Project Snapshot
Client: Stray Animal Adoption Program
Project Type: Non-profit digital transformation
Scope: Site audit, Website refresh and migration (WordPress → Squarespace), donation platform setup, digital fundraising campaigns, branded email + social content
Expertise: Web design, platform integration, content strategy, donor funnel optimization, ongoing digital support
SAAP is one of the largest foster-based rescues in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. Their old WordPress site and donation system were hard to use, scattered, and not built for growth. I stepped in to give them a full digital refresh: moving their website to Squarespace, setting up Givebutter for donations, and building out email and social campaigns.
Today, the new website and donation system make it simple for people to adopt, foster, volunteer, and give. The team can easily run creative campaigns year-round, and I continue to manage and evolve the digital presence so SAAP can focus on what matters most—saving animals.
Challenges
SAAP’s old WordPress site had grown messy over the years. Information was scattered, pages were out of date, and the adoption process was confusing. Donations were limited to PayPal, which made it harder for people to give—and nearly impossible to track campaigns or recurring gifts. On top of that, branding felt inconsistent across the website, emails, and social media, making it tough to build momentum with supporters.
Goals
The mission was clear: create a modern, easy-to-manage digital home for SAAP that made adopting, fostering, and donating simple. At the same time, we wanted to expand how SAAP connected with supporters—through streamlined donation options, creative fundraising campaigns, and consistent branded communications. Everything needed to feel approachable, mobile-friendly, and built to grow with the rescue.
Solutions
We rebuilt the website from the ground up, migrating from WordPress to Squarespace to give SAAP a clean, mobile-ready site that’s easy for both the team and adopters to use. Donations moved to Givebutter, unlocking recurring giving, multiple payment options (credit card, Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay), and real-time campaign tracking.
Website
Transformation
With the website in place, I then created branded email templates and social graphics that helped unify their look across platforms. Together, these updates made it possible to run year-round digital campaigns—like Giving Tuesday, March Matchness, Poorly Drawn Pets, and Super Bowl Squares—that bring in more donations and keep supporters engaged.
Email Campaign
Highlights
Doubling Donor Impact Through Email
Quick Stats
Email Open Rate
31.3%
Open rate exceeded nonprofit industry average (21%) by 10%
Email Campaign Raised
$1,916
Email alone contributed 20% of the campaign’s total fundraising
Total Campaign Raised
$9,512
March Matchness doubled donor impact and brought in over $9,500.
I proposed the matching campaign concept and led its full execution — from designing the creative, developing the Givebutter campaign, and writing the email, to posting across social media and coordinating outreach.
Engaging Donors with a Cincinnati Zoo Raffle
Quick Stats
Email Open Rate
24.7%
Solid engagement, close to industry benchmark (21%).
Email Campaign Raised
$1,320
Email generated more than half of the total funds raised.
Total Campaign Raised
$2,320
The Cincinnati Zoo raffle brought in over $2,300 in support of rescue animals, with more than half raised directly from the email campaign.
I designed the campaign creative for email and social media, and built the Givebutter campaign page to capture entries and donations.
Strengthening Community Engagement Through Storytelling
Quick Stats
Email Open Rate
36.8%
Exceeded nonprofit average (21%) by 15%+
This summer recap email achieved a 36.8% open rate, one of SAAP’s highest engagement scores of the year.
I designed the creative, structured the storytelling format, and developed content that highlighted rescue wins, upcoming events, and adoption opportunities — keeping the community connected and informed.
“For web design, I know of no one better than Tori Hemsath. Our previous website was outdated, clunky and tired. Tori took the time to learn all aspects of our animal rescue and provided us with a first class, affordable and user-friendly website. I highly recommend Tori.”
— Bob Howard | Stray Animal Adoption Program
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