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dentsu North Stars Award nomination
Voluntary Project Shipped 2024–2025

Girls Empowerment Foundation X Dentsu

I came up with the idea and led a cross-functional team at dentsu to deliver a full digital transformation for the Girls Empowerment Foundation (GEF)—a grassroots organization supporting underrepresented girls. We worked with a real non-profit, coordinated FE, BE, SEO, and CRO, and delivered measurable improvements—earning a nomination for the dentsu North Stars Award 2025.

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Project Origin & Concept

How it started

  • I initiated the idea for a voluntary project where our dev team could make real-world impact using our skills.
  • After pitching to leadership, the project grew to include CRO, SEO, and BE teams—becoming a true cross-functional effort.
  • We connected with the Girls Empowerment Foundation, got a great response, and started outlining the project in April 2024.
  • Our goal: enhance the GEF website’s look, usability, and admin experience, and make it easier for the foundation to manage independently.

Nomination summary: This was more than a digital makeover—it was a purpose-driven effort that leveraged our professional skills to amplify the voice of an organization doing vital work in their community.

Situation & Challenge

What we were solving

  • The old GEF website was outdated, hard to manage, and riddled with technical issues (old PHP, broken language toggling, limited donation functionality).
  • Supporters couldn’t easily understand GEF’s mission or take action; content updates required external help.
  • We needed to fix technical problems and elevate the organization’s impact and independence—on a voluntary basis, and within a compressed delivery timeframe.

How we did it

Process & Teamwork

  • Started as a FE initiative, quickly expanded to include CRO, SEO, design, and BE.
  • Gathered a wish list from GEF and mapped out a phased approach focused on impact and efficiency.
  • June: BE upgraded PHP, fixed bilingual issues, and set up staging.
  • June: SEO/CRO audits and recommendations shaped layout and donation flow.
  • September: Three-day dev sprint—overlapping shifts, smooth handovers, and rapid delivery.

What we shipped:

  • Homepage redesign for mission clarity and donation CTA placement.
  • Success stories section to highlight impact.
  • Improved image carousel and donor recognition (new donor page).
  • Interactive calendar (linked to Google Calendar) for events.
  • Mollie recurring payments set up for donations.
  • Mobile optimization, Google Analytics, and easier admin management.

Consultancy & Docs

SEO, CRO, and Planning

Results & Recognition

Impact & Award Nomination

  • Launched a modern, mobile-optimized, bilingual site with improved donation and event features.
  • Empowered the foundation to manage their platform independently.
  • Earned a nomination for the dentsu North Stars Award 2025.
  • Set a new precedent for voluntary projects at dentsu: real skills, real impact, real community benefit.

Case evidence

Screenshots & Artifacts

GEF logo
Girls Empowerment Foundation logo.
GEF and dentsu team picture
GEF × dentsu team: cross-functional, voluntary, and mission-driven.
Celebration cake for project launch
Celebration cake for the project launch—marking a successful collaboration.
dentsu North Stars Award nomination
Our project was nominated for the dentsu North Stars Award 2025.