Nexer Digital revamps The HALO Trust website for donors

Nexer Digital has completed a digital transformation project for The HALO Trust, centred on a new online platform for the humanitarian charity.

As part of a broader effort to support fundraising and improve the supporter experience across its digital channels, the project included the redesign and development of The HALO Trust's main website.

The HALO Trust is one of the best-known organisations working in landmine clearance and explosive hazard removal. It operates in more than 30 conflict-affected countries and territories, clearing landmines and other remnants of war to help communities recover after conflict.

The new platform is designed to give the charity a more consistent online presence while allowing content to be tailored for audiences in the UK, the US and Ukraine. Donation journeys, campaign pages and programme content have been given greater prominence to help visitors understand the organisation's work and act on it.

Behind the website, the charity now has a content management system based on Umbraco 17. It is intended to help teams create campaigns, publish material and manage communications across regions with less friction.

Accessibility was part of the brief. The platform was designed to meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards, a benchmark intended to make digital services easier to use for people with a wide range of needs.

The nine-month project involved teams across The HALO Trust's global operations. International brand consultancy DragonRouge also contributed to the redevelopment, refreshing the charity's visual identity and tone of voice.

Nexer Digital has also been retained on a year-long support contract to provide further optimisation following the launch, suggesting the project is being treated as an ongoing part of the charity's fundraising and communications work rather than a one-off website rebuild.

Fundraising focus

For charities with international operations, websites often serve several roles at once: a route to donations, a source of information for supporters, and a publishing platform for campaigns and updates. Here, the redesign was shaped by the need to support fundraising growth while making it easier for different teams to manage content for multiple audiences.

The charity said the site is one of the main ways people discover its work, learn about the impact of donations and decide whether to contribute. The HALO Trust employs more than 8,000 people worldwide and says 95% are recruited locally, giving its country operations a large footprint that must be reflected consistently across digital channels.

For Nexer Digital, the project adds to its work across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. The Macclesfield-based agency, founded in 2007 and formerly known as Sigma, is part of Sweden's Nexer Group.

Jo Dunning, Account director at Nexer Digital, outlined the brief and the priorities behind the work.

Jo Dunning said: "The HALO Trust has an ambitious vision for growing its fundraising and reaching more supporters around the world. Our role has been to create a digital platform that removes barriers to engagement, makes donating simpler and gives the charity the flexibility to respond quickly with campaigns and content. As a human-centred design agency, we focused on understanding the needs of donors, supporters and internal teams to create a platform that works for everyone while reflecting the incredible impact of HALO's work."

Global reach

The HALO Trust's operations span countries including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Colombia, Angola and Sri Lanka. Alongside landmine clearance, the organisation also works in weapons and ammunition management, safety training and, during emergencies, humanitarian aid and logistical support.

That breadth of activity creates a challenge for digital teams: presenting a clear global identity while giving regional audiences relevant information and maintaining efficient publishing processes. The updated platform was built in part to address that tension by combining a common supporter experience with region-specific content.

Amy Olson, Global head of digital platforms at The HALO Trust, said the website plays a central role in how the charity communicates with supporters.

Amy Olson said: "Our website is one of the most important ways people discover our work, understand the impact of their support and choose to donate. Nexer Digital has helped us create a platform that better reflects our global mission while making it easier for supporters to engage with us and for our teams to manage content across different regions. It provides a strong foundation for the next phase of our digital strategy."