ChatGPT answers, unedited

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Prosper Strategies - 200 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Tala Communications - 5924 Crain St, Morton Grove, IL 60053, United States
• Public Communications Inc. - 161 N Clark St 20th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Rudd Resources - 56 E 47th St Ste 300C, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• Melcher & Tucker Consultants - 333 North Michigan, 333 N Michigan Ave #606, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• DeSoto & State Communications, Inc. - 7301 W 25th St #256, North Riverside, IL 60546, United States
• Eurydice - 3600 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Conlon Public Strategies - 1 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States

For a visually driven foundation site that also makes grant applications/resources easy to find and download, I’d interview a mix of web/brand firms and at least one grant-process specialist rather than treating this as a pure web-design project.

Chicago firms I’d put on the interview list

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Chicago-based, purpose-driven design firm with nonprofit experience spanning branding, UX/UI, accessibility, WordPress, CRM/forms, and content strategy. This is a strong fit if the site needs to feel highly designed while still functioning well. Clutch
• Advocate Creative — Particularly relevant for a foundation/nonprofit brand system: website design, digital development, annual/impact reports, and coordinated print materials.
• CauseHouse — Worth interviewing if you want the website connected to fundraising, CRM, analytics, donation/grant-related workflows, and the broader digital infrastructure rather than simply a beautiful front end.
• Beth Interactive — A philanthropy-focused digital agency; potentially useful if donor journeys, digital fundraising, analytics, and communications are important alongside the website.
• Prosper Strategies — More strategy/communications oriented. Useful as an interview if you're still defining the foundation's audiences, messaging, stakeholder needs, and digital strategy before commissioning the actual build.
• Project6 — Its foundation/nonprofit practice explicitly includes grant and donation tools, accessibility, UX, WordPress/Drupal, stakeholder interviews, and digital design. That combination maps unusually well to your requirements. Project6
• Trajectory — Specializes in nonprofit/foundation websites and specifically describes grantmaking foundations whose sites need to serve donors, partners, grant applicants, and grantees. Its scope includes information architecture, accessibility, responsive design, CRM integrations, and ongoing support. Trajectory Web Design
• Tala Communications — I would add a grant-communications specialist like this to the interviews if the downloadable application materials themselves need restructuring, clearer instructions, proposal support, or stronger funder-facing communications.

One important benchmark

I'd also interview the people who actually use grant portals, not just agencies.

For example, The Chicago Community Trust has a responsive GrantCentral system with application instructions, organization profiles, outcomes/measures, and other grant resources. CCT cct.org

That gives you a useful model for thinking beyond a static "Downloads" page. Similarly, VNA Foundation publishes funding guidelines, model proposals, FAQs, outcome measures, and application instructions alongside its grants-management system. VNA Foundation VNA Foundation

What I'd ask every agency

Give each candidate the same brief:

1. Show us 2–3 foundation/nonprofit sites where visual storytelling was genuinely important.
2. Show us a grantmaking website, ideally one where applicants can easily find eligibility, deadlines, instructions, FAQs, templates, and downloadable application documents.
3. How would you structure "For Grantseekers" versus "Our Work/Impact" versus "About the Foundation"?
4. How will staff update application PDFs, deadlines, eligibility rules, and FAQs without calling the developer?
5. Can the site support accessible PDFs and WCAG-compliant navigation?
6. How would you make a visually rich homepage without burying the practical information grant applicants need?
7. What CMS would you recommend, and why?
8. How would you handle search/filtering if we eventually have dozens of grant programs, reports, and downloadable resources?
9. What would you do to make the application process work well on mobile?
10. Show us the admin experience, not just the finished public website.

My interview slate would probably be five: LimeRed, Advocate Creative, Project6, Trajectory, and CauseHouse. That gives you a useful spread between visual/brand excellence, foundation-specific experience, accessibility/content architecture, and digital infrastructure. I wouldn't select purely on portfolio aesthetics—the grantseeker user journey and ease of staff maintenance should be part of the evaluation.

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Digital Authority Partners - 420 W Huron St Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency - 2089 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• The Office of Experience, LLC - 980 N Michigan Ave Ste 1090, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Caliber Brand Strategy + Content Marketing - 320 W Oakdale Ave Apt 401, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604, United States

For a foundation that needs a visually driven website plus grant application downloads/resources, I would interview a mix of nonprofit-focused design agencies, digital experience firms, and grant/funder ecosystem organizations. You’ll want partners who understand both storytelling (impact, donors, grantees) and practical requirements (accessible PDFs, searchable resources, application workflows). Wandr Studio

Website design + digital experience agencies to interview

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — A Chicago design agency with a strong mission-driven/nonprofit orientation. Good fit if you want a visually distinctive site with brand storytelling, messaging, and user experience work.
• CauseHouse — Focuses on nonprofit digital strategy, websites, fundraising journeys, CRM connections, analytics, and donor/user experience. A good interview candidate if your site needs to connect storytelling with measurable engagement.
• Advocate Creative — Works specifically around nonprofit communications, branding, websites, and digital storytelling. Consider them if your foundation’s identity and public-facing narrative need strengthening.
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — A design-led agency combining brand strategy, visual design, UX, and web development. Useful if aesthetics and presentation quality are priorities.
• Firebelly Design — A Chicago creative studio with nonprofit and foundation experience, including work with philanthropic organizations.
• Sandstorm Design — Worth considering for larger, more complex digital redesigns involving UX, content structure, and development. Clutch

Agencies to consider if grants and fundraising workflows are central

• Beth Interactive — A philanthropy-focused digital agency that works with nonprofits on donor engagement, digital communications, and analytics.
• Nonprofit Megaphone — Focuses on nonprofit digital marketing and online visibility; useful if your website also needs to drive awareness and applications.

Chicago nonprofit/funder organizations to interview for user insights

These are not web developers, but they can help you understand what applicants, grantees, and funders need:

• The Chicago Community Trust — Their grant application processes and applicant resources can provide insight into how foundations structure online grant information and portals. The Chicago Community Trust
• Forefront — Useful for understanding nonprofit capacity-building needs, funder communications, and sector practices. Wandr Studio
• Design Trust Chicago — Their design services work with community organizations may offer perspective on accessible, community-centered design processes. Design Trust Chicago

Interview questions I would ask every candidate

1. Foundation experience

• “Show us 2–3 foundation or nonprofit websites you built.”
• “How did you organize grant guidelines, eligibility rules, FAQs, and downloadable forms?”
• Visual storytelling

• “How would you turn our impact data into compelling visuals?”
• “What content would you recommend putting above the fold?”
• Grant application usability

• “How would users find the right grant opportunity in under one minute?”
• “Would you recommend PDFs, forms, a portal, or a hybrid approach?”
• “How will you make downloadable documents accessible (ADA/WCAG compliance)?”
• Internal maintenance

• “Can staff update deadlines, application documents, and announcements without developers?”
• “What training and documentation do you provide?”
• Measurement

• “How will we know the new site is working?”
• “What analytics will you track: downloads, applications started, completed applications, donor engagement?”

A practical shortlist for first-round interviews might be LimeRed, CauseHouse, Advocate Creative, Firebelly, and Beth Interactive because together they cover visual storytelling, nonprofit experience, and fundraising/grant-related needs.

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Elevation - 100 M St SE #600, Washington, DC 20003, United States
• Project World Impact - 3805 E Main St Suite F, St. Charles, IL 60174
• Social Capital-Chicago - 980 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• LIMIT8 | Nonprofit Web Design Experts - 350 Central Prk W, New York, NY 10025, United States

For a Chicago foundation that needs strong visual storytelling plus a genuinely usable grant-application/download experience, I’d interview a small mix rather than choosing purely on aesthetics.

