The Conor J. Casey Foundation
Founded in 2023 to honor Chef Conor J. Casey, who believed that every meal was an opportunity to celebrate life, the Conor J. Casey Foundation carries on his legacy of generosity and joy. They support nonprofit organizations across Western New York that provide sustenance in its fullest sense: Not just meals, but the nourishment people need to thrive. This includes access to wholesome food, opportunities to learn about growing and preparing it, and the knowledge and resources to build self-sufficient, resilient communities.
Count me in.
When they came to me for a new website, it was because their old one just wasn’t doin’ it for them anymore. The design felt outdated and it didn’t effectively communicate the scope of their work or connect the public to upcoming events. With some important events and fundraisers coming up in 2026, they wanted to take the opportunity to revamp the site.
I loved working with them to reimagine their website. Read on to see how it all came together!
The old website
Built on Webflow a few years ago, the old website wasn’t the easiest thing to update and maintain. The “look and feel” wasn’t brand aligned but instead was boxy and outdated.
From a technical standpoint, several problems were reducing the old website’s visibility in Google search results:
Missing from the site was mention of the Foundation’s two-pronged approach to fulfilling its mission, the list of organizations it supports with annual grants, and exactly how the Foundation works to meet the community’s needs
There wasn’t enough content to provide Google and site visitors with the context they need in order to understand the Foundation’s work and mission
The color palette didn’t pass contrast checks for accessibility and readability
Font sizes were too small across the board
Headings and paragraphs were mixed together with no clear structure, making it difficult for search engines to understand the site
Here’s a look at where we started:
The web design process
We started from a great place: The Foundation’s staff already had logos, a color palette, and a font suite. Glorious!
Because the old website lacked context, I created a wording outline so the Foundation’s staff could totally reimagine how they communicate their mission to the broader public. I made sure there was space on the home page to illustrate exactly what the Foundation does, and space on the Support page to clearly articulate how the Foundation uses donations, supports local nonprofits, and builds capacity in the community.
Once we had all of the content for the site, it was time to start designing!
I kept the color palette minimalist and simple: White, light grey, charcoal, black, and the Foundation’s brand orange. Because the Foundation’s brand green doesn’t pass contrast checks for accessibility, I used it as an accent color in just a few spots.
From there, the rest of the design fell into place. It includes:
Vibrant photos that represent the Foundation’s mission and showcase the work of its partner nonprofit organizations;
Bold, full-bleed photos of Conor wherever possible;
Photo galleries to showcase Conor’s legacy and love of food, as well as to connect the public to past fundraising events like the Conor Johnor Jam and Rock ‘n Bowl;
Custom code to provide across-the-board styling for hover effects and a few other fun little bells-and-whistles.
Take a look at the Foundation’s new website home page!
