Rumah Zakat created SharingHappiness.org to make social and humanitarian programs easier to support online. Since its launch in 2015, the platform had raised Rp24 billion from 25,000 donors and funded 280 social projects by March 2018.

Those results showed that people were willing to donate digitally when they understood the cause and trusted the platform. The next challenge was to make that experience more convenient, more transparent, and easier to access across devices.

Between 2017 and 2018, Rumah Zakat partnered with Suitmedia to improve SharingHappiness.org and develop its mobile application. The work focused on simplifying donation, strengthening program visibility, enabling donor monitoring, and creating a more reliable relationship between supporters and the projects they funded.

Within 17 days of launching the new website, pageviews increased by 206%, monthly visitors by 299%, and sessions by 279%.

A Successful Donation Movement Needed a Stronger Digital Experience

1. Early traction created a responsibility to improve

SharingHappiness.org already had evidence of public interest. By March 2018, the platform had raised Rp24 billion, attracted 25,000 donors, and funded 280 social projects.

These results established a strong foundation, but they also raised the standard for the next stage. As more people discovered online giving, Rumah Zakat needed to ensure the platform could serve them with greater clarity and consistency.

A growing donation platform cannot rely only on goodwill. It must make it easy for people to understand programs, decide where to contribute, complete donations, and remain connected afterward.

The challenge was to strengthen the experience without losing the emotional purpose behind the platform: helping people share their happiness with others.

2. Trust had to be earned before users would donate

Donations involve more than a financial transaction. Supporters need to believe that the organization is credible, the program is meaningful, and their contribution will be used responsibly.

A website or mobile application becomes part of that trust decision. If the interface looks unclear, the donation process feels complicated, or program information is difficult to find, users may hesitate even when they want to help.

SharingHappiness needed to communicate both emotion and accountability. It had to inspire generosity while also showing enough information for donors to make a confident decision.

3. Program discovery was central to the donor journey

Rumah Zakat supported a range of social and humanitarian programs, including Desa Berdaya, Education, and Humanity Act.

Each program addressed different needs and could appeal to different donors. Some users might care about community empowerment. Others might prioritize education or emergency response.

The platform needed to help people find the programs that aligned with their interests without forcing them to browse through an unstructured collection of campaigns.

This made information architecture a fundraising issue. The clearer the program structure, the easier it was for users to connect their personal values with a specific action.

4. The donation process needed to be shorter and easier

Online users expect transactions to be completed with minimal effort.

If donation required too many steps, unclear instructions, or repeated information, users could abandon the process before completing it.

SharingHappiness needed a journey that allowed users to understand a program, decide to contribute, and complete the donation without unnecessary interruption.

The platform also needed to work for people who donated occasionally as well as those who supported programs regularly.

5. Existing donors needed reasons to return

A donation platform should not treat each contribution as an isolated event.

Supporters may want to follow the development of a program, review previous donations, save campaigns for later, or receive updates about causes they care about.

Without these features, the relationship can end after payment. The donor may have no clear reason to return to the platform or continue supporting Rumah Zakat.

The project therefore needed to support both acquisition and retention: attract new donors while giving existing donors a more meaningful way to stay connected.

6. The service had to reflect mobile behavior

Indonesian users increasingly relied on mobile applications for everyday activities.

Donations should be no different. People may discover a program through a smartphone, make a contribution while away from a desktop computer, or check progress through a mobile device.

A website alone could provide access, but a dedicated mobile application could create a more direct and convenient relationship.

The challenge was to make sharing happiness possible wherever users were, without compromising trust or clarity.

Designing a Donation Journey Around Confidence and Continuity

1. We simplified the path from program discovery to donation

Suitmedia redesigned SharingHappiness.org around the actions donors needed to complete.

The core journey became more direct:

1. Discover a social or humanitarian program.
2. Understand its purpose and progress.
3. Decide how to participate.
4. Complete a donation with minimal steps.
5. Continue following the program afterward.

This structure reduced the distance between emotional interest and practical action.

Users did not need to search for the donation function after finding a program they cared about. The website made participation more visible and easier to complete.

2. We presented programs as clear opportunities to make an impact

The website highlighted programs such as Desa Berdaya, Education, and Humanity Act in a more organized and informative experience.

Each program could communicate its purpose and give users enough context to understand what their support would contribute to.

This was important because donors do not choose only between payment options. They choose between causes and expected outcomes.

The platform needed to make those choices easier by showing the relationship between the program, the need it addressed, and the action available to the donor.

