CauseMatch.
CauseMatch. is designed to bridge the gap between individuals seeking volunteer help and those offering to volunteer. The app facilitates the connection between these groups by considering location, time availability, and the type of activity. This ensures that volunteer opportunities are matched efficiently and effectively, making it easier for people to give and receive help within their communities.
Design for social good.
UX/UI Design, Logo Design.
2024
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
The Challenge:
A key aspect of this project is that the product serves two user groups: individuals seeking to volunteer and organizers needing volunteer support. The primary challenge is to design a platform that effectively meets the diverse needs of both types of users.
The Goal:
create an app that connects volunteers with organizations, streamlining opportunities to match skills and interests, and ensuring accessibility and impact for all.
see full case study
Qualitative Research: User Interviews
The qualitative research involved in-person interviews with both a volunteer and an organizer. The questions were designed to explore the unique needs of each user type and identify the key challenges they face in their roles. This approach aimed to uncover the most critical issues from both perspectives, providing valuable insights for designing a user-centered solution.
Interview goals:
• Identify the main challenges and obstacles that prevent individuals from engaging in volunteering activities.
• Understand the difficulties in finding suitable volunteers, including issues related to matching skills, availability, and reliability.
The Interviews
Daria, 29, Tel Aviv, Gallerist. Volunteers with kids.
Q: Can you describe any past experiences you’ve had with volunteering?
A: “During the war in Israel, my colleagues and I felt we could help children who lacked access to education due to their evacuation from home and the closure of schools. We aimed to provide these children with hour-long activities in the hotels where they were staying, to help maintain a sense of normalcy”.
Q: What motivated you to volunteer, and what challenges did you encounter?
A: “Our motivation was to offer a respite for the kids. However, we faced several logistical challenges. Despite the presence of many educational teams in the hotels who needed assistance, organizing a schedule proved difficult. Often, we had to wait until the last minute to receive confirmation on specific dates and times, which hindered our ability to assist other teams”.
Q: What are the main reasons that prevent you from volunteering more frequently?
A: “Already in the first week, we noticed that the hotel’s educational team struggled to keep track of the activities offered by different volunteer groups, and we realized this would be an issue for us as well. There were instances when we arrived at a location where no activity was needed, or the age group was not suitable for the activities we provided. As the weeks went by, it became increasingly difficult to continue”.
Q: Are these reasons related to time, lack of information, accessibility, or other factors?
A: “These challenges were mainly due to a lack of information and poor coordination. The difficulty in getting accurate and timely information about the needs and schedules made it hard to volunteer effectively”.
Q: Have you ever looked for volunteer opportunities but decided not to pursue them?
A: “Yes. Many volunteer opportunities rely on coordinators who are volunteers themselves, and they often lack the ability to coordinate effectively. It usually ends up being a “deal with what you have” situation. Mix-ups, no-shows, and other issues happen frequently, which can deter volunteers like me who start to fear these unorganised situations”.
Q: What specifically deterred you from participating?
A: “The lack of organisation and frequent mix-ups were major deterrents. The uncertainty of whether activities would proceed as planned made it difficult to commit to volunteering opportunities”.
Q: How do you usually find out about volunteer opportunities, and what difficulties have you faced in this process?
A: “Most volunteering opportunities come to me through personal referrals. Typically, it’s up to the volunteer to reach out to the coordinator for more information, get integrated into a volunteering day, and so on. Additionally, sometimes I want to volunteer in a place where I can best use my skills, but that requires searching online”.
Q: What could make it easier for you to discover and sign up for volunteer activities?
A: ‘It would be much easier if there were a centralised space where all volunteering opportunities were gathered together, allowing volunteers to browse and choose the best options for them”.
Q: What factors do you consider most important when deciding whether to volunteer for a particular activity or organisation?
A: “I believe that the help you offer should be the best you can provide for those in need. If you offer inadequate assistance due to various reasons, it often results in wasted time and resources, and can leave a negative impression. This is why proper coordination is crucial”.
Q: How do issues like location, time commitment, and type of activity influence your decision?