Chicago agencies I’d put on the interview list

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — A particularly relevant option for a mission-driven foundation. Their work spans branding, UX/UI, information architecture, accessibility, WordPress, forms, payments, integrations, and ongoing maintenance. CCT
• Dialogue Theory — Worth interviewing if the site needs to feel highly visual and distinctive, rather than like a conventional nonprofit template. Their Chicago studio emphasizes strategic design, UX/UI, digital experiences, and motion/animation.
• Sandstorm Design — Strong candidate if you want the visual experience grounded in research, usability testing, UX strategy, and accessibility, rather than design alone.
• Firebelly Design — A good conversation for a foundation wanting sophisticated brand/design work. Their listed clients include foundations and major nonprofits, including Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and The Chicago Community Trust.
• Advocate Creative — Particularly worth considering if you need the website to connect with annual reports, impact reports, publications, and broader foundation communications, since they work across branding, print, and digital.
• Bark Design — Another Chicago mission-driven design shop with capabilities spanning branding, web, UX/UI, information architecture, and video.
• Orbit Media Studios — Not surfaced in the local-business results, but I'd add them to the RFP. Their nonprofit practice specifically describes work with organizations including the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Goodman Theatre, along with resource libraries, accessibility, UX, CMS training, and integrations. Orbit Media Studios
• Project6 — I'd also interview them if the grant workflow is important. They explicitly list foundation/nonprofit work, grant and donation tools, accessibility, UX/UI, WordPress/Drupal, custom programming, and usability testing. Project6

One important distinction for your RFP

Don't describe the requirement simply as "grant application downloads." Ask candidates to show how they would design the entire grant-seeker journey:

1. Find the appropriate funding opportunity.
2. Understand eligibility and deadlines.
3. Download guidelines/application materials.
4. Complete the application online or offline, as appropriate.
5. Upload supporting documents.
6. Receive confirmation and understand next steps.
7. Return later without losing work.
8. Find prior application resources and FAQs.

That's important because Chicago foundations already use very different approaches. For example, The Chicago Community Trust uses a responsive web-based GrantCentral platform, while other foundations provide downloadable/previewable materials and portal applications. CCT Seabury Foundation

I'd therefore make grant UX, document accessibility, WCAG compliance, mobile usability, CMS ownership, and integrations explicit evaluation criteria—not just visual design.

If you want a shortlist of 4 agencies to actually interview, I'd start with LimeRed, Sandstorm, Orbit Media, and Project6, while adding Firebelly or Dialogue Theory if the visual/brand side is especially important. That isn't a ranking; it's a way to create a useful mix of capabilities for your interviews.

Since you’re asking specifically for Chicago agencies, I need your location confirmation before I recommend local agencies. Your precise location isn’t currently shared.

Please share your location using your device, or tell me the Chicago neighborhood/city you want to use as the reference point.

• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Eurydice - 3600 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Zora Digital - WeWork, 20 W Kinzie St 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• JG Poll & Associates - 5445 N Sheridan Rd Apt 2615, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Access Direct Nonprofit Marketing - 209 Des Plaines Ave, Forest Park, IL 60130, United States
• TWB Fundraising - 2 N Riverside Plaza Ste 1875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Beth Interactive Inc. - 4541 N Ravenswood Ave #303, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Bark Design - 3115 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
• ASIL Ventures - 350 N Orleans St Ste 9301, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

Yes. For a foundation site that needs to be highly visual, credible, and genuinely useful to grantseekers, I’d interview a mix of nonprofit/foundation web specialists and grant-portal/user-experience specialists, rather than treating this as a generic web redesign.

My Chicago shortlist

• Advocate Creative — Probably one of the strongest first interviews for your brief. They specialize in branding and design for nonprofits and foundations and have built websites, microsites, campaigns, annual reports, and impact reports for more than 90 mission-driven organizations. Their portfolio includes United Way of Metro Chicago and other major nonprofit/foundation clients. Advocate Creative
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — A strong candidate if the goal is a beautiful, story-driven experience, not just a functional nonprofit website. Their work spans brand strategy, messaging, digital experiences, photography/illustration direction, and web design.
• Windy City Web Solutions — Worth interviewing as a more implementation-oriented option. They specifically build accessible WordPress sites for Chicago nonprofits and emphasize easy staff updates, donations, ongoing support, and maintenance. Windy City Web Solutions
• Project6 — Especially interesting for a foundation. They explicitly work with foundations/nonprofits on websites, grants and donation tools, accessibility, UX, stakeholder interviews, impact reports, and WordPress/Drupal. They say they've worked with 36+ foundation/nonprofit clients. Project6
• Beth Interactive — I'd include them if the site needs to connect the visual experience to donor behavior, analytics, CRM and digital fundraising. They conduct web/donor-journey audits and specialize in digital philanthropy and nonprofit communications.
• Firebelly Design — A particularly interesting interview for high-end visual design and brand storytelling. Their nonprofit/foundation client list includes Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust.
• Nonprofit Megaphone — Less of a visual-design pick, but useful if you want the website to support Google Ad Grants, search visibility and digital acquisition alongside the redesign.

One organization I would study before interviewing agencies

The Chicago Community Trust is particularly relevant because its GrantCentral system gives applicants a responsive, web-based way to find opportunities, manage grant activities, submit applications, complete organizational profiles, and report outcomes. The Chicago Community Trust

I'd use GrantCentral as a benchmark for the grantseeker experience, even if your foundation doesn't need a full custom grant-management system.

How I'd structure the interviews

I'd bring 4–5 finalists in, rather than asking 10 agencies for proposals. Give each the same challenge:

"We need a visually compelling foundation website where a first-time grantseeker can quickly understand our priorities, determine eligibility, find the right opportunity, download application materials, understand deadlines, and begin an application without assistance."

Then ask each agency to show you:

1. Two comparable foundation/nonprofit sites they've actually built.
2. How they'd make grant opportunities discoverable without burying them under beautiful storytelling.
3. How they'd handle application PDFs/downloads, eligibility requirements, deadlines and FAQs.
4. Whether they'd recommend PDFs, web forms, a grant portal, or some combination.
5. How foundation staff would update opportunities without needing the agency.
6. Their approach to accessibility/WCAG, especially downloadable documents.
7. How they would design the experience for both grantseekers and donors.
8. What they'd measure after launch—searches, downloads, completed applications, time-to-information, etc.

If I were narrowing this to four first interviews: Advocate Creative, Project6, LimeRed Studio, and Firebelly. That gives you a strong mix of foundation/nonprofit experience, visual storytelling, UX, accessibility, and sophisticated brand work. For the grant-application mechanics, I'd specifically press each one on whether they've integrated or designed grant-management workflows rather than merely putting PDFs on a website.

I'd bring 4–5 finalists in, rather than asking 10 agencies for proposals. Give each the same challenge:

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• TWB Fundraising - 2 N Riverside Plaza Ste 1875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Giving Tree Associates - 220 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Eurydice - 3600 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• JG Poll & Associates - 5445 N Sheridan Rd Apt 2615, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Tala Communications - 5924 Crain St, Morton Grove, IL 60053, United States
• Jerold Panas, Linzy & Partners, Inc - 500 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Leading Healthy Futures - 1343 IL-19 #13196, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Fund Consulting LLC - 1165 N Clark St #608, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• Grant Staff, Inc. - 11524 183rd Pl Ste 103, Orland Park, IL 60467, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Latz & Company | Achieve Your Capital Campaign Goals - 53 W Jackson Blvd #956, Chicago, IL 60604, United States

Yes. For this kind of project, I’d interview a mix of nonprofit web/design firms and grant-management/fundraising specialists, because “visually driven website” and “easy grant application downloads” are related UX problems but require somewhat different expertise.

My Chicago shortlist

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Strongest overall fit. They specialize in purpose-driven organizations and combine brand strategy, UX/UI, accessibility, WordPress development, content strategy, and integrations. I’d ask them specifically to show foundation/grantmaking sites they've built. Flamingo Agency
• Firebelly Design — Best for a highly visual, distinctive identity. They have substantial foundation/nonprofit experience, including work for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and Chicago Community Trust.
• Beth Interactive — Best if the site needs to connect visual storytelling to philanthropy/donor engagement. They're a Chicago digital philanthropy agency and offer website/digital audits, donor-journey work, analytics, and communications.
• Windy City Web Solutions — Good practical/WordPress option. They specifically work with Chicago nonprofits and emphasize accessible, easy-to-maintain sites, donation integrations, impact stories, and staff-friendly content management. Windy City Web Solutions
• Advocate Creative — Worth interviewing if brand + website + annual/impact reports should feel like one system. Their nonprofit/foundation work spans branding, websites, microsites, annual reports, impact reports, and other communications.
• TWB Fundraising — Add as the grant/fundraising perspective. They provide grant research/writing as well as broader fundraising strategy and donor communications.
• Giving Tree Associates — Useful second opinion on the grant workflow. They work across the grant lifecycle—opportunity identification, applications, administration, reporting, and renewals.

