Lutheran Home at Kane
The Lutheran Home at Kane is a not-for-profit social ministry Continuing Care Retirement Community located in rural McKean County, Pennsylvania. For over 55 years, they have provided a wide range of services to help folks age with dignity. They offer independent living cottages, assisted living, skilled nursing care, and more—all on one campus.
In Summer 2023, the Lutheran Home kicked off a $2 million capital campaign in support of a major $5.3 million renovation and expansion project that will position the organization to continue offering resident-centered care and ministry for years to come.
In the years before I launched my business, I had the pleasure of working with Char Floravit, their CEO, and Missy Swanson, their Director of Information Technology. Both are dear friends who genuinely care about the folks they serve.
When Char and Missy came to me, it was because they were preparing to launch the capital campaign and needed a new website to do it in style.
What a pleasure it was to give them the web presence they deserve!
Kind words
“I love, love, love our new website! Kristen is beyond talented. If you are looking for a fresh new website, Kristen is your gal! The turn-around time was quick! Our site is awesome!!”
Char Floravit, NHA, PCHA, PHR
Chief Executive Officer
“Kristen was able to create our business a much needed bright, modern, and clean new website. She was easy to work with, thorough, and professional. Not only did she create our new site, but she provided us with the necessary training and tools to be able to update and maintain the site ourselves. She is quick to respond to any question or concern we have even after going live and always makes us feel like we are a priority. We will continue to use Kristen for our web design needs and highly recommend her to others!”
Missy Swanson
Director of Information Technology
The original website
Their original website was many years old with an outdated “boxes within boxes” design. Over time, the old website had become bloated with extra pages and was weighed down by lots of text, few clear calls-to-action, and information that wasn’t in the right spot or format.
To give you an idea of where we started, here’s a look at their original home page:
The web design process
Like so many of my clients, their needs were simple: A brand-aligned website that would make it easy for people to find the information they need—whether it was an adult child looking for resources to help their aging parent or a donor looking for ways to support the capital campaign. I also wanted to give Char and Missy a website that was easy to maintain so they could stay focused on serving their residents.
First, we took a hard look at their existing website to consolidate and simplify information. Then, it was on to Squarespace so I could start laying the foundation for their new site. Several months prior, a former staff member had started to build their new site in Squarespace. The site was incomplete and it turned out that the draft designs weren’t quite right. I cleared the clutter, made sure their branding was reflected in their site’s styles, and got to work building the new website.
I also created a new donation widget they could use for the capital campaign as well as more general online giving options. Instead of clicking through to PayPal, visitors can now make a donation without ever leaving the Lutheran Home’s website. Using Squarespace’s donation widget also gives Char and Missy full control over the donation experience—they can suggest amounts, designate funds, and send branded email receipts to every donor without lifting a finger.
Last but not least, Char and Missy needed a locked area so Board of Directors members could access agendas, minutes, contact information, and other important documents. Done and done! I used a Squarespace Member Site to create the locked area and gave each committee a designated page with member contact information and easy ways to download meeting agendas, minutes, and other important information.
I couldn’t wait to bring it all together! Squarespace is my platform of choice—hello, drag-and-drop, no-code builder—and I knew that Char and Missy would easily be able to take over and maintain the site on their own. They’ve already gotten started with a few edits and have been able to upload new information for their Board without getting grey hair. Sweet.
Take a look at their new website home page!
