A New Look for Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Website

With growing consumer interest in food and nutrition, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (then the American Dietetic Association) decided in 2009 that it needed a major website overhaul that would include a consumer component.

Paul Mifsud, the organization's chief financial officer, turned to .orgSource to help build this new site because of the company's outstanding reputation in the association community. He was not disappointed, and says working with Sherry Budziak, founder and president of .orgSource, and her team was one of the best experiences he's ever had working with a vendor.

"Sherry understands the technical end and the consumer end," Paul says. "She knows that the website means to an organization, and beyond that understands the nonprofit environment itself."

Before the new site could be created, the Academy had to decide what form it wanted both the member portion and the consumer portion to take, and be sure the current staff and system could handle it. The .orgSource team did a thorough review of the organization's infrastructure and human resources, laying out a roadmap of what the needs were in the near future, as well as months and years down the road. The next step was for .orgSource to talk with the staff and volunteer leaders to get their feedback on what the site should be, especially because the target audience of the consumer section was not only the public, but also health professionals and government officials whose decisions can affect the Academy's constituents. In addition, the member-focused portion of the redesigned site had to incorporate new elements such as video and social tools.

"We needed to know how we get from where we are to where we need to be, and what the answer to that would look like," Paul says. "Sherry got everyone together to help us decide that, then guided us through the development, the content management system - everything from soup to nuts."

The redesigned site was a big success with both members and the public, and it has since been expanded to include a section on children's nutrition called kidseatright.org. Paul credits the .orgSource resources and expertise with getting the site where it is today.

"Sherry has a vast toolbox from which to pull out whatever she needs, which is what makes her great," Paul says. She also is very patient - and we tried her patience on many occasions. I recommend her to anyone who needs any kind of Web or Internet analysis."