Website Audit

Courageous Women Association (CWA) is seeking a skilled Taproot volunteer to conduct a practical audit of our website focused on clarity, conversion, and ease of use. Our website is a primary public-facing tool for donations, volunteer recruitment, and program engagement, and we want to ensure visitors can quickly understand who we are, what we do, and how to take action.

Key tasks we’re hoping a volunteer can assist with (2–5 hours/week):

Information architecture + content flow review: Assess whether our key messages (mission, programs, impact, and “why CWA”) are easy to find and understand within 1–2 clicks.

Donation user experience audit: Evaluate the donation pathway for friction (number of steps, clarity of calls-to-action, mobile experience, trust signals), and recommend improvements to increase completed donations.

Volunteer recruitment audit: Review how volunteers learn about opportunities and sign up; identify gaps, unclear language, missing info, or barriers to completion.

Programs + sign-up clarity: Review program pages (Courage House, CDEEP, Sister2Sister, and A Day Especially for You) for clarity, eligibility requirements, and ease of inquiry/application.

Action-oriented recommendations: Deliver a prioritized list of improvements (quick wins vs. larger upgrades), and suggested copy/CTA edits to strengthen engagement.

Deliverables we’d like by the end of the project:

A short written audit summary with key findings

A prioritized recommendations roadmap (high/medium/low effort + high/medium/low impact)

Suggested revised navigation and CTA placement

Optional: draft page outline(s) or sample rewritten copy for the homepage, donate page, and volunteer page

We’re looking for guidance that is realistic for a small nonprofit team to implement and that improves donor conversion, volunteer sign-ups, and program access.

This project directly strengthens CWA’s ability to connect women and families to safety, healing, and self-sufficiency—because our website is often the first place a survivor, donor, or potential volunteer encounters us.

CWA’s mission is to help women and children heal from violent environments and achieve self-sufficiency through holistic support, including transitional housing, career development, and community-based resources. When our website is clear, welcoming, and easy to navigate, it becomes a true “front door” to services—making it easier for people to find help quickly, understand eligibility, and take the next step without confusion or delay.

A strong website also directly supports our sustainability goals. A smoother donation experience increases completed gifts and recurring support, which helps fund critical programming like Courage House (two-year transitional living), CDEEP (career development and economic empowerment), Sister2Sister (peer support), and A Day Especially for You (annual life-necessities distribution). Even small improvements in clarity and conversion can translate into meaningful dollars that cover housing costs, transportation support, workforce readiness materials, and basic needs.

Finally, improving volunteer recruitment and sign-up pathways expands the caring community around our participants. More volunteers means more capacity for mentoring, event support, program logistics, and consistent encouragement—helping survivors feel seen, supported, and resourced as they rebuild their lives.

A Taproot volunteer’s expertise will help us remove friction, sharpen our message, and make it easier for community members to engage—so more women can access support sooner, more donors can give confidently, and more volunteers can join the mission with clarity and purpose.

We’re set up to be an organized, responsive partner and to move quickly from recommendations to implementation.

Internal buy-in and ownership: CWA leadership is aligned that our website is a primary tool for donations, volunteer recruitment, and program engagement. We have internal agreement on the top priorities: (1) donations, (2) client/program inquiries and applications, and (3) volunteer sign-ups. I (project lead) will serve as the single point of contact and decision-maker for day-to-day questions, with the Executive Director available for timely approvals as needed.

Materials and access ready: We can provide the volunteer with immediate access to key information, including:

Current website links/sitemap, page inventory, and any existing draft copy

Program descriptions, eligibility requirements, and intake/sign-up processes

Current donation workflows (platform links, recurring giving options, form steps)

Current volunteer workflows (interest form, onboarding steps, contact routing)

Brand basics (logos, colors, tone/voice) and any existing outreach materials

Clear scope + steady cadence: We will start with a kickoff call to confirm goals, user journeys, and success metrics, then maintain a consistent weekly check-in (30–45 minutes) to remove blockers and make decisions quickly. We’ll keep feedback centralized (one document) and respond within 24–48 hours.

Implementation plan: We are prepared to implement outcomes immediately. Our team manages the site in-house (Wix), and we can execute quick wins during the project (CTA placement, navigation tweaks, form simplification, copy updates). Larger recommendations will be translated into a prioritized roadmap with owners and target dates, so the volunteer’s work results in concrete improvements—not a report that sits on a shelf.

Commitment to follow-through: We’ll define “done” early (deliverables + priorities) and close the project with an implementation checklist and next steps to ensure sustained progress.