One particularly useful interview

I'd also interview The Chicago Community Trust as a user/stakeholder, rather than as a vendor. Their GrantCentral system is explicitly designed around making grant activity and application information accessible through a web-based platform, and their resources include application instructions, organization profiles, outcomes/measures, and other grant-seeker materials. The Chicago Community Trust The Chicago Community Trust

Ask them: “What makes a foundation's grant opportunity page genuinely easy—or frustrating—for applicants?” That could be more valuable than another agency sales pitch.

What I'd ask every agency to demonstrate

Give each candidate the same hypothetical page:

2027 Community Grant Program
Deadline: March 15, 2027
Award range: $25,000–$75,000
Eligibility → Guidelines → FAQs → Download application → Apply online

Then ask them to redesign it live or provide a comparable example.

I'd evaluate them on:

1. Visual storytelling — Can they make the foundation feel compelling without making the site decorative?
2. Grant UX — Can an applicant find eligibility, deadlines, guidelines, downloads and application links in seconds?
3. Document management — Can staff replace a PDF without calling a developer?
4. Accessibility — Especially important for downloadable PDFs and application instructions.
5. Search/filtering — Can users find grants by program, geography, eligibility, cycle, etc.?
6. Mobile experience — Applicants and community organizations will absolutely use phones.
7. Content governance — Who on your staff can update grant pages after launch?
8. Analytics — Can you see which grant opportunities, downloads and application links people actually use?

If I were narrowing this to four interviews: LimeRed, Firebelly, Beth Interactive, and TWB Fundraising. That gives you three different digital/creative perspectives plus someone who can pressure-test the grantmaking workflow itself.

Give each candidate the same hypothetical page:

2027 Community Grant Program
Deadline: March 15, 2027
Award range: $25,000–$75,000
Eligibility → Guidelines → FAQs → Download application → Apply online

Then ask them to redesign it live or provide a comparable example.

I'd evaluate them on:

1. Visual storytelling — Can they make the foundation feel compelling without making the site decorative?
2. Grant UX — Can an applicant find eligibility, deadlines, guidelines, downloads and application links in seconds?
3. Document management — Can staff replace a PDF without calling a developer?
4. Accessibility — Especially important for downloadable PDFs and application instructions.
5. Search/filtering — Can users find grants by program, geography, eligibility, cycle, etc.?
6. Mobile experience — Applicants and community organizations will absolutely use phones.
7. Content governance — Who on your staff can update grant pages after launch?
8. Analytics — Can you see which grant opportunities, downloads and application links people actually use?

If I were narrowing this to four interviews: LimeRed, Firebelly, Beth Interactive, and TWB Fundraising. That gives you three different digital/creative perspectives plus someone who can pressure-test the grantmaking workflow itself.

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Prosper Strategies - 200 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• EDUCO Web Design - 128 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Bark Design - 3115 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610
• Maven Digital - 23 N Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Access Direct Nonprofit Marketing - 209 Des Plaines Ave, Forest Park, IL 60130, United States

Yes. For a foundation website that needs to be visually compelling but also function as a practical grantmaking hub, I’d interview a mix of strong nonprofit web/design firms and one or two agencies with deeper fundraising/grant-technology expertise.

My Chicago shortlist

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — probably my first interview. They specialize in purpose-driven organizations and combine brand, UX, accessibility, information architecture, WordPress, forms/payments, analytics, and ongoing support. That makes them a strong fit if the site needs to look distinctive and work well operationally.
• Firebelly Design — best for highly visual, design-led work. Their portfolio includes foundations and major mission-driven organizations, including the Chicago Community Trust and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. They also have a long-running pro-bono Grant for Good program, which is a useful signal of nonprofit experience.
• Sandstorm Design — best for sophisticated UX. Their research-driven approach could be particularly valuable if applicants, grantees, donors, and the public all need different paths through the site.
• Advocate Creative — strong foundation/nonprofit communications option. They do branding, websites, microsites, reports and other nonprofit communications, so they could create a consistent visual system across the website and downloadable grant materials.
• Prosper Strategies — I'd interview them if you need strategy before design. They're more of a nonprofit strategy/communications firm than a pure web shop, which could be valuable for figuring out audiences, messaging, grantmaking journeys and content architecture.
• Beth Interactive — worth considering if the website needs to connect closely to donor engagement, CRM, analytics and digital fundraising, rather than being primarily a communications site.
• Bark Design — a smaller, mission-driven Chicago studio worth adding if you want a more hands-on creative partner. Their work spans brand, print and digital, including organizations in Chicago's nonprofit and education sectors.

One important thing: interview foundations, too

I wouldn't only interview agencies. For the grant-application/download experience, I'd talk to a few Chicago funders whose sites already make applicants navigate real grant processes.

The Chicago Community Trust is especially useful as a benchmark: its GrantCentral system is designed around a responsive, web-based grant application experience and provides applicants with FAQs, instructional videos, application instructions, organization-profile guidance and outcome-reporting resources. The Chicago Community Trust

I'd also study the application/resource architecture of the VNA Foundation, which provides funding guidelines, model proposals, outcome measures, FAQs and other applicant resources alongside its grants-management system. VNA Foundation VNA Foundation

And Impact Grants Chicago is a good example of explicitly making application questions available as downloadable PDFs alongside eligibility information and FAQs. Impact Grants Chicago Impact Grants Chicago

What I'd ask every agency

Give all candidates the same design challenge, rather than asking for generic capabilities:

"Design the experience for a first-time nonprofit applicant who arrives on our site, determines whether they're eligible, downloads the application and guidelines, understands what supporting documents are required, and ultimately submits an application."

Then ask:

1. Show us 2–3 comparable foundation/nonprofit projects. What specifically did you improve?
2. How would you make the grant application resources visually prominent without making the site feel like a government portal?
3. How would you organize PDFs, guidelines, FAQs, deadlines and application links so applicants don't get lost?
4. Would you recommend HTML application information, downloadable PDFs, or both—and why?
5. How would you make the site accessible to applicants using screen readers or mobile devices?
6. What CMS would you recommend, and how much could our staff change without calling you?
7. How would the website connect to our grant-management platform/CRM?
8. How would you handle versioning so an old application PDF doesn't remain discoverable after a new cycle opens?
9. What analytics would you install to tell us where applicants are dropping off?
10. What would you do in the first 30 days before designing a single page?

If I were narrowing it to four

I'd start with LimeRed, Firebelly, Sandstorm, and Advocate Creative. They give you four somewhat different approaches: nonprofit digital systems, high-end visual design, UX/research depth, and integrated nonprofit communications.

For the RFP, I'd make "visually driven" only one of the evaluation criteria. The more consequential requirement is probably "Can a first-time grant applicant find, understand, download and successfully use everything they need without assistance?" That's where a beautiful foundation site can either succeed spectacularly or become frustrating. flamingoagency.com orbitmedia.com

"Design the experience for a first-time nonprofit applicant who arrives on our site, determines whether they're eligible, downloads the application and guidelines, understands what supporting documents are required, and ultimately submits an application."

Then ask:

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• IDE Interactive, Inc. - 2945 W Peterson Ave Ste 103, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Zora Digital - WeWork, 20 W Kinzie St 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Grand Studio - 444 N Wells St #501, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

Yes. For a foundation that wants a visually strong site plus a much better grant-application/download experience, I’d interview a mix of digital/design agencies and actual Chicago grantmaking organizations. The latter are especially valuable for understanding what applicants need to find, download, complete, and submit.

