The HALO Trust

Background

The HALO Trust is the world's largest humanitarian mine clearance organisation, operating across more than 30 countries and territories. As part of a wider digital transformation programme, it wanted its website to play a more strategic role in supporting fundraising, advocacy and supporter engagement.

The existing platform presented challenges for both users and internal teams. Donation journeys were difficult to navigate, content discovery was inconsistent and visitors often struggled to find relevant information about HALO's programmes, campaigns and impact. At the same time, content governance varied across the organisation and the existing CMS limited flexibility for teams responsible for managing content.

As a global organisation with teams operating across regions including the UK, US and Ukraine, HALO needed a platform that could support regional requirements while maintaining consistency in content, messaging and governance. The organisation required a scalable solution that would help improve supporter engagement, strengthen fundraising activity and provide a better experience for content editors.

Solution

Nexer Digital partnered with The HALO Trust and brand agency Dragon Rouge to design and deliver a new digital platform built on Umbraco 17.

The project began with an extensive discovery phase involving stakeholders from fundraising, communications, digital, content and leadership teams. User research with current and prospective donors in both the UK and US helped identify opportunities to improve fundraising journeys, storytelling and supporter engagement.

These insights shaped the information architecture, content strategy and user experience. The resulting platform introduced clearer navigation, improved content discovery and stronger pathways to support donations, campaigns and advocacy activity.

Using Umbraco 17, we implemented a structured content architecture including reusable components, standardised templates, taxonomy frameworks and shared content capabilities. This enables global teams to manage content centrally while giving regional teams the flexibility to adapt and publish content for their own audiences.

The implementation also utilised Umbraco's Block Grid editor with custom block previews, providing editors with a more visual and intuitive content management experience. Accessibility was embedded throughout design, development and testing, with the platform designed to align with WCAG 2.2 AA standards.

CMS training and knowledge transfer sessions ensured internal teams were equipped to independently manage content, campaigns and regional variations following launch.

Impact

The new Umbraco platform provides The HALO Trust with a stronger digital foundation for fundraising, advocacy and supporter engagement.

For supporters, the redesigned experience offers clearer donation pathways, improved access to campaign and programme information and more effective storytelling that demonstrates the impact of HALO's work around the world. Visitors can more easily understand how they can support the organisation and engage with its mission.

For internal teams, the platform has delivered more efficient content management processes, improved governance and greater flexibility in campaign delivery. The structured content approach helps maintain consistency across global and regional content while reducing duplication and supporting collaboration between teams.

With a scalable and accessible platform in place, The HALO Trust is now better positioned to support future fundraising objectives, expand digital engagement and continue evolving its online presence as part of its wider digital strategy.