Service design · Heaven Hill Academy, Nepal · 2019
A free school in rural Nepal, and a sustainable source of income.
- Role
- Research, the fundraising model and the new website.
- Users
- Donors, and about 350 international volunteers a year.
- Scope
- Research, service design, UX/UI.
- Result
- One meal a day for every student, and two more schools in remote villages.
Growth depended on the next appeal.
How might we help a remote charity create a sustainable source of income?
The problem
The school wanted to reach every child in Gaunshahar, and feed them. The money came in bursts.
Heaven Hill Academy is the first entirely free private school in Nepal. It sits in Gaunshahar, one of the poorest regions of the country, and pays tuition, uniforms and school materials for children from the most marginalised castes and the poorest families. That alleviates the financial strain on families, so children can focus on school, in a nurturing setting that encourages self-development and fosters creativity. Every year it has to grow, open remote schools and, as a new mission, give every student at least one nutritious meal a day. Funding came from one-off campaigns in times of need.
Already at the school every year
~350
international volunteers. For most of them the visit was a one-off, with no ongoing connection once they left.
Why it matters
Thousands of children have studied here, and leave fluent in English, a skill that opens doors to new opportunities.
The school has also changed how the community sees violence and the value of education. Keeping it open, and growing, is the whole point.
The donors were already there.
Volunteers are invested in the cause. Given the means, they're more likely to donate and share campaigns.
From a visit to a relationship.
What a volunteer alumni network changes.
Before
With the network
Each update is a reason to come back.
Three pillars for the fundraising model.
The strategy we devised for the school.
01
Long-term relationships.
A volunteer alumni network, so people who already know the school stay close to it after they leave.
02
Transparency and accountability.
Many charities never say where the money went. Keeping donors and volunteers up to date gives them a sense of ownership.
03
More ways to give.
Structured programmes instead of only emergency campaigns.
What a donor can choose
Cover the monthly education costs of one or more children.
Food, or school materials.
Like a Christmas appeal, given for yourself or as a gift for someone else.
A website that shows the work.
Transparency made visible: latest updates, plans for the future and how to help, on every screen size.
Home page
The first screen says what the school does, with Donate now and Get involved right there.
Further down: about the school, education in Nepal, plans for the future and how you can help.
What changed.
What the new engagement model made possible.
1,000+
children and their families positively impacted.
+2
schools opened in remote villages, while the first one in Gaunshahar kept growing.
One meal a day for every student.
The new mission the school set out to fund, now achieved.
Gaunshahar.
Photos from the school.
