated strongly via the website. The biggest owned medium that a nonprofit organization owns.

ActionAid India can simply do a study of the various sister countries and draw a plan to make an effective storytelling website.

Not only it will gain trust via effective storytelling but also help in effective online fundraising.