Laptop on a wooden table displaying the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary website with an image of horses and text about 11,000 acres of protected land in South Dakota.

Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary

Semi-Custom Website Design
Collaborative Copywriting
Email Marketing Kickstart

Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary is a nonprofit that protects over 600 rescued wild horses on 11,000 acres of South Dakota wilderness. I fully revamped their online presence, modernizing their aesthetic, streamlining donation pathways, introducing cinematic visual storytelling, and building labor-saving operational systems.

The Transformation

Before

The original design suffered from a cluttered layout with small images and dense text blocks. The main navigation lacked organization and clear pathways to donation.

Black Hills Horse Sanctuary website menu with categories like Home, About, Sponsor, Shop, Donate, Visit; includes options like jewelry, souvenirs, clothing, books, art gallery, cowboy collectibles, and calendar pictures.
Webpage of Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary featuring horse sponsorship opportunities, information on winter hay needs, and a call to donate. Images of horses and haystacks are included with descriptions and sponsorship buttons. There's also a section to join the newsletter and contact details at the bottom.
Donation options for Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary featuring photos and descriptions of items like nursery needs, general horse donations, equine health needs, cat needs, and hay, with prices for each donation type.

After

The redesign features an earth-tone palette with generous negative space and refined typography. Immersive photography and video bring the horses and Sanctuary to life, while a simplified navigation makes key actions unmissable.

Website section for "Land & Wildlife" featuring conservation success stories with texts about wildlife, water systems, and indigenous heritage, accompanied by images of a burrowing owl, horses by a river, cliffs, and rock carvings.
Website mission page with text about protecting wild horses. Includes sections on freedom, sanctuary, conservation. Features images of horses, statistics about land and species preservation, and information on challenges like drought and costs. Encourages donations and involvement for supporting horse sanctuaries.

The Homepage

The new homepage showcases dramatic images of wild horses running free across pristine landscapes, creating an immersive experience of the Sanctuary’s natural beauty. Clear content blocks present the organization’s driving mission and most pressing needs, while strategic pathways guide visitors to sponsor a horse, make a donation, or plan a visits. Visitors are introduced to founder Dayton O. Hyde and invited to explore his legacy.

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Honoring the Founder’s Legacy

The website honors founder Dayton O. Hyde's legacy through a narrative-rich page that chronicles his journey from teenage ranch hand to visionary conservationist. Launched to coincide with his centennial, this historical tribute showcases both the award-winning documentary about his life and his published works, while inviting visitors to continue Hyde's mission.

Webpage showcasing Dayton O. Hyde, featuring sections about his life as a rancher, author, and conservationist. Includes images of horses, a video about the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, and information about his books. Quotes from Hyde are displayed throughout.

Streamlining Donation Pathways

The redesign transformed the Sanctuary's donation experience by streamlining supporter pathways. Key improvements included converting the analog "Sponsor a Horse" program into a digital subscription system, reducing administrative workload, and integrating Donorbox for robust functionality like commemorative gifts. A persistent sidebar donation flag ensures giving remains a click away from anywhere on the site.

Webpage promoting involvement in protecting wild horses by sponsoring, donating, or shopping. Features images of horses and text encouraging support for the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary.
Webpage for sponsoring a horse featuring three horse images with names: Sundance, Madre and Hija, Santana. Includes monthly donation options, a 'Make a Difference' header, and an FAQ section.
Horse standing in a sandy, fenced area with a wooden shed. Sponsorship options and benefits are displayed on the website page.
Donation page for Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary with options for donation amounts, supplies, and images of wild horses.

Organized Visitor Management

The redesign clarifies two distinct ways to experience the Sanctuary: a self-guided scenic drive or private tour. Implementation of Acuity scheduling created a new registration system collecting vehicle information and processing entrance fees, giving staff a comprehensive visitor management tool. This approach improves guest experience while establishing a revenue stream that covers road maintenance and supports the Sanctuary's broader mission.

Webpage for private wild horse tours, featuring images of mustangs in a natural landscape. Includes sections titled "Experience the mustang magic first-hand," "The Details," and "The ultimate adventure into wild horse country." Offers tour information and reservation contact options.
Booking form for a sanctuary visit with date selection and donation options."}

Newsletter Refresh

The redesign extended to email marketing, establishing a cohesive communication system on Squarespace Email Campaigns. An automated welcome sequence now greets new subscribers, while custom-designed templates matching the website's visual identity making newsletter creation and management easy.

Newsletter from Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary featuring images of wild horses, a welcome message, and call-to-action buttons for involvement.
A flyer from Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary featuring images of horses in a field and text about challenges due to hay scarcity and drought. The flyer asks for support and donations to help provide essential care and resources for the horses, with a note from Susan Watt, President & Executive Director.

"This website is a whole new world for us. It looks beautiful, but that’s just the beginning. Horse sponsorship is on autopilot, we have a new way to track visitors, and I’m no longer pulling my hair out trying to figure it out. Thank you for your careful attention and patience as we modernize our ways.”

—Fran Mitchell, Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary

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