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Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter

Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter

About the Business

Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter (HKWS) is a not-for-profit organisation that provides crisis accommodation and support services to women experiencing domestic violence and homelessness in northern Sydney. Since 2015, HKWS has offered safe housing, trauma-informed case management, and practical support including legal help, health services, and pathways to employment. They also provide long-term transitional housing for women over 55 at risk of homelessness, as well as outreach services for women and children unable to stay at the shelter.

The Challenge

HKWS’s existing website was built on a basic theme with limited flexibility, resulting in a dated design and content that was no longer reflective of the organisation’s impact or evolving needs. With a team made up of both employees and dedicated volunteers – many with limited time or technical experience – the new site needed to be intuitive and easy to update. A key priority was reworking the user journey to clearly guide visitors toward the most meaningful ways they could support the shelter, whether through donations, volunteering, or event participation. The site also needed to effectively support traffic from ongoing appeals, newsletters, and social media campaigns.
Note: Our Founder, Heather Porter, volunteered on HKWS’s Community Engagement Committee, and all website work was proudly donated as part of our commitment to purpose-driven projects.

Want to see it live?

Web Site

 

What we did to optimise their website for conversions:

Strategic Redesign

We developed a custom website design that strategically spotlighted HKWS’s key pillars: education, community involvement, impact statistics, stories of the women they support, partnerships, and newsletter sign-ups. The refreshed design gave the organisation a clear, compelling online presence that aligned with their mission.

User-Friendly Editing Experience

To support the shelter’s volunteer-based team, each page was thoughtfully structured for easy editing. We also delivered a custom training guide featuring screenshots and short how-to videos, empowering team members to confidently manage content updates with minimal technical support.

Improved Sitemap and Navigation

Using analytics from the previous site, we identified the most visited pages and restructured the sitemap to improve user flow. The new navigation makes it easier for visitors to quickly find relevant information, whether they’re seeking help, looking to donate, or wanting to learn more.

Clear Pathways to Get Involved

We introduced a dedicated “Get Involved” section that outlines all the ways people can contribute – ranging from one-off or recurring donations, joining the newsletter, and leaving a gift in their will, to community fundraising and volunteering opportunities.

Email Marketing Support

Using their CRM, Supporter Hub, we crafted and distributed a monthly newsletter for 12 months. Each edition highlighted volunteers, community members, education events, and updates from the Chair – fostering consistent communication and deepening community engagement.

Social Media Advertising

We created and managed targeted social media ads to support event ticket sales and fundraising appeals, including key campaigns like End of Financial Year (EOFY). These campaigns helped boost visibility and drive action during critical periods.