A: “Location, time commitment, and type of activity significantly influence a volunteer’s decision. It’s essential to filter these factors in advance to match volunteers with opportunities that suit their capabilities and schedules, ensuring they can offer their best effort”.
Tomer, 41, Tel Aviv, software engineer. “Rehovot Loves Animals” dog shelter coodrinator
Q: Can you describe your experiences with finding volunteers for your activities or events?
A: “I do not act proactively to find volunteers. Volunteers come to us through various ways: privately – people who were looking to volunteer at the dog shelters in their area of residence out of love for dogs. Through friends and relatives of existing volunteers and by umbrella organisations for volunteering such as Ruach Tova. There are also private initiatives that organise a full day of volunteering to large groups who come and give us a helping hand in the shelter”.
Q: What aspects of this process have been most challenging?
A: “The main challenge in looking for volunteers is to retain volunteers for a long-term commitment who also have a potential to become a regular volunteer. When we lack volunteers, one of the regular volunteers publishes a post on Facebook calling for people to come and volunteer that day”.
Q: What specific skills or qualifications do you usually look for in volunteers, and how easy or difficult has it been to find people who meet these criteria? Have you ever had to compromise on the skills or qualifications due to a lack of suitable volunteers?
A: “In my eyes, the important qualities for volunteering with dogs are compassion, responsibility and commitment. Compassion cannot be compromised – if we notice that someone is behaving nervously with a dog, for example, he will not continue to volunteer. Liability is sometimes compromised as long as it is reasonable – for example if someone does not make sure to keep the leash wrapped around the hand and is not alert enough, then we may take him for a walk with a dog that does not pull and is calm but we will not bring him to walk with dogs that pull suddenly or are very fearful that may run away. We compromise a lot on commitment – in the end it’s about volunteering and you can’t force people to come”.
Q: How do you typically assess the reliability and commitment of potential volunteers? What issues have you encountered with volunteer reliability in the past?
A: “You can learn a lot about a volunteer’s commitment and potential through the “dish test” – if a volunteer walks with a dog because it’s a “fun activity” but enters the cage and sees the dishes are dirty/empty and ignores them or needed to be asked to help clean dishes, then we know it’s a volunteer who comes first for himself and with a very low potential to develop as a volunteer and commit for a long term. The volunteers who put their heads up are the ones who usually end up contributing the most in the long run. Another point that teaches a lot about the potential of a volunteer is the ability of people to listen, learn and arrive with humility. Volunteers who come with “experience with dogs”, with an excess of self-confidence tend to make many mistakes and harm their approach to dogs. The same goes for people who sprinkle a lot of advice in conversations already in the first/second volunteering. On the other hand, volunteers, even those who have never had a dog, who come, see how the place works, learn and listen to the veterans turn out to be much more responsible and reliable”.
Q: In terms of availability, what challenges have you faced when trying to coordinate volunteer schedules with your needs?
A: “The volunteering is mainly on Fridays and we usually have enough volunteers for strolling the dogs. The main problem is that the core of veteran volunteers – those who also do the adoptions meetings, for example, is small.
Q: How often do you find that volunteers’ availability aligns with your requirements?
A: “Only few have been volunteering long enough to be a part of the core, and therefore in certain activities such as adoption, we are limited”.
User personas
Daria Weiser
29
Tel Aviv
Gallerist
Higher Education
Tomer Hasid
41
Tel Aviv
Software Engineer
Higher Education
Daria and her colleagues took the initiative to support displaced children by organizing educational activities in hotels, aiming to provide a sense of normalcy during chaotic times. Driven by a desire to help, Daria faced significant challenges in logistics and coordination, struggling with scheduling due to poor organization and last-minute changes, despite the need for assistance from multiple educational teams.
Tomer Hasid, a 41-year-old software engineer from Tel Aviv, dedicates his free time to coordinating volunteer activities at “Rehovot Loves Anomals” dog shelter. Tomer and other volunteers at the shelter primarily recruits volunteers through word-of-mouth. Tomer’s main challenges include aligning volunteer schedules with the shelter needs, especially for essential activities like adoptions, and he seeks more effective methods to recruit and retain dedicated volunteers.