Agencies I’d put on the interview list

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Strong fit if you want brand + storytelling + nonprofit digital experience. They focus heavily on mission-driven organizations.
• Firebelly Design — Particularly worth interviewing for visual identity and philanthropic/nonprofit experience. Their client history includes foundations and The Chicago Community Trust, and they have run a nonprofit design-grant program. Design B&B
• Sandstorm Design — Good candidate if the project needs research-driven UX, accessibility, information architecture, and polished visual design, rather than just a prettier website.
• Beth Interactive — I'd include them if the grant site needs to connect with donor communications, analytics, fundraising, and user journeys.
• Advocate Creative — Worth considering for a foundation because they specifically work in nonprofit/foundation branding and website design.
• Dialogue Theory — Interesting option for a more mission-driven, inclusive, visually distinctive digital experience.
• IDE Interactive, Inc. — I'd interview them if the downloads are actually part of a larger interactive application workflow, portal, or custom functionality, rather than simply PDFs.

More important: interview these grantmakers

I'd also ask several Chicago foundations to walk your team through their own applicant experience.

• The Chicago Community Trust — An especially useful benchmark. Its GrantCentral system explicitly emphasizes a responsive, user-friendly grant platform and provides resources for application submission, organization profiles, outcomes, and demographics. CCT
• Impact Grants Chicago — Excellent research subject because applicants go through an LOI and potentially a full application, with downloadable previews of application questions and supporting documents. They also use SlideRoom and explicitly address submission problems and document requirements. Impact Grants Chicago Impact Grants Chicago
• Woods Fund Chicago — Useful for understanding the complete applicant journey, including portal submission, review, interviews/site visits, notifications, and post-award communication. Woods Fund Chicago
• Seabury Foundation — Particularly relevant if your foundation will offer downloadable/previewable applications alongside an online portal; they have both an online portal and a "Preview Application" path. Seabury Foundation
• Christopher Family Foundation — Good interview target for understanding how applicants navigate eligibility, LOIs, full proposals, grant-management software, and technical assistance. Christopher Family Foundation

What I'd ask in the interviews

Don't just ask agencies, "Can you build us a beautiful website?" I'd frame the research around:

1. How does a first-time applicant find the right grant?
2. Can they understand eligibility in under two minutes?
3. Can they preview/download the complete application before creating an account?
4. Which documents should be HTML, PDF, Word, or interactive forms?
5. Can applicants download a clean application checklist and save/print questions?
6. How do accessibility, mobile use, and screen readers work with the application materials?
7. What happens when an applicant has a question or encounters a broken download?
8. How can staff update deadlines, guidelines, and PDFs without calling the developer?
9. What analytics will tell us where applicants are getting stuck?
10. Can the visual storytelling serve both grantseekers and donors without making the grant information harder to find?

One particularly useful benchmark is Impact Grants Chicago: its current process explicitly makes application questions available in PDF form, while the actual submission happens online. Impact Grants Chicago That's close to the problem you're describing.

My first-round shortlist would be Firebelly, LimeRed, Sandstorm, and Beth Interactive on the agency side, plus Chicago Community Trust, Impact Grants Chicago, and Woods Fund as research interviews. That gives you perspectives on visual storytelling, nonprofit UX, fundraising, accessibility, and the real-world grant applicant experience rather than designing the site around assumptions.

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• JG Poll & Associates - 5445 N Sheridan Rd Apt 2615, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• ASIL Ventures - 350 N Orleans St Ste 9301, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Eurydice - 3600 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• American Funding Group - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Ste 1225, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• EDUCO Web Design - 128 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• MLP BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES LLC - 6127 S University Ave Ste 1078, Chicago, IL 60637, United States

For a foundation that needs a visually driven website plus grant application downloads/resources, I would interview a mix of nonprofit-focused web agencies, UX/design studios, and grant-capacity consultants rather than a general marketing firm. The strongest candidates should understand storytelling, donor/funder audiences, accessibility, and document workflows. Wandr Studio

Website design + digital experience agencies to interview

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Strong fit for mission-driven organizations needing branding, UX, websites, content strategy, accessibility, and integrations.

Ask them: How would you design a grant library, impact-storytelling system, and funder-facing resource center?

• Advocate Creative — Focuses on nonprofit and foundation communications, including websites, campaigns, reports, and visual storytelling. Advocate Creative

Ask them: Can you turn annual reports, grant outcomes, and program stories into interactive digital experiences?

• Firebelly Design — A Chicago design firm with nonprofit and mission-driven experience across branding, UX, accessibility, and digital design.

Ask them: How would you balance a beautiful visual site with easy internal updating by foundation staff?

• Orbit Media Studios — Known for nonprofit website work focused on fundraising, engagement, and mission communication. Orbit Media Studios

Ask them: What content structure would help donors, grantees, and applicants each find what they need quickly?

• Windy City Web Solutions — A more hands-on WordPress-focused option for organizations needing manageable ongoing updates. Windy City Web Solutions

Ask them: How would you build a maintainable grant-download system without requiring technical staff?

Grant application / funding process specialists to interview

• JG Poll & Associates — Focuses on nonprofit resource development and grant proposal support.

Ask them: What grant materials should live publicly on the website versus behind an application portal?

• ASIL Ventures — Provides grant writing and training-oriented support.

Ask them: What downloadable templates, FAQs, and applicant guidance reduce incomplete submissions?

• Eurydice — Offers grant-related consulting and workshops.

Ask them: How should the foundation organize its grant calendar, eligibility requirements, and applicant instructions?

Questions I would ask every agency

1. Show us three foundation/nonprofit sites you built. What changed after launch?
2. How would you design for these audiences separately? - Grant applicants
3. Current grantees
4. Donors/funders
5. Community members
6. Board members
7. How would you structure downloadable grant materials? - Guidelines PDFs
8. Application forms
9. Budgets/templates
10. FAQs
11. Past awards
12. Reporting requirements
13. What CMS would you recommend and why?
14. How will you handle accessibility (WCAG), mobile use, and multilingual content?
15. What analytics will show whether the site is working?

A practical shortlist to start with would be:

1. LimeRed Studio
2. Advocate Creative
3. Firebelly Design
4. Orbit Media Studios
5. JG Poll & Associates (for the grant workflow side)

That combination would give you both the visual storytelling capability and the grant-process expertise needed for a foundation website.

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Promet Source - 4809 N Ravenswood Ave #126, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Zora Digital - WeWork, 20 W Kinzie St 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Beth Interactive Inc. - 4541 N Ravenswood Ave #303, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Access Direct Nonprofit Marketing - 209 Des Plaines Ave, Forest Park, IL 60130, United States
• Bark Design - 3115 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
• Elevation - 100 M St SE #600, Washington, DC 20003, United States

Yes. For a foundation that needs a highly visual site plus a better way to present/download grant application materials, I’d interview a mix of nonprofit-specialist web agencies and a couple of firms strong in UX/accessibility.

My Chicago shortlist

1. LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Probably my first interview for a brand-forward, visually distinctive foundation site. They specialize in purpose-driven organizations and combine branding, messaging and digital experiences.

Ask: How would you turn our grantmaking priorities and stories into an engaging visual experience without making the application process harder to use?

2. Sandstorm Design — Strong candidate if you want beautiful design backed by serious UX research and accessibility. They work with nonprofits and other purpose-driven organizations and offer accessibility audits/remediation. Project6

Ask: Show us how you'd design a grant-resource library that works equally well for first-time applicants and experienced grantseekers.

3. Project6 — Especially relevant to your requirements because it explicitly works with foundations/nonprofits, including grant and donation tools, accessibility, WordPress/Drupal, UX, prototyping and usability testing. Project6

Ask: How would you structure downloadable guidelines, application templates, FAQs, deadlines and supporting documents so they're easy to find and maintain?

4. Windy City Web Solutions — Worth interviewing as a more hands-on/local WordPress option, particularly if your staff needs to update grant pages and documents themselves. Its nonprofit work emphasizes accessible sites and easy content updates. Windy City Web Solutions
5. Orbit Media Studios — A strong option if you want the site to combine visual storytelling, content strategy, SEO and measurable conversion. They have extensive nonprofit experience and specifically emphasize easy-to-manage nonprofit CMSs and resource/event publishing. Orbit Media Studios
6. Promet Source — I'd add them if your foundation has complex accessibility, document management, security, governance or integration requirements. They're Chicago-based and emphasize accessible, open-source digital experiences and structured discovery.