3. We used a clean and informative design to reduce uncertainty

The new website used a simple, clean, and informative design.

Simplicity helped users focus on the program and the next step rather than the interface itself. Informative content supported trust by giving donors a clearer basis for decision-making.

The visual experience also needed to communicate warmth without appearing informal or careless. Humanitarian work requires empathy, but digital donations also require professionalism and reliability.

The design balanced both needs: emotional relevance and practical confidence.

4. We introduced a donor dashboard

Donors gained access to a dashboard where they could review program developments and donation processes.

This gave supporters greater visibility after making a contribution. They did not have to rely only on general updates or search through separate records to understand their relationship with a program.

A dashboard also helped turn a donation into an ongoing experience. Supporters could return to see what was happening and remain connected to the causes they had chosen.

The feature supported transparency while encouraging repeat engagement.

5. We added a wishlist for programs users cared about

The wishlist allowed users to save programs and return to them later.

This addressed a common behavior in online decision-making: users may discover a program before they are ready to donate immediately.

Without a way to save it, they may forget the program or struggle to find it again. The wishlist preserved that interest and gave donors more control over when to act.

It also created a useful bridge between awareness and conversion. A user could explore first, save a program, and return when the decision became more immediate.

6. We simplified the donation process

The donation journey was designed to avoid unnecessary steps.

Users could move from program information toward contribution without being burdened by a complicated interface or excessive form requirements.

This mattered because charitable intent can be temporary. A user may feel motivated after reading a story or seeing a campaign update, but that motivation can weaken if the process becomes difficult.

Reducing friction helped protect the moment when a supporter was ready to act.

7. We extended the experience through a mobile application

Suitmedia also developed a SharingHappiness mobile application.

The application gave users a more direct way to donate, monitor followed programs, and receive updates related to their interests.

Mobile access improved convenience in several ways. Users could engage with programs without opening a desktop browser, return to followed campaigns more easily, and receive relevant information in a format suited to everyday use.

The app helped make “sharing happiness” an ongoing activity rather than a one-time website visit.

8. We used the application to support relevance

The mobile experience was designed to help users receive information aligned with the programs or issues they cared about.

This reduced the need for donors to search through the entire platform each time they wanted an update.

Relevant information also strengthened the relationship between the user and the organization. Instead of sending every message to every donor, the platform could support a more focused experience around personal interests.

9. We designed the website and app as one connected service

The website and mobile application were not treated as unrelated products.

The website supported discovery and broader exploration. The application supported more direct access, repeat use, monitoring, and updates.

Together, they created a more complete donor journey:

1. A user discovers a program through the website.
2. The user donates or saves the program.
3. The user returns through the mobile application.
4. The user monitors progress and receives relevant updates.
5. The user remains connected to future opportunities.

This connection supported both acquisition and retention.

10. We treated transparency as part of customer experience

A donor needs to feel that the organization is accountable after the contribution is made.

Program developments and donation processes were made more visible through the dashboard and mobile experience.

This did not mean every outcome could be communicated instantly. It meant supporters had a clearer way to remain informed and understand that their relationship with the program continued after payment.

Visibility strengthened trust and helped position Rumah Zakat as an organization that valued ongoing communication with donors.

11. We designed for future program growth

A donation platform must be able to accommodate new campaigns and social programs over time.

The improved structure gave Rumah Zakat a stronger foundation for adding programs without creating a new website or separate donation experience for each one.

This reduced fragmentation and helped maintain a consistent donor journey as the organization expanded its digital activities.

From Digital Donation Tool to Ongoing Supporter Relationship

1. Donors gained a more convenient way to contribute

SharingHappiness.org made it easier for users to discover programs and complete donations through a clearer experience.

The shorter journey reduced friction and helped users act when they felt ready to support a cause.

The website became more than a campaign directory. It became a practical point of access for different forms of humanitarian giving.

2. Program information became easier to understand

The improved presentation helped users explore programs such as Desa Berdaya, Education, and Humanity Act.

This made it easier for donors to connect their personal interests with specific humanitarian initiatives.

Clear program information also improved the credibility of the platform by showing that donations were connected to defined areas of work.

3. Donors gained greater visibility after contributing

The dashboard and program monitoring features supported a more transparent relationship.

Donors could review developments and follow the progress of programs they cared about.

This helped reinforce the idea that donation was part of an ongoing relationship rather than a transaction that ended at payment.

4. The wishlist supported delayed decisions

The wishlist allowed users to save programs that interested them.

This was valuable for donors who needed more time to decide or wanted to return to a campaign later.

