A personal mission
Bjelke Rietveld (44) is a mother of four children. She came into contact with Care4Neo when her youngest daughter was born extremely premature five years ago after just 26 weeks of pregnancy.
"Care4Neo was a resource that helped us tremendously at that time," says Bjelke. "We read their magazine 'Kleine Maatjes' (Little Buddies) from cover to cover during our 15 weeks in the hospital. The information on their website was also very useful to us. It made us feel less alone in this challenging situation."
Fortunately, her daughter is doing well now. "It's truly a miracle how she has developed. We still have some small challenges, but that's really nothing compared to how it could have been."
A fresh start with Sapphire
According to Bjelke, Care4Neo's old website was very extensive with dozens of pages. "We didn't want that anymore – not for our visitors, and not for ourselves either. Maintaining that requires an enormous amount of time, and you need to be very diligent in updating content to keep it current."
The organization chose Procurios' Sapphire platform for three reasons. "The previous website was already hosted by Procurios and we were satisfied with it. The comprehensive package includes integration of CRM with the website. And the special pricing for non-profit organizations like us." "We started completely from scratch and created a foundation that we're now building upon."
Intuitive and independent building
What Bjelke particularly appreciates about Sapphire is its intuitive operation. "The structure and navigation were relatively easy. Once we understood the basics, it was quite manageable. Every letter that appears on the site was placed by us. It was an enormous amount of work, but when I look at what's there now, we look back on it with a very good feeling."
"Every letter that appears on the site was placed by us. It was an enormous amount of work, but we look back on it with a very good feeling."
The building process took several months and was completed with the launch on November 17, 2024, World Prematurity Day. "That deadline helped us work toward something. We are extremely proud and happy with what we've created, and we continue to expand it every month."
Positive feedback and improved functionality
Since the launch, Care4Neo has received many positive reactions. "The website looks more professional and is easier to use," says Bjelke. "Experience stories are very important on our website. They give our target audience support, hope, and confidence."
One of the most appreciated features is the ability to filter information and experience stories by topic. "If you have a premature baby, you can specifically find articles about premature babies. If your child was born sick, you can select that category. That sorting works very well."
"Donating is now super simple, so people don't give up easily."
The new website is also an improvement for donations. "It's super simple to click through, so people don't give up easily. We've even gained some monthly donations, which is exactly what you want as an organization."
Advice for other non-profit organizations
For other non-profits thinking about building a website themselves, Bjelke has some tips:
"Don't underestimate it. It really does take time. But the advantage is that you are in control. I notice daily that if a small change needs to be made on the website, I can do it myself immediately. That's an enormous advantage."
Her most important advice: "Just do it, get into action mode faster. In the beginning, you spend a lot of time planning, but take action to fill that website."
When designing, Care4Neo primarily looked at what other websites do and consulted user panels. "We kept it very simple. Not too many frills, because ultimately it's about the content – that just needs to be easily accessible."
Interested in what Care4Neo does? Visit their website at care4neo.nl for more information.
