Headwaters Justice Foundation works to connect people, organizations and funding to support social change. We ran their website through the standard review test. Here’s what their site looked like at the time of the test:

What Does This Website Do?

  1. It is a website that deals with injustice.  They appear to be a non profit that awards grants to groups working for social change.  It also educates on social issues.
  2. It seems that it is for an organization fighting for justice for people on different social issues.
  3. This is a site for an organization that fights for social justice and equality.
  4. This website is about social justice issues. It is the site for a foundation that promotes justice, not just for individuals but the environment as well.
  5. The website is for an organization that promotes human and social rights, environmental and economic justice.
  6. Headwaters gives grants to people or groups or organizations who ‘promote justice’. Via the website, you can read what the organization does, how you can make a gift and how you can apply for a grant.
  7. It seems this site creates awareness for people about their rights and how to get help.
  8. Headwaters Foundation takes up causes where injustice has been meted out to citizens. They look into such cases and try to bring about a change by removing the root cause of injustice.
  9. Assist in improving quality of life for those that suffer from the injustices of social, racial, environmental and economic discrimination.
  10. This website is the information center for Headwaters Foundation for Justice. It has recent news about the foundation, a place for people to contribute money, and a place to find out about upcoming events. It also has information about the different types of injustices and information about the company such as job openings, and mission statements.

Best Current Feature

  1. After clicking past the first page – I like that the menu was right on top and that right underneath was a brief description of the purpose of the site.
  2. Publications and reports.
  3. The best current feature is the link to the list of grantees from the Social Change fund.
  4. The best feature that I see is the variety of social justice issues that the foundation is informing the public about.
  5. I like the event list. (To be honest I had to look long to find a thing that I really liked. The good content, such as the grantees, is hidden.)
  6. Article about the Grantee Spotlight is excellent.
  7. I like the tabs that show different topics because you can go right to what you want.
  8. The introduction on the home page, which explains the different incidents where people had to suffer due to injustice is very effective in conveying the purpose of this website. Apart from that the ‘what’s ahead’ section is good as it gives an idea about what is next on their agenda.
  9. I liked the navigation; it’s easy to get around and the pictures behind the text are nice.
  10. I think the best feature is the menu at the top where you can click on information about Headwaters, make a donation, find out where the money goes, and find out about different types of injustice. It is interesting and easy to use, so it will get people’s attention.

More than one of the reviewers like the flash navigation panels on the second page, but in general they like the contents of the site, which is good. What would they like to see improved about the packaging?

One Thing To Improve

  1. Provide more information about the organization on the main page.
  2. I didn’t like the landing page.  I was unsure of what the site was and didn’t understand the difference between the two choices of sections to click on. I thought it would take me to 2 different things, but it was a flash object with more information before it took you to the main page with the menu.
  3. There could be articles about current work that is being done.
  4. This web page needs more information.  It is a bit lean in the “meat” department.  It is a nice start to the topic but if people are to really investigate social justice, there needs to be videos, links, message board, blog, etc.  The newsletter looks like it offers a bunch of information but it is hidden down on the bottom of the page and some visitors might never click on it.  It might also be helpful to offer it as a PDF.  People could also subscribe to the newsletter.
  5. Add a discussion forum for people to connect and talk.
  6. I would like to see more of the organizations who received a grant. What where the good things Headwaters has made possible? These descriptions are now hidden inside, you have to really look for a list of  ’Current grantees’. Why not put a profile of one of them on the homepage, perhaps with a picture? I also dislike the Flash menu. It makes the navigation feel slow. A quick, responsive non-Flash menu would do the trick just as well.
  7. Add more videos that explain what the organization does.
  8. When I visited the site, the top half had two blank boxes. I couldn’t understand their purpose and was confused. You need to add a caption there. Secondly the page has limited content but it is very long and blank.
  9. The light blue color of the links and the title text are too light and hard to read.
  10. Perhaps putting the Headwater’s logo on the top of the home page.

The initial flash introduction and the lack of a logo on the main page confused some of the reviewers. “Enter Small” and “Enter Big” do seem to suggest that clicking one will bring you to a different secondary page than if you clicked the other, and the information within the boxes floats by simultaneously and a little too quickly to read them both. In addition to these, there is no indication of what the organization does on that first page.

They would like to see more interaction available in the form of discussion boards, blogs or videos, and make the list of Grantees and their accomplishments more prominent. This would be similar to testimonials on retail and service sites. Real world examples help people understand better.

With some shifting around of information, and making that main page a little clearer, the site would be ready for retesting.