Where does the money go? Exemplified by a user study of a small non-profit organisation's website
Author
Weisbjerg, Lene Kraft
Term
4. Term
Education
Publication year
2019
Submitted on
2019-06-03
Pages
61
Abstract
This thesis explores how a small non-profit organization’s website can inform users while supporting the organization’s business goal of attracting private donations. The topic is motivated by limited research on small, resource-constrained organizations’ web presence, despite websites being central for information sharing, stakeholder engagement, and online transactions. Building on a literature review (five relevant articles) and a pragmatic, qualitative user study of one case site, five participants completed usability tasks followed by interviews; data were analyzed inductively. Findings identify credibility as the overarching theme intertwined with other concerns. Participants emphasized the importance of economic transparency, context-appropriate visuals, making it very clear where the money goes, a homepage that communicates the organization’s vision, the use of recognizable elements, few advertisements, and recommendations from friends. Several insights align with prior literature, suggesting potential broader relevance, yet the study’s scope (a single case and five participants) limits generalization. The work offers practical contributions to information architecture for small non-profits aiming to inform users and encourage donations, while underscoring the need for further research.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan en lille non-profit organisations hjemmeside kan informere brugere og samtidig støtte organisationens forretningsmål om at indsamle private donationer. Baggrunden er, at forskning i små, ressourcetrængte organisationers webtilstedeværelse er begrænset, selv om hjemmesiden er central for at dele information, engagere interessenter og muliggøre online transaktioner. Med udgangspunkt i et litteraturreview (fem relevante artikler) og en pragmatisk, kvalitativ brugerundersøgelse af én caseside, gennemførte fem deltagere brugbarhedstests efterfulgt af interviews; data blev analyseret induktivt. Resultaterne peger på troværdighed som overordnet kategori, der gennemtrænger øvrige temaer. Særligt vigtigt for deltagerne var økonomisk transparens, kontekstuelt passende visuelle elementer, at det er meget klart, hvor pengene går hen, at forsiden formidler organisationens vision, brug af genkendelige elementer, få annoncer samt anbefalinger fra venner. Flere af fundene flugter med den gennemgåede litteratur, hvilket indikerer mulige bredere træk, men undersøgelsens begrænsede omfang (én case, fem deltagere) betyder, at resultaterne ikke kan generaliseres. Studiet bidrager med praksisnære indsigter til informationsarkitektur for små non-profits, der ønsker at informere brugere og fremme donationer, men peger samtidig på behovet for yderligere forskning.
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