24 Hour Website Build-a-Thon: Options for Families and Youth

24 Hours + $42,000.00 Raised + A New Website = Success!

The Options for Families and Youth Website Build-a-Thon was a Big Hit!

In early 2010, IdeaEngine set out on a mission ... to build a website in 24 hours. Our objective was to give back to our home city of Cleveland, Ohio, and help a local non-profit organization. After some initial consideration, the answer was clear. The organization would be Options for Families and Youth (OFY), a Cleveland, Ohio-based foster care and adoption agency.

Nearly seven years ago, in the spring of 2003, OFY contracted IdeaEngine to design its first website. Ironically, the original OFY site was one of IdeaEngine's first website development projects. In appreciation for OFY's trust in IdeaEngine, we wanted to pay it forward. After some preliminary discussion with OFY, we scheduled the website design build-a-thon for Thursday, May 13, 2010.

The Challenge:

• Design and build a new OFY website in 24 hours

• Host a fund raising event during the website design build-a-thon to raise money and awareness for OFY

Planning and Strategy

Every website needs a comprehensive and strategic plan to ensure objectives are met. IdeaEngine met with OFY representatives and held a series of strategy sessions in the months prior to the build-a-thon. During these sessions, we outlined the framework for the website structure on paper and began working on editorial content.

Pre-Build-a-Thon Deliverables:

• Website Needs Analysis

• Website Sitemap

• Website Wireframes

• Editorial Content Outline

• All Editorial Copy (Written by OFY)

• SEO Analysis

24-Hour Website Build-a-Thon

We began the build-a-thon with a development plan and a 24-hour agenda, that's it! All website design concepts, technologies, programming, SEO, and content integration had to be completed during the 24-hour period. To add even more fun to the day, IdeaEngine hosted a networking and cocktail party during the build-a-thon.

The presentation below is a time-lapse video of the entire event unfolding in the 24-hour window.

The Results

• IdeaEngine donated over $40,000.00 in time and expenses. This includes the website development process and event planning

• Sponsor donations (listed below) and private donations totaled just over $2000.00

• The website was completed and live on the web at 4:30 a.m., Friday, May 14th – just 19 hours after we started!

• Over 60 people attended the networking and cocktail party

Many Thanks to our Sponsors

Great Lakes Integrated, Rocky River Wine Bar, and Sales Concepts.