Frustrations:
Goals:
Daria aims to make a positive impact by volunteering in roles where she can effectively use her skills to support children and communities in need, enhancing their well-being and educational opportunities.
Frustrations:
Tomer struggles to recruit committed volunteers and align their schedules with the shelter’s needs, especially for weekday operations and adoptions.
Goals:
Tomer aims to attract committed volunteers who are responsible and dedicated to the kennels. He seeks to improve scheduling to align volunteer availability with the kennel’s needs, especially for critical activities like adoption events.
Volunteer
Lack of Organization and Coordination: Users often face issues with unorganised volunteer activities and poor coordination by volunteer coordinators who may also be volunteers. This results in mix-ups, no-shows, and ineffective use of volunteers’ time and skills.
Difficulty Finding Suitable Opportunities: Many volunteers find it challenging to discover opportunities that match their skills and interests. Often, opportunities come through personal referrals, requiring volunteers to actively seek out coordinators for more information.
Last-Minute Scheduling and Uncertainty: Volunteers experience frustration with last-minute confirmations and changes in schedules, making it hard to plan and commit to volunteering activities.
Inefficient Use of Skills and Resources: Volunteers are concerned about offering the best help they can provide. Mismatches in volunteer activities can lead to a waste of time and resources, and ultimately, a negative experience for both volunteers and those they aim to help.
Coordinator
Passive Recruitment: Reliance on passive methods like word-of-mouth, existing volunteers’ networks, and occasional group visits from volunteer organizations limits proactive recruitment efforts.
Retention of Dedicated Volunteers: Difficulty in retaining volunteers who are committed to long-term involvement beyond occasional visits or specific events.
Inconsistent Volunteer Availability: Difficulty in ensuring consistent volunteer presence, especially on specific days like Fridays, leading to reliance on last-minute calls for volunteers via social media.
Problem statements
• Daria is a gallerist who needs streamlined volunteer coordination and suitable opportunities aligned with her skills and interests because the current decentralized approach leads to uncertainties in volunteer roles and scheduling conflicts.
• Tomer is a volunteer coordinator at “Rehovot Loves Animals” Dog shelter who needs reliable volunteers committed beyond sporadic visits because inconsistent volunteer availability hinders essential kennel activities such as adoption events.
Hypothesis statements
• If Daria were to use CauseMatch., Daria would experience streamlined volunteer coordination and find opportunities that align closely with her skills and interests. This would enable her to contribute more effectively to organizing activities for children affected by war and displacement, ensuring a more organized and impactful approach to her volunteer efforts.
• If Tomer will use CauseMatch., Tomer would experience improved efficiency in volunteer recruitment and coordination at the kennels. By leveraging the app’s features to attract dedicated volunteers aligned with his criteria of compassion, responsibility, and commitment, Tomer could build a more reliable volunteer base. This would ensure consistent support and enhancing the overall welfare and care provided to the dogs.
Goal statement
Our goal is to create a seamless and efficient platform that connects volunteers with volunteering opportunities, ensuring that their skills, interests, and availability are matched with the needs of organizations. By enhancing the volunteer experience and improving coordination, we aim to foster stronger community engagement and empower individuals to make a significant impact through their contributions.
Quantitative Research: Competitive audit
Market Comparison
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Competitor type
Location
Product offering
Price
website
business size
target audiance
unique value proposition
Tribu
Direct
Israel
Find the best possible volunteering opportunities in your area and start contributing.
Free
Unknown
Altruistic Israelis.
Your partner for planning a social action
strategy, coordinating volunteer days and a technological platform for creating and measuring company impact.
SunDo
Direct
Israel
Matching between volunteers to farmers who seeks volunteers.
Free for volunteers, subscription fee for farmers.
Large
Altruistic Israelis who wish to volunteer in agriculture and farmers who wish to seek help in their fields.
SanDo is a platform that connects farmers and communities for meaningful and experiential agricultural assistance. With the Sando app, anyone can find the right activity, at the time and place that suits them.
