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The National Philanthropic Trust

From Aicha Chenna to Zakat: A Global Journey Through Giving Traditions

Redesigning Global Philanthropy: A Vision Beyond Borders

The National Philanthropic Trust came to Radish with an ambitious vision: to overhaul their World Giving Library to challenge the Global North-centric view of philanthropy. Their goal was to build a platform where users could explore giving traditions from around the world and contribute their own entries. The website needed to be more than just a repository—it had to be a dynamic, interactive tool that amplified diverse voices.

Designing for Inclusivity and Collaboration

Designing a collaborative platform centered on global giving traditions came with unique challenges. The National Philanthropic Trust aimed not only to engage audiences but to empower them to share their own traditions. To do this, the website needed to be:
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• Scalable and adaptable, allowing user-generated content to mesh seamlessly with National Philanthropic Trust content.
• Multilingual, supporting entries in various languages and scripts.
• Visually compelling, using design to highlight cultural richness.
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With these goals in mind, the Radish team set out to create an interactive deep-dive into stories of generosity.

A Global Approach to Typography and Navigation

One of our biggest challenges was creating a typographic system capable of handling many languages using diverse scripts from Devanagari to Cyrillic. Selecting flexible, open-source fonts optimized for readability across scripts while maintaining a cohesive look, we built a design system with a color and type hierarchy that could adapt to a wide range of content – ensuring that every tradition, no matter how niche, would shine.
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To enhance the user experience, we designed an intuitive, non-linear navigation system that enables users to discover entries by  by clicking through a web of interconnected nodes. Users can choose their level of engagement, deep-diving into stories or perusing high-level summaries.

The Skimmer-Swimmer-Diver Approach to Content

Though tailoring content to target audiences is an indispensable part of every Radish project, the National Philanthropic Trust’s unique needs called for a novel approach. Rather than focusing on predefined audience personas, we structured the platform around content consumption behaviors:
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• Skimmers could browse snippets and highlights.
• Swimmers could engage with medium-length written content, wading deeper into specific traditions.
• Divers could immerse themselves fully in long-form entries enriched with multimedia elements.
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This content-centric approach ensured that the platform would engage all users, no matter how they chose to interact with it.

Engaging Diverse Stakeholders

With multiple stakeholders involved—the National Philanthropic Trust and Giving Tuesday —we prioritized a transparent, collaborative workflow. Frequent design reviews and open feedback sessions ensured alignment across parties on both the project’s progress and mission. Collaborating with stakeholders at every step in the process enabled us to unify diverse perspectives in a robust, cohesive digital experience.

A New Digital Era for Global Philanthropy

The transformation of the National Philanthropic Trust’s World Giving Library was much more than a visual overhaul. By breaking away from the Global North narrative, the dynamic platform celebrates philanthropy across cultures and opens the door for voices from around the world to share their unique traditions.
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It was a thrill for the Radish team to help the National Philanthropic Trust redefine how we communicate, share, and celebrate global philanthropy. We hope the new platform highlights the power of digital design to bridge cultural divides and actualize inclusivity.
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Explore for yourself here.

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