One particularly useful benchmark

I'd also have your team study The Chicago Community Trust's GrantCentral experience. Their grant process uses a responsive web-based platform and provides separate resources for application submission, organizational profiles, outcomes/measures and other grant tasks. CCT

That gives you a concrete local benchmark for what your "Apply for a Grant" experience could become—not merely a page full of PDF links.

What I'd ask every agency

Give each agency the same five questions:

• Show us 2–3 foundation/nonprofit sites where visual storytelling was central to the project.
• Show us a grant/application workflow you've designed. If they haven't done one, that's important to know.
• How would you handle PDFs? Ideally, they should discuss HTML-first content, accessible PDFs, document versioning, clear file metadata, archive management and mobile downloading—not just "upload PDFs to WordPress."
• How will grantseekers find the right application? Ask about filtering by program, eligibility, deadline, grant size and funding area.
• Can our staff manage everything after launch? Have them demonstrate adding a new grant opportunity, replacing an application PDF, closing an application and archiving an old one.

I'd also require WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility in the RFP. Project6, for example, explicitly describes WCAG 2.2 AA as a standard its nonprofit/foundation clients commonly need to meet. Project6

If I were narrowing this to three interviews: LimeRed + Sandstorm + Project6. That gives you three somewhat different strengths: brand/visual identity, UX/accessibility, and foundation/nonprofit web infrastructure.

If you'd like, I can also turn this into a Chicago foundation website RFP/interview scorecard with weighted criteria and 10–15 questions you can send to each agency.

• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• TWB Fundraising - 2 N Riverside Plaza Ste 1875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• JG Poll & Associates - 5445 N Sheridan Rd Apt 2615, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Social Capital-Chicago - 980 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Eurydice - 3600 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Fund Consulting LLC - 1165 N Clark St #608, Chicago, IL 60610, United States

For a foundation that needs a visually driven website plus a smoother grant application/download experience, I would interview agencies that understand nonprofit storytelling, donor journeys, accessibility, and grant workflows—not just general web developers.

Here is a Chicago-focused interview list:

Website design, storytelling, and visual impact

• Advocate Creative — Strong fit if you want a mission-centered brand, visual storytelling, website design, and nonprofit communications experience. Their work focuses on branding, digital design, and nonprofit/foundation audiences.
• Beth Interactive — Worth interviewing if your site needs to connect storytelling with fundraising, donor engagement, analytics, and digital strategy.
• Statement — A nearby agency with nonprofit/social-impact positioning and strengths in messaging, design, and strategic communications.

Grant applications, fundraising strategy, and content systems

• TWB Fundraising — Good candidate if the grant side involves prospect research, proposal development, fundraising systems, and donor communications.
• JG Poll & Associates — Consider for deeper grant-writing support, especially if you need help developing proposals and funding strategies.
• Social Capital-Chicago — A larger nonprofit fundraising/cause-marketing consultancy that combines strategy, communications, design, and proposal-related materials.

Digital tools, downloads, and nonprofit user experience

• Nonprofit Megaphone — Useful to interview if your goals include nonprofit digital marketing, SEO, online visibility, and improving how people find resources on your site.

I would ask each agency these questions

Website experience

1. Can you show 3 nonprofit/foundation websites you designed?
2. How would you create a visual system for telling our grantee stories?
3. How do you handle accessibility (WCAG), mobile design, and low-bandwidth users?
4. What CMS do you recommend for a foundation team that needs to update content internally?

Grant application downloads

1. How would you organize grant guidelines, eligibility requirements, application forms, and downloadable templates?
2. Would you recommend a resource library, applicant portal, CRM integration, or simple document center?
3. How would you track downloads and applicant engagement?
4. Can you build workflows for different audiences (grant seekers, donors, partners, press)?

Foundation strategy

1. How would you balance storytelling with transparency and compliance?
2. What content should be public versus restricted?
3. How would you measure whether the new site improves grant applications or engagement?

I would shortlist 3–5 agencies and ask each for a discovery proposal. For a foundation website, I would especially prioritize teams that can combine visual storytelling + nonprofit UX + grant workflow thinking, rather than hiring separate design and grant vendors unless your needs are very large.

You may also want to review how Chicago funders structure their own application portals and resources—for example, The Chicago Community Trust uses a web-based grant management system with applicant resources and submission guidance. The Chicago Community Trust

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• EDUCO Web Design - 128 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Neoteric Design - 29 E Madison St, Ste 450, Chicago, IL 60602
• Bark Design - 3115 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610

For a foundation that needs a visually compelling website plus a better system for grant application downloads, forms, and applicant resources, I’d interview a mix of digital agencies, nonprofit-focused designers, and grant-process specialists rather than only general web firms.

Chicago agencies/studios to interview

Strong fits for a foundation website + storytelling

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Good candidate if you want a mission-driven brand experience. Their work emphasizes nonprofit, social-impact, branding, and digital experiences.

Ask them about: impact storytelling, accessibility, donor/grantee journeys, and CMS training for staff.

• Sandstorm Design — A strong option for UX-heavy sites where navigation, accessibility, and content management matter.

Ask them about: building a searchable grant library, application portals, document workflows, and analytics.

• Firebelly Design — Worth interviewing if your priority is a distinctive visual identity and strong design system. They have a history of working with mission-oriented organizations and nonprofit design initiatives.

Ask them about: balancing a highly visual brand with practical grant-seeker usability.

• Bark Design — A smaller studio option that may be attractive for foundations wanting close collaboration and mission-focused design.

Ask them about: long-term maintenance and staff ownership after launch.

Good options if grant systems and fundraising workflows are central

• Beth Interactive — Focused on nonprofit digital strategy, philanthropy communications, and engagement.

Ask them about: connecting website content, email communications, applicant outreach, and reporting.

• Advocate Creative — Focused on nonprofit/foundation communications and digital storytelling.

Ask them about: grant program pages, annual reports, campaign storytelling, and content strategy.

Also interview grantmaking organizations (for requirements and user research)

These groups are useful not as vendors, but as people who understand what grant applicants struggle with:

• The Chicago Community Trust — Their GrantCentral system is an example of a structured online grant application workflow. The Chicago Community Trust

Interview questions: What makes an application portal easy for applicants? What documents and FAQs reduce staff workload?

• Impact Grants Chicago — Publishes detailed applicant resources and application guidance. Impact Grants Chicago

Interview questions: How should foundations organize LOIs, full applications, eligibility rules, and downloadable templates?

What I’d ask every agency in the interview

1. “Show us three foundation or nonprofit websites you built. What was the problem and what changed?”
2. “How would you structure our grant section?” - Current opportunities
3. Eligibility
4. Application instructions
5. Downloadable PDFs/templates
6. FAQs
7. Past grantees
8. Reporting requirements
9. “How will applicants with limited technical skills use the site?”
10. “How will staff update grants without calling you?”
11. “What accessibility standards will you meet?” (especially for PDFs and online forms)
12. “Would you recommend a CMS, a dedicated grants platform, or integrations?”

A likely shortlist for first-round interviews would be:

1. Sandstorm Design
2. LimeRed Studio
3. Firebelly Design
4. Beth Interactive
5. Advocate Creative

That mix gives you strong coverage across visual storytelling, nonprofit UX, and grant workflow design.

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Zora Digital - WeWork, 20 W Kinzie St 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• EDUCO Web Design - 128 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Beth Interactive Inc. - 4541 N Ravenswood Ave #303, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Bark Design - 3115 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
• Greater Good Studio - 3759 W Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Prosper Strategies - 200 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Social Capital-Chicago - 980 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

Yes. For a foundation website that needs to be visually compelling but also genuinely useful for grantseekers, I’d interview a mix of nonprofit specialists, UX/digital-experience firms, and at least one agency with deep philanthropy/grants experience.