By preserving intent, the feature created more opportunities for future conversion without pressuring the user to act immediately.

5. The mobile app made giving available anywhere

The mobile application allowed users to donate, monitor programs, and receive updates from their phones.

This reduced dependence on a desktop website and aligned the donation experience with everyday mobile behavior.

Convenience helped make participation more accessible and created more opportunities for donors to return.

6. The platform strengthened trust through simplicity

A clean interface and straightforward donation process helped the organization appear more reliable.

Users could focus on the program and its impact rather than worrying about how to navigate the website or complete the payment process.

Simplicity did not remove the need for transparency. It made transparency and action easier to access.

7. The new website generated substantial early traffic growth

Within 17 days of launching the new website:

• Pageviews increased by 206%.
• Monthly visitors increased by 299%.
• Sessions increased by 279%.

These figures showed strong early demand for the improved digital experience.

The results should not be read as direct proof that every visit became a donation. They do demonstrate that the new platform attracted significantly more activity and gave audiences more reasons to explore Rumah Zakat’s programs.

8. The platform supported donor retention potential

The combination of dashboards, wishlists, updates, and mobile access created more reasons for supporters to remain engaged.

A donor could return to review a program, follow its progress, save another campaign, or receive information aligned with personal interests.

These features created the conditions for longer-term donor relationships and repeat giving.

9. Rumah Zakat gained a stronger digital foundation for fundraising

The project gave Rumah Zakat a more organized and accessible platform for managing online donation activity.

The website and application could support new programs, donor communication, campaign monitoring, and future digital fundraising initiatives.

This created operational value beyond the launch. Rumah Zakat gained a platform that could grow with its social and humanitarian work.

10. SharingHappiness became easier to experience as a mission

The platform helped translate the idea of sharing happiness into practical digital actions.

Users could discover a cause, contribute, follow its development, and invite their own participation over time.

The mission became visible not only through words, but through the way the platform allowed people to take part.

What Rumah Zakat Reveals About Digital Donation Platforms

1. Trust and convenience must be designed together

A platform can be trustworthy but difficult to use, or easy to use but lacking enough information to inspire confidence.

Donors need both. Clear program information establishes credibility, while simple navigation and payment protect the decision to act.

2. A donation should not be treated as the end of the journey

The relationship continues after payment.

Dashboards, updates, transaction information, and relevant notifications help donors understand the effect of their contribution and create reasons to return.

3. Mobile access supports everyday philanthropy

People increasingly manage important activities through mobile devices.

A donation application makes giving, monitoring, and receiving updates more accessible and helps the organization remain present between campaigns.

4. Personalization can improve donor relevance

A wishlist and interest-based updates help users focus on programs that matter to them.

This creates a more meaningful experience than sending every message to every donor.

5. Early traffic growth is useful, but deeper actions matter

Pageviews, visitors, and sessions show that the platform is attracting attention.

The next step is to understand donation completion, repeat giving, program monitoring, and supporter retention. These behaviors reveal whether traffic is having a lasting impact.

6. Integrated platforms reduce campaign fragmentation

Bringing multiple programs into one environment makes it easier for donors to discover and support different causes.

It also gives the organization a clearer view of campaign performance and donor behavior.

7. Clear design can make generosity easier

People often want to help but do not want to struggle with a confusing process.

A clean interface removes unnecessary barriers and allows users to focus on the reason they came: supporting people and programs that matter.

8. Digital philanthropy should enable multiple forms of support

Donating is one form of participation, but people can also share campaigns, monitor programs, save causes, and remain connected.

A strong platform supports these different behaviors and allows a one-time visitor to become a long-term supporter.

Strategic Insights for the C-Suite

1. Design donation platforms around trust and ease at the same time.
   Donors need clear information about the cause and a simple path to contribute. Neither credibility nor convenience can be treated as a secondary feature.
2. Extend the relationship beyond payment.
   Dashboards, program updates, wishlists, and mobile access help donors understand impact and create reasons to return. Retention begins after the first donation.
3. Use mobile to make giving part of everyday behavior.
   A mobile app can reduce the distance between seeing a cause and acting on it. It also creates a direct channel for relevant updates and repeat engagement.
4. Centralize programs to reduce donor effort.
   One integrated platform makes it easier to discover, compare, and support different causes while giving the organization a clearer view of overall campaign activity.
5. Measure the full path from attention to impact.
   Traffic growth is an important early signal, but donation completion, repeat giving, program monitoring, and supporter retention provide a more complete view of digital fundraising success.