Golden Volunteer Opportunities
Direct
International
Matches between volunteers to organizations who seeks volunteers.
Free for volunteers, subscription fee for companies.
Large
Volunteers, event organizers.
The best volunteer app is just a click away. Whether you're a volunteer looking to discover a new adventure or an organizer looking to elevate your program, look no further.
Report
Competitive Audit Goals:
Identify the various online platforms that engage with volunteering activities and see what are their weaknesses and strengths their product offer to users.
Key Competitors:
Tribu
SunDo
Golden Volunteer Opportunities
Competitor Strengths
Tribu
• Content: Friendly and indirect, which can appeal to users looking for a casual, approachable platform.
• Descriptiveness: Short and to the point, making information easy to digest.
SunDo
• Features: Outstanding, with user verification processes, search by location, and easy profile editing. The app also has good connections between volunteers and activities.
• Accessibility: There are language options available, but improvements are needed.
• User Flow & Navigation: Outstanding, with clear navigation and easy access to key information.
• Content: Serious and direct tone, appealing to users who prefer a more formal approach.
• Descriptiveness: Outstanding, with concise and clear communication.
Golden Volunteer Opportunities
• Features: Allows sign-in through social media.
• Accessibility: Can be used offline and offers language options (though limited to the app).
• User Flow: Easy to find key information with a clear hierarchy.
Competitor Weaknesses
Tribu
• Features: The app allows users to sign up for updates but has limitations, such as the inability to complete key tasks like searching for activities or updating profiles.
• Accessibility: Lacks accessibility features, potentially making it difficult for some users to engage fully.
SunDo
• Accessibility: Needs work – despite having language options, as these features may not be sufficient for all users.
Golden Volunteer Opportunities
•Features: Navigation is unclear, and location functionality is inaccurate (shows U.S. opportunities despite being in Israel). Also, lacks basic information about activities.
Accessibility: No voice control or screen reader support, and language options don’t apply to listings.
Design Insights for "CauseMatch."
• Improve Navigation and Information Accessibility:
Users find unclear navigation and insufficient activity information frustrating. Design “CauseMatch.” with intuitive navigation, ensuring that users can easily find what they need. Also, provide detailed and relevant information about volunteer opportunities, such as location accuracy, role descriptions, and required skills.
Refine Location-Based Features:
Location-based issues, such as displaying irrelevant opportunities, are a common problem. In “CauseMatch.,” prioritize accurate location services to ensure that users only see relevant volunteer opportunities in their area, enhancing the app’s usability and relevance.
Expand Accessibility Features:
Incorporate comprehensive accessibility features into “CauseMatch.” to cater to a diverse user base. This includes ensuring the platform is usable by individuals with various disabilities, making it inclusive and user-friendly.
Prioritize User-Centric Design:
Clear visual hierarchy and easy access to key information are well-received by users. In “CauseMatch.,” focus on a user-centered design with a clear layout and hierarchy, ensuring that important information is always easily accessible and visually appealing.
The logo features four reaching hands entangled within a rhombus, symbolizing the perpetual cycle of giving and receiving. This design reflects the interconnectedness and mutual support within a community.
The color palette includes green, blue, red, and yellow, representing an equal society and a strong sense of community. Each color contributes to the message of inclusivity and shared values.
EA4335
F7EC1A
AAD037
4A9AFF
opacity
40%
Montserrat
Logo Typeface / 24 px Medium
App Design
Blue color palette was chosen for the CauseMatch. app to evoke trust, hope, and reliability, fostering a sense of strong connections among users as they engage in meaningful volunteer opportunities.
29339B
006FFF
4A9AFF
99C7FF
F2FBFC
Lato / Paragraphs
P1 / Paragraph / 12 px Regular
P2 / Paragraph / 12 px ExtraBold
P3 / Paragraph / 10 px Regular
P4 / Paragraph / 10 px Light
Lato / Buttons
B1 / Button / 16 px Regular
B2/ Button / 12 px Regular