My Chicago shortlist

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Strong candidate if you want brand + storytelling + digital experience rather than simply a website redesign. They focus on purpose-driven organizations and nonprofits, including branding, messaging, and digital experiences.
• Sandstorm Design — One of my first interviews for a visually sophisticated, UX-driven foundation site. Their work emphasizes research, UX, digital experience, accessibility, and ongoing optimization.
• Firebelly Design — Worth interviewing if visual identity and storytelling are especially important. They have substantial nonprofit/philanthropic experience and have run a long-standing pro-bono design initiative for nonprofits.
• Advocate Creative — Particularly interesting for a foundation because they combine nonprofit/foundation branding, websites, microsites, annual reports, and other communications. That could produce a much more cohesive visual system across your grant materials.
• Bark Design — A good boutique option if you want a more collaborative, design-led partner. Their capabilities include UX/UI, information architecture, websites, video, branding, and nonprofit communications.
• Beth Interactive — I'd interview them specifically for the grant/donor journey and digital strategy side. They're a philanthropy-focused digital agency and offer website and donor-journey audits in addition to communications and analytics.
• Windy City Web Solutions — A useful lower-overhead comparison bid. They're focused on WordPress for Chicago nonprofits, including accessibility, easy staff updates, integrations and ongoing maintenance. Windy City Web Solutions
• Dialogue Theory — Another strong interview for a mission-driven, visually distinctive digital experience, particularly if you want UX/UI and interaction design to be central rather than treating the website as an information brochure.

I'd narrow it to 4 interviews

If this were my RFP, I'd probably invite:

1. Sandstorm — UX/digital experience benchmark.
2. LimeRed — brand + nonprofit storytelling benchmark.
3. Advocate Creative — foundation/nonprofit communications benchmark.
4. Beth Interactive — philanthropy/grant-user-journey benchmark.

I'd also ask Project6 for a proposal if you want a smaller, foundation-specialized alternative; they explicitly describe their work as serving foundations/nonprofits and mention grant/donation tools and accessibility compliance. Project6

One important thing to test in the interviews

Don't just ask, “Can you build us a beautiful website?”

Give every agency the same hypothetical grant-seeker task:

“I'm a first-time applicant. I need to determine whether I'm eligible, understand what you fund, download the application/questions and required attachments, prepare my materials, and submit an application. Show me how you'd make that experience intuitive.”

That's where you'll separate a pretty website agency from one that understands foundation UX.

I'd specifically ask them to demonstrate:

• Grant-program landing pages
• Eligibility → application → submission journeys
• Downloadable application PDFs and Word documents
• Version control when application forms change
• Search/filtering across grants and resources
• Clear distinction between “learn about this grant” and “apply now”
• Accessible PDFs and web content
• Mobile usability
• CMS workflow so foundation staff can update deadlines/forms themselves
• Integration with whatever grants-management platform you use
• Analytics showing where applicants abandon the process
• Accessibility/WCAG testing

For context, The Chicago Community Trust uses a responsive web-based GrantCentral platform and provides separate resources for accessing, completing, and submitting applications. That's a useful local benchmark for thinking about the applicant experience—not necessarily something you need to replicate technically. CCT

If you tell me your foundation's approximate budget, whether you already have a grants-management system, and 2–3 websites whose visual style you like, I can turn this into a 5-agency interview shortlist + interview scorecard/RFP questions.

That's where you'll separate a pretty website agency from one that understands foundation UX.

I'd specifically ask them to demonstrate:

• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Bark Design - 3115 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
• Greater Good Studio - 3759 W Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622

Yes. For a foundation that needs a highly visual site plus a strong grant-application/download experience, I’d interview a mix of agencies rather than only traditional web shops.

My Chicago shortlist

• Firebelly Design — Best for bold visual storytelling + nonprofit experience. Their work spans UX, content strategy, accessibility, responsive development, and CMS integration, and their client history includes The Chicago Community Trust and Illinois Humanities. They also have a long-running “Grant for Good” program supporting nonprofits. Tkist
• Sandstorm Design — Best for UX/research + polished visual design. Particularly worth interviewing if the grant application process needs to work beautifully for applicants, reviewers, and foundation staff, not just look good.
• Advocate Creative — Best for foundation/nonprofit branding. They specifically focus on nonprofit and foundation communications, including websites, microsites, annual/impact reports, and campaigns.
• Bark Design — Best smaller, mission-driven studio. They work with nonprofits and community-focused organizations across brand, print, and digital, which could be useful if the website needs to connect visually with grant materials and reports.
• Greater Good Studio — Best if you need strategy before design. Their social-sector work centers on people-centered research, co-design, and solutions for nonprofits and foundations. I'd include them if you're still figuring out the applicant/user journey.
• Project6 — A particularly relevant option because it explicitly works with foundations and nonprofits and says its capabilities include grant/donation tools, technology updates, and accessibility compliance. Project6
• Orbit Media Studios — Worth a serious interview if you want a sophisticated content-rich site. Its nonprofit practice includes foundation/nonprofit storytelling, easy-to-manage CMSs, accessibility considerations, and measurable conversion work. Orbit Media Studios
• Windy City Web Solutions — Budget-conscious alternative. Their Chicago nonprofit practice centers on accessible WordPress, easy staff updates, donations, and integrations; likely worth including as a smaller-shop comparison. Windy City Web Solutions

If I were choosing 4 interviews

I'd make the first round:

1. Firebelly — visual/brand ambition
2. Sandstorm — UX and accessibility rigor
3. Project6 — foundation + grant functionality
4. Greater Good Studio — applicant/user research and service design

That gives you four genuinely different perspectives rather than four agencies pitching essentially the same website.

One thing I'd test in every interview

Don't just show them your homepage and ask, “Can you build this?” Give each agency the same mini-brief:

A prospective grantee lands on the site, understands the foundation's priorities, determines whether they're eligible, downloads the appropriate application materials, submits questions, and eventually finds out how/when to apply.

Then ask them to sketch that journey.

You want to see whether they think beyond aesthetics. The strongest agency should discuss information architecture, eligibility/content organization, downloadable PDFs and accessible documents, mobile usability, search, analytics, CMS permissions, accessibility, and eventually how applications might be submitted—not just colors, photography, and animations.

For context, current Chicago nonprofit-agency listings also show a wide range of capabilities and budgets, so I'd explicitly ask each finalist for 2–3 comparable foundation/nonprofit references and the actual scope/cost of those projects, rather than relying on agency rankings. Clutch

If you tell me your foundation's approximate budget, mission area, and whether applications are PDF downloads or an online application, I can narrow this to the 3 best-fit Chicago agencies and give you an interview scorecard/RFP questions.

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Eurydice - 3600 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• TWB Fundraising - 2 N Riverside Plaza Ste 1875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Tala Communications - 5924 Crain St, Morton Grove, IL 60053, United States
• JG Poll & Associates - 5445 N Sheridan Rd Apt 2615, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Zora Digital - WeWork, 20 W Kinzie St 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• American Funding Group - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Ste 1225, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Beth Interactive Inc. - 4541 N Ravenswood Ave #303, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Prosper Strategies - 200 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Access Direct Nonprofit Marketing - 209 Des Plaines Ave, Forest Park, IL 60130, United States

If by “agencies” you mean Chicago-area firms to interview as potential partners for a foundation website, I’d build a shortlist around two needs: strong visual storytelling and excellent grant/application UX, rather than hiring a generic web shop.

My interview shortlist

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Top choice for visual + mission-driven work. They combine branding, UX/UI, web development, accessibility, SEO, content strategy, WordPress, analytics, and integrations. That breadth is particularly useful for a foundation whose website needs to tell compelling stories while making grants easy to find and use. Project6
• Dialogue Theory — Strong candidate for sophisticated digital experience design. Their Chicago practice focuses on UX/UI, digital strategy and development for mission-driven organizations, nonprofits and civic agencies.
• Advocate Creative — Worth interviewing if brand/visual identity is especially important. They work specifically with nonprofits and foundations and combine branding, website/microsite design, development and publications.
• Firebelly Design — Good “big visual idea” contender. Their work spans brand identity, digital experiences, campaigns and content, with a substantial mission-driven portfolio.
• Windy City Web Solutions — Potentially good practical/implementation option. They focus on accessible WordPress sites for nonprofits, with staff-friendly updating, donation integrations and ongoing support. Windy City Web Solutions
• Beth Interactive — Interview if donor/grantee journeys and analytics matter. They're a nonprofit-focused digital/philanthropy firm offering web and donor-journey audits, strategy, creative and analytics.

