The Problem
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award USA runs one of the world’s most respected youth development programs — challenging young people ages 14–24 to grow through physical activity, skill-building, volunteering, and adventure. But their website wasn’t keeping pace with the scale of their mission. Donation pathways were unclear, the mobile experience fell short, and the site struggled to speak to multiple audiences at once: prospective participants, proud alumni, dedicated donors, and organizational partners. They needed a digital home that could do all of that — and make it look easy.
The Approach
Cornershop built the new site on WordPress, giving the Award USA team a clean, flexible foundation they can manage and grow on their own. Audience clarity was baked in from the start. The Participants page guides young people through the process step by step, with distinct paths depending on whether they’re joining an existing program or starting fresh. The Alumni Spotlights section adds real storytelling weight — putting names, faces, and personal journeys front and center to inspire both future participants and prospective donors.
The Solution
On the fundraising side, we designed a custom DonorBox integration that fits seamlessly into the site’s donation experience. Each giving level on the donate page connects directly to a branded DonorBox form, making it simple for supporters to give. We also rebuilt the Make a Payment feature using a custom Stripe webhook solution — giving the organization a reliable, separate pathway for handling program payments outside the donation flow. Two standout additions round out the build: an AI-powered chatbot that helps users find what they need fast, and multilingual translation functionality that reflects the Award’s genuinely global audience.
The Results
The final site works hard across every audience without feeling cluttered or complicated. Participants can orient themselves quickly, donors have a clear and compelling path to give, and the organization has the tools to handle both donations and payments with confidence. Most importantly, the site finally matches the ambition of the program it represents — a polished, accessible digital presence that tells the Award USA story the way it deserves to be told.
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