Raise

Overview

Raise is a social impact startup that helps companies connect their employees with nonprofits through volunteering and donation matching. To support HR teams and program administrators, Raise built an admin-facing tool that enables organizations to launch and manage their giving programs with ease.The tool empowers admins to track employee participation, configure matching rules, and monitor overall impact—making it simple to run purpose-driven initiatives that boost morale and align with company values.

Please Note: Due to NDA restrictions I am only able to share a few screens in this case study. I will be able to share more in interviews or meetings.

My Role

  • User Research planning and execution- Interviews and moderated usability tests.
  • Design of admin-facing experience.
  • Conducted workshops to align team and leadership on goals and visual style.
  • Collaborated with CEO to brainstorm post-MVP features

Duration

3 months

Team

2 Designer (Including Me)

2 Developers

1 PM

CEO

STO

Tools

Figma

Maze

The Problem

    Enterprises are increasingly investing in social impact initiatives to boost employee morale and brand responsibility — yet HR and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) teams often lack the tools to manage and measure those efforts effectively.

    The Goal

      Raise aimed to solve this by creating a centralized platform where administrators could:

      • Set up and manage donation-matching programs
      • Track employee participation and donation trends
      • Identify causes employees care about
      • Promote internal engagement in social good

      Key Research Insights

      Our research involved interviews and prototype testing with HR leaders and CSR program managers at small to medium sized companies. The following insights shaped our design priorities:

      1

      Admins sought fast, high-level insights into employee engagement — specifically how many were contributing, and which causes and nonprofits were receiving support

      2

      Admins wanted immediate visibility into donation match activity — including amounts matched, pending matches, and employee eligibility — to ensure the program was functioning correctly without digging through reports.

      3

      Admins expected a clear and flexible way to configure matching rules — including match rate, annual caps, and eligibility — to align with internal policies and ensure budget control.

      The Solution

      Giving Analytics

      The Giving Analytics dashboard gives admins a clear, instant view of donations, participation, and trends—making it easy to track impact and share results.

      Donation matching set up

      Admins can quickly configure donation matching settings to align with their company’s policies

      Manage employees

      This view allows admins to effectively manage individual employee giving by surfacing individual donation activity, matching status, and community involvement — all in one place.

      Learnings

      1

      I was able to wear multiple hats while working at the startup - designer, researcher, PM.

      2

      Startups pivot fast and often so don't be married to your ideas and designs.

      3

      Speaking up and taking initiativecan earn trust, open opportunities, and make a meaningful impact in fast-paced teams