For the grant-application side

I would also interview a grantmaking/grants-process specialist, rather than expecting the web agency to know how funders and applicants actually work.

• Eurydice — Chicago-based consulting practice offering grant research, review, writing and grant-application workshops.
• TWB Fundraising — Offers grant research/writing alongside broader nonprofit fundraising and development strategy.
• Tala Communications — Particularly relevant if your foundation makes grants in the Chicago area; they emphasize government and institutional grants and have Chicago-area nonprofit experience.
• JG Poll & Associates — A more specialized grant-writing/resource-development option.

One especially useful interview exercise

Give each web candidate the same hypothetical task:

“A prospective grantee lands on our site with no prior knowledge of us. Show us how they would discover eligibility, understand our priorities, download application materials, ask questions, start an application, and return later to complete it.”

Then separately ask:

“Now show us how the same site would visually communicate our impact to trustees, donors, partners and the public.”

That will reveal much more than asking agencies to show you pretty homepages.

There are good real-world examples of why this matters. cct.org include application instructions, organization-profile guidance and outcomes/measures resources, while impactgrantschicago.org exposes applicants to the questions and stages of its application process. Those are useful benchmarks for the grant UX, even if your foundation's process is different.

If I were narrowing it to four interviews: LimeRed, Dialogue Theory, Advocate Creative, and one grant-process specialist such as TWB or Tala. That gives you a strong spread across visual design, digital UX/development, foundation branding, and actual grantmaking workflow.

• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• Lipman-Hearne - 200 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60604
• Giving Tree Associates - 220 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• JG Poll & Associates - 5445 N Sheridan Rd Apt 2615, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• ASIL Ventures - 350 N Orleans St Ste 9301, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Eurydice - 3600 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Leading Healthy Futures - 1343 IL-19 #13196, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• TWB Fundraising - 2 N Riverside Plaza Ste 1875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Tala Communications - 5924 Crain St, Morton Grove, IL 60053, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Fund Consulting LLC - 1165 N Clark St #608, Chicago, IL 60610, United States

If your foundation wants a visually strong website plus a better grant-application/download experience, I’d interview a mix of digital/design agencies and grant-process specialists, rather than hiring a conventional web shop alone.

My Chicago shortlist

• Advocate Creative — Best overall fit to interview first. They specialize in communications for nonprofits and foundations, including websites and digital experiences designed around actions such as funding applications and advising. This is unusually close to your brief.
• Sandstorm Design — Best for UX + sophisticated digital experience. A Chicago UX/digital agency with nonprofit and purpose-driven experience. I’d ask them specifically about making grant resources intuitive, searchable and accessible.
• Firebelly Design — Best for visual identity and storytelling. Their Chicago work includes nonprofit and civic organizations, and they have a long-running pro-bono “Grant for Good” initiative. Strong candidate if the foundation's visual presence needs a substantial upgrade.
• Bark Design — Best boutique option. Chicago-based, mission-driven, with branding, web design/development, UI/UX, information architecture and CMS capabilities. Worth interviewing if you want a smaller, hands-on partner.
• Lipman-Hearne — Best for institutional/foundation communications. Their capabilities span website development, content strategy, digital campaigns and accessibility-oriented institutional communications.

Add a grant-process specialist

For the application/download side, I'd also interview one specialist separately:

• Giving Tree Associates — Grant support across prospecting, application development, administration, reporting and renewals. Good choice for mapping the actual grant-seeker journey before the web agency builds it.
• JG Poll & Associates — Chicago nonprofit resource-development consultancy with substantial grant-writing experience. Useful for testing whether your application forms, instructions and downloadable materials make sense to applicants.
• ASIL Ventures — Particularly interesting if you have more complex government/federal applications; they emphasize grant development, application strategy and grant-writing training.

One particularly useful benchmark

I would have every web agency study the grant UX of cct.org. Their system explicitly provides application instructions, FAQs, videos, organization-profile guidance, outcomes guidance and other applicant resources. The Chicago Community Trust

Also look at impactgrantschicago.org. They provide downloadable LOI and full-application questions, FAQs and applicant-session materials—exactly the sort of content architecture your site may need. Impact Grants Chicago Impact Grants Chicago

If I were narrowing this to four interviews: Advocate Creative, Sandstorm, Firebelly, and Giving Tree Associates. That gives you three different approaches to the visual/digital problem plus one perspective focused on the grant applicant rather than the website itself.

For the interviews, I'd ask each agency to spend 15 minutes answering: “Show us how you'd redesign the journey from discovering a grant → determining eligibility → downloading the right materials → preparing the application → submitting it.” That will tell you much more than a generic portfolio presentation.

• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Promet Source - 4809 N Ravenswood Ave #126, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Bigmouth Creative LLC - 4430 N Clifton Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Prosper Strategies - 200 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Lipman-Hearne - 200 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60604
• Meyer Partners - 8745 W Higgins Rd Suite 110, Chicago, IL 60631, United States
• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Heller Consulting - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 622, Chicago, IL 60604
• Vera Creative - 935 W Chestnut St #650, Chicago, IL 60642, United States
• Purpose Brand - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Paul Gregory Media - 200 E 5th Ave, Ste 105, Naperville, IL 60563
• EDUCO Web Design - 128 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States

Yes. For a foundation website that needs to be highly visual but also make grant applications and downloadable materials easy to find and use, I’d interview a mix of nonprofit/foundation specialists, digital UX firms, and one fundraising/technology specialist rather than only traditional web-design shops.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Advocate Creative — probably my first interview. They specifically work with nonprofits and foundations and combine branding, visual identity, websites, campaigns, annual/impact reports, and print. Their portfolio includes foundation work, and their services explicitly address websites and funding/application-related user journeys. Advocate Creative

advocatecreative.com

2. LimeRed Studio, Inc. — strong candidate if you want beautiful design + serious UX/accessibility + integrations. They do brand strategy, UX/UI, WordPress, accessibility audits, analytics, CRM/forms/payments integrations, and stakeholder research.

limered.com

3. Project6 — particularly worth interviewing because they explicitly specialize in foundations and nonprofits, including grant/donation tools, accessibility, stakeholder interviews, UX, WordPress/Drupal, and impact/annual reports. Project6

project6.com

4. Dialogue Theory — I'd include them if the site needs to feel more like a modern digital experience than a conventional nonprofit website. They specialize in digital strategy, UX/UI, development, and complex mission-driven organizations.
5. Promet Source — a good technical counterweight to the visually oriented agencies. They're Chicago-based and experienced with Drupal/WordPress, UX, content modeling, accessibility, and complex organizational websites. I'd interview them if the grant library/application system is going to become sophisticated.
6. Beth Interactive — less of a pure website-design choice, but valuable if donor/grantee engagement, analytics, forms, and digital fundraising are important. Their focus is digital philanthropy and communications.

One additional agency I'd consider

Bigmouth Creative LLC looks interesting if you want a smaller, senior-level creative partner. They work with mission-driven organizations across brand, UX, content strategy, websites, design systems, and integrations.

What I'd ask all of them

Don't just ask, “Can you build us a beautiful website?” Give each agency the same challenge:

“We need a visually compelling foundation website where prospective grantees can quickly understand our priorities, determine eligibility, download application materials, access FAQs/instructions, and ultimately submit an application. We also need funders, partners, and the public to understand our impact.”

Then ask them to show—not tell—how they'd solve it.

