Company
Date Published
Author
Peter Rose
Word count
843
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Charities and conservation organizations face competition for attention and donations, similar to commercial retailers, especially during peak donation periods like Earth Day. To address this challenge, Mapular designed an interactive map-driven fundraising campaign for the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, enabling donors to become 'forest sponsors' by coloring squares on a map, thus engaging them in a collaborative art project. This innovative approach increased donations by 160% in six months, supported by the visually and interactively appealing nature of maps, akin to the Million Dollar Homepage concept. The site incorporates features like educational content, satellite imagery, and stories of animal sightings, built using technologies such as Mapbox, Contentful, and Microsoft Azure, which provide scalable and cost-effective solutions for nonprofits. The campaign's success highlights the potential of combining maps with storytelling to capture donor interest and extend the reach of charitable initiatives.