Sir Ted Manson is a New Zealand philanthropist and entrepreneur who’s committed to breaking down barriers to education access for vulnerable tamariki in South Auckland.
In 2014, Sir Ted established the Ted Manson Foundation (TMF), with a focus on addressing social housing needs. A decade on, the Foundation’s website continued to capture this philanthropic activity, however, the focus of the Foundation had changed.
The challenge
Today, TMF funds high-impact education programmes that help vulnerable children in high-needs communities in South and West Auckland to learn, grow and thrive. The problem? Their website still told the old story.
“We needed a site that reflected what we do now and why we do it,” says TMF CEO Sam McCloy-McKenzie. “The website hadn’t been updated for some time, so the focus was off. We were also getting a high volume of requests from people wanting funding, which is not what we do. We needed clarity.”
“TMF is a well-established organisation, but its change in focus from housing to education accessibility hadn’t been conveyed online, and so its story wasn’t being told,” explains Ashton Hoffman, Digital Strategist for Energise.
“The Foundation’s digital presence needed to evolve to reflect that scale and diversity of its on-the-ground work with schools, and this required strong collaboration and a fast turnaround.”
The approach
With the challenges clearly identified, Energise set about working with the Foundation to reshape its website. Anchored in purpose, we gained clarity on why the Foundation exists, what it hopes to achieve and most importantly, the real difference it’s making in children’s lives.
- Rewriting the site architecture to support a clearer user journey.
- Interviewing Sir Ted Manson to bring his values and vision to life.
- Refreshing brand elements, including a beautifully animated version of TMF’s beloved bird.
- Creating new content and case studies that speak to TMF’s impact.
- Building strong calls-to-action to drive visitors through the site.
- Creating clarity around the Foundation’s operational processes to reduce funding requests.
The Outcome
TMF’s new site tells the story that the team needed the public to hear. It’s clear, modern, and easy to navigate. It reflects the Foundation’s evolution and gives space to share the voices of the tamariki, schools, and partners behind its work.
“We’re incredibly proud of what we do,” says Sam. “Now our website helps us share that in a way that’s easy for others to understand and connect with.”
“The website looks great and the team are very happy with the outcome. Your team did a great job and was very easy to work with.”
Sam McCloy-McKenzie, CEO, Ted Manson Foundation
Thinking about your own site?
If your organisation’s focus has changed but your website hasn’t, we can help you tell the story that matters. Get in touch today.
