Case Study

ArcStone redesigned Prepare + Prosper’s website under a tight tax season deadline, creating an accessible platform for clients, volunteers, and donors.

Computer monitor displaying the newly redesigned homepage of Prepare + Prosper’s website, created by ArcStone. The site features a modern, accessible layout with a purple header containing links for customer tax tools, volunteer resources, login, training, and language selection. A bright orange banner announces that appointments are full, with a link to check for cancellations and a note about new appointments starting June 16. The main headline reads “Financial Empowerment for All,” over a blurred background image of people in a community setting. Below are three teal buttons labeled “Free Tax Prep,” “Financial Coaching,” and “FAIR Banking,” highlighting key services. The updated design emphasizes clarity, user support, and financial inclusion.
Prepare + Prosper logo featuring the words “PREPARE” stacked above “PROSPER” in bold, rounded gray uppercase letters. A gray plus symbol appears to the right of the text. The words are enclosed within an open turquoise rectangular outline that frames the top, left, and bottom edges, extending around the plus sign on the right.

Prepare + Prosper is a Twin Cities nonprofit organization dedicated to financial empowerment through free tax preparation, financial coaching, and asset-building services. Founded on the principle that everyone deserves access to quality financial services regardless of income level, P+P operates year-round programs that help community members build assets, improve credit, and navigate complex financial systems. Their comprehensive approach includes not just tax preparation, but also financial education workshops, one-on-one coaching, and connections to asset-building opportunities like matched savings programs.

Serving primarily low-to-moderate income individuals and families across the Twin Cities metro area, P+P coordinates hundreds of volunteers who provide these critical services to thousands of community members annually. The organization needed a digital platform that could effectively manage this complex ecosystem—coordinating volunteer training and scheduling, providing clear pathways for clients to access services, and engaging donors who support financial equity work. During tax season, this digital infrastructure becomes especially critical as demand for services peaks and efficient coordination becomes essential to serving the community effectively.

Our Role

  • WordPress Redesign & Development
  • Accessibility Implementation (WCAG 2.1 AA)
  • User Experience Optimization
  • Third-Party Integration Consultation
  • Enhanced Call-to-Action Implementation
  • Performance Improvements
  • Deadline-Driven Project Management

The Challenge:

Prepare + Prosper faced multiple challenges including an outdated WordPress site with accessibility gaps, clunky navigation that frustrated users, and an urgent tax season timeline that required rapid project completion. The existing website struggled to serve their diverse audiences effectively—from community members seeking financial services to volunteers looking for training opportunities to donors wanting to understand program impact. The accessibility issues were particularly concerning given that P+P serves vulnerable populations who may face additional barriers to accessing financial services, making digital accessibility not just a compliance issue but a matter of equitable service delivery.

The technical complexity was compounded by the organization’s reliance on multiple integrated platforms essential to their operations. The website needed to maintain seamless connections with Acuity scheduling for client appointments, Moodle learning management for volunteer training, Storyline training modules for specialized education, Volgistics for volunteer coordination, and various Jotforms for data collection and intake processes. Any disruption to these integrations during the redesign could have severely impacted P+P’s ability to serve clients during their busiest operational period. The looming tax season deadline created additional pressure, as the new website needed to be fully functional before the influx of community members seeking tax preparation assistance.

Image of a laptop displaying the previous version of the Prepare + Prosper website before its redesign by ArcStone. The layout is text-heavy with a narrow, boxy design and side navigation. The logo “Prepare + Prosper” appears at the top left, with navigation links including “Home,” “Contact Us,” and “Donate” above a large banner that reads “Accountability Minnesota is now Prepare + Prosper.” Below are buttons for Services, Volunteer, Support Us, and Initiatives. A bright teal button prompts users to “Find the tax clinic closest to you.” The sidebar highlights their mission to provide free tax assistance to low-income families and includes social media icons for Facebook and Twitter.

Our Approach

ArcStone executed a fast-tracked redesign process to meet Prepare + Prosper’s critical tax season launch deadline. We implemented comprehensive accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA) while creating enhanced calls-to-action for both clients seeking services and volunteers wanting to help. The redesign included performance improvements, plugin consolidation recommendations, and streamlined navigation that serves P+P’s diverse audiences more effectively while maintaining essential third-party integrations.

Understanding the urgency of tax season timing, our team prioritized essential functionality first, ensuring that client scheduling and volunteer coordination systems remained fully operational throughout the transition. We conducted thorough testing of all integration points, from Acuity appointment scheduling to Moodle training platforms, ensuring seamless user experiences across all touchpoints. The accessibility implementation was comprehensive, addressing both compliance requirements and practical usability for community members who rely on financial services during their most vulnerable times.

The technical approach emphasized sustainable performance improvements and streamlined backend management. We provided detailed recommendations for plugin consolidation, identified redundant systems that could be eliminated, and created documentation that enables P+P staff to maintain the platform efficiently. This foundation ensures that during their busiest operational period—tax season—the website performs reliably while requiring minimal technical intervention from their lean staff team.

Screenshot of the "Customer Tax Tools" page from the redesigned Prepare + Prosper website by ArcStone. The header includes the Prepare + Prosper logo, navigation links, and an orange “Schedule a Tax Appointment” button. Below, a banner with masked volunteers working at computers contains the title “Customer Tax Tools” and a subheading encouraging users to prepare for tax time. The page is divided into two columns: "For All Customers" and "For Self-Employed," each with linked tax prep resources for Tax Year 2024, available in English and Spanish. Additional sections cover online submission instructions and tax basics for small businesses.
Screenshot of the redesigned Prepare + Prosper online screener page for tax appointments, created by ArcStone. The top navigation includes the Prepare + Prosper logo, an orange “Schedule a Tax Appointment” button, and dropdown menus for Services, Get Involved, Advocacy, and About Us. Below, a large heading reads “Online screener for tax appointments,” with a subtext noting they handle returns for tax years 2019–2024. A highlighted section titled “New this year for renters!” explains changes to Minnesota’s Renter’s Credit process. The form begins with required checkboxes asking about financial circumstances such as bankruptcy, cryptocurrency activity, rental property ownership, and military service.

Reviewing The Results

Prepare + Prosper launched their improved website before tax season, providing better user experience for clients, volunteers, and donors during their busiest period. The accessibility-compliant platform ensures that financial services are accessible to community members with disabilities, while the enhanced user experience helps people navigate tax preparation and financial coaching services more easily. The streamlined backend and plugin optimization reduced technical complexity while maintaining the functionality needed to serve thousands of Twin Cities residents annually.

Operational Impact: The deadline-driven approach successfully delivered a fully functional platform that supported P+P through their most critical operational period, enabling them to focus on service delivery rather than technical issues during tax season. The accessibility improvements ensure that financial empowerment services reach community members who historically face barriers to accessing such resources.

Enhanced Search Visibility

Improved accessibility and SEO helped the organization rank higher for searches related to “free tax prep Minneapolis” and “financial coaching Minnesota,” connecting more families to economic empowerment resources.

115% Growth in Organic Traffic

The redesigned website helped double the number of community members discovering Prepare + Prosper’s free tax preparation and financial coaching services online.

Accessibility icon

Accessibility Impact

The WCAG 2.1 AA compliant redesign ensured that financial services information was accessible to community members with disabilities, removing barriers that previously prevented some families from accessing tax preparation and financial coaching support.

Let ArcStone Help with Your New WordPress Website!

Get Started