Deliverables
Business Analysis, UX/UI Design, Backend, Website
Tech Used
Service
Project Year
Website
Guatemalta is an NGO based in Gozo, with a mission to support the people of Guatemala through various projects aimed at aiding the local community. The foundation is led by Fr. Anton Grech, who is based in Guatemala and experiences the lives of the local people on a day-to-day basis. Their goal is to expand their reach globally, connecting with more people to raise awareness and support for their cause. This project holds a special place for our team, as several of our employees had personally visited Guatemala before even forming Threls, making it a mission close to our hearts.
The rebranding aimed to capture the deep connection between Guatemala and Malta, creating a unified visual identity that reflects Guatemalta’s core values: mission, education, volunteering, and togetherness. The objective was to build a brand that resonated emotionally with supporters, blending cultural elements from both countries to inspire a sense of belonging among donors and volunteers alike.
To embody this connection, the rebranding used a fresh, symbolic design. The colour palette drew from the Guatemalan flag—blues, greens, and whites—alongside organic, rounded shapes symbolising Guatemala’s natural beauty and sense of harmony. The logo iconically represents two figures connecting, symbolising the partnership between the two nations, with an abstract visual created from the letters 'u' and 'a' in 'Guatemalta.'
The rebranding was complemented by a fully redesigned website, seamlessly integrating this new visual identity with practical enhancements. Stripe integration enabled secure donations, supporting Guatemalta’s growing donor base while aligning with the foundation’s mission for future adaptability.
The “Sponsor a Child” initiative was in jeopardy due to the organisation’s limited resources for maintaining consistent communication with individual sponsors. The goal was to revive this program by creating a streamlined solution that would facilitate sponsorships and sustain the communication between donors and the organisation without excessive manual efforts.
We proposed integrating an automated sponsorship system on the website, allowing donors to choose monthly or yearly sponsorship options via subscription. This streamlined the donation process and enabled efficient management, with automatic reminders and renewals. Additionally, we developed an admin portal feature for the organisation to send regular updates, photos, and messages to sponsors, fostering a direct communication line and strengthening donor engagement within a single system.
To address concerns about making sponsorship feel too transactional, we conducted market research to create sensitive, meaningful language that emphasised the impact and connection fostered by these contributions, avoiding the feel of a commercial purchase.
To support Guatemalta’s growing impact, we aimed to create a projects page that didn’t just inform but inspired, giving donors an immediate connection to each initiative. The redesign would ensure that each project’s unique needs and progress were clear, while also offering a smooth, engaging donation experience.
Our approach focused on showcasing three distinct project types—those with specific fundraising targets; fixed-amount needs; and open-ended initiatives—all displayed with real-time funding updates and supporter numbers. By allowing donors to directly select and support a project from the page, we simplified the donation journey. Inspired by similar platforms, our research led to a design that balanced clarity with an inviting, dynamic layout, giving each project a space to tell its story and connect with supporters.
The Group Donation Portal emerged as a way to simplify fundraising for the many groups visiting Guatemala and to streamline support for the organisation’s projects. Rather than managing multiple fundraising streams, the goal was to create a unified platform that would bring all donations directly to Guatemalta, enhancing transparency and ease for both the donors and the organisation.
We collaborated closely with the organisation to bring this vision to life, developing a customisable portal that allows groups to create dedicated pages for their campaigns. Each page provides real-time stats on the donations raised by group members and showcases how much has been contributed to specific initiatives. It’s an experience tailored for group engagement and can even be used by companies to encourage their teams to give back together, fostering a shared commitment to Guatemalta's mission.
This project was particularly meaningful to us because of our personal connection to Guatemala. The opportunity to redesign, develop, and expand Guatemalta’s digital presence allowed us to contribute to a cause that resonates with us. Watching the platform evolve and helping it grow into a global resource for good has been a very rewarding journey for us.