Specifically, I'd ask for:

• A proposed grant-seeker journey from landing on the site → finding the right opportunity → checking eligibility → downloading requirements → applying.
• Examples of foundation or grantmaking websites they've built.
• Their approach to PDF/download management—including version control so an outdated application can't remain accidentally accessible.
• Whether they recommend HTML application guidance versus PDFs, and why.
• How the CMS would let your staff update opportunities, deadlines, PDFs, FAQs, and announcements without calling the agency.
• Accessibility compliance, especially WCAG 2.2 AA and accessible PDFs/forms.
• How they would structure search/filtering if you eventually have many funding opportunities.
• Integration with whatever grant-management platform you use or plan to use.
• Analytics: can you see where applicants get confused or abandon the process?
• Who owns the website, code, CMS, domain, analytics accounts, and content after launch?

That last point matters particularly for a foundation: you don't want to end up with a gorgeous site where changing a grant deadline requires an agency ticket.

I'd also interview a few foundation operators

This is important because an agency can make something visually excellent without understanding how grantseekers actually use a foundation site.

For example, The Chicago Community Trust has GrantCentral, a responsive web-based grant platform with separate resources for accessing applications, submitting applications, organizational profiles, outcomes, etc. That's a useful local benchmark for the functional side of your project. The Chicago Community Trust

I'd therefore talk to 2–3 Chicago-area foundations about their experience, not necessarily to hire them, but to learn what their grantees struggle with.

If I were narrowing this to 4 interviews

I'd start with:

• Advocate Creative — strongest foundation/nonprofit creative fit.
• LimeRed — strongest combination of visual design, UX and accessibility.
• Project6 — strongest explicit foundation/grant-tool fit.
• Dialogue Theory — strongest “let's rethink the digital experience” option.

That gives you four meaningfully different approaches rather than four agencies pitching essentially the same website.

If you tell me your approximate budget (e.g. <$25K, $25–75K, $75K+) and whether you already have a grant-management system, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and give you a suggested interview/RFP scorecard.

If I were narrowing this to 4 interviews

I'd start with:

• Advocate Creative — strongest foundation/nonprofit creative fit.
• LimeRed — strongest combination of visual design, UX and accessibility.
• Project6 — strongest explicit foundation/grant-tool fit.
• Dialogue Theory — strongest “let's rethink the digital experience” option.

That gives you four meaningfully different approaches rather than four agencies pitching essentially the same website.

If you tell me your approximate budget (e.g. <$25K, $25–75K, $75K+) and whether you already have a grant-management system, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and give you a suggested interview/RFP scorecard.

• The Chicago Community Trust - 33 S State St Ste 750, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Field Foundation - 200 W Madison St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Chicago Cultural Affairs Department - 121 N LaSalle St, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• MacArthur Foundation - 140 S Dearborn St #1200, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Arts Alliance Illinois - 200 W Madison St Fl 3, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Robert R. McCormick Foundation - 205 N Michigan Ave #4300, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Chicago Cultural Alliance - 600 W Jackson Blvd #100, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Chicago Foundation For Women - 140 S Dearborn St #400, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Pritzker Traubert Foundation - 444 W Lake St Ste 3400, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• The Coleman Foundation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 3410, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Mc Cormick Robt R Charitable Trust - 435 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
• Albert Pick Jr Fund - c/o Impact House, 200 W Madison St Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Illinois Humanities - 125 S Clark St #650, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Prince Charitable Trusts - 140 S Dearborn St #1410, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Chicago Fund for Safe & Peaceful Communities - Community Foundation, 225 N Michigan Ave #2200, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Chicago Cultural Alliance - 70 E Lake St, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60601

If your goal is to redesign a foundation website around strong visual storytelling while making grant applications and downloadable materials much easier to find/use, I’d interview a mix of grantmakers, nonprofit-serving agencies, and arts/culture organizations—not just web agencies. They’ll expose the real user problems.

My Chicago shortlist

• The Chicago Community Trust — probably the highest-priority interview. Its GrantCentral system includes application submission, organization profiles, outcomes reporting, FAQs, instructional videos, and other resources, so its staff can speak directly to grant-seeker UX and document downloads. The Chicago Community Trust

cct.org

• Field Foundation — excellent for understanding a relationship-driven foundation website, particularly how different programs and application routes should be communicated. Field currently uses different approaches for arts/culture, community investments, journalism, and leadership programs. Field Foundation

fieldfoundation.org

• Chicago Cultural Affairs Department (DCASE) — valuable if your foundation has an arts/culture component. Interview them about communicating opportunities to a broad audience of artists and nonprofits, particularly around eligibility, deadlines, application instructions, and resources.
• MacArthur Foundation — useful benchmark for a large Chicago philanthropic organization with visually rich storytelling and participatory grantmaking. Its Culture, Equity, and the Arts program explicitly considers Chicago-based organizations and uses resident panels in proposal review. MacArthur Foundation

macfound-redesign-live.cphostaccess.com

• Arts Alliance Illinois — especially good for understanding the needs of arts organizations and creative-sector users who have to navigate funding opportunities and supporting resources.
• Robert R. McCormick Foundation — worthwhile if your foundation serves community organizations beyond the arts. Its work spans several program areas, making it a useful comparison for organizing a large amount of philanthropic information without overwhelming visitors.

One especially interesting interview

I'd also talk to Chicago Cultural Alliance. It isn't primarily a funder, but it serves a network of cultural organizations and provides professional-development/capacity-building resources. That makes it useful for understanding what small nonprofit users actually need from a foundation website, rather than just how funders think about their sites.

What I'd ask them

Keep the interviews focused on the website experience rather than "what do you like about your site?"

1. Grant discovery: "When a new applicant comes to your site, what are they most often unable to find?"
2. Downloads: "Which application PDFs, templates, FAQs, or guidelines generate the most questions?"
3. Eligibility: "Where do applicants misunderstand eligibility or deadlines?"
4. Visual storytelling: "What kinds of stories, photos, video, or impact data actually help donors and applicants understand your work?"
5. Application handoff: "Where does the website end and the grant portal begin—and does that transition confuse people?"
6. Mobile: "Do applicants commonly access materials on phones? What breaks?"
7. Accessibility: "What accessibility problems have applicants or grantees reported?"
8. Content governance: "Who keeps grant guidelines, downloadable documents, deadlines, and archived opportunities current?"
9. Analytics: "What do you wish you knew about how people navigate your site?"
10. One magic fix: "If you could change one thing about the website for applicants tomorrow, what would it be?"

If you only have time for five interviews, I'd do Chicago Community Trust, Field Foundation, DCASE, MacArthur, and Arts Alliance Illinois. That combination should give you perspectives from grant administration, community philanthropy, government arts funding, major philanthropy, and nonprofit/arts users.

I'd specifically ask each agency to redesign one grant-program page and its download/application flow as part of the interview exercise. That will tell you much more than a generic website portfolio.

• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Promet Source - 4809 N Ravenswood Ave #126, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Social Driver - 1155 N State St Ste 110, Bellingham, WA 98225, United States
• DataMade - 626 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• SEO Design Chicago - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Paul Gregory Media - 200 E 5th Ave, Ste 105, Naperville, IL 60563
• Digital Authority Partners - 420 W Huron St Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Pilot Digital Marketing - 4753 N Broadway Ste T110, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Digital Third Coast - 2540 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States

For a foundation that needs a visually compelling website plus grant application downloads/workflows, I’d interview agencies that understand both mission storytelling and functional nonprofit infrastructure (forms, document libraries, accessibility, CRM integrations, analytics). Chicago has several strong candidates. Clutch Orbit Media Studios

Shortlist of Chicago agencies to interview

Best fit for foundations / nonprofit storytelling

• Advocate Creative

Good fit if you want a brand-forward, visually rich site. They focus on communications for nonprofits and foundations and have experience with sites that guide users toward funding-related actions.
Ask about: foundation websites, grant portals, applicant journeys, storytelling strategy.

• Dialogue Theory

Strong candidate for a modern digital experience: UX/UI, web development, and mission-driven organizations. Clutch
Ask about: interactive impact stories, grant application UX, CMS training for staff.

• LimeRed Studio, Inc.

Purpose-driven design studio with experience in branding, web design, accessibility, and content strategy.
Ask about: accessibility compliance, visual systems, long-term content management.

• Orbit Media Studios

Known for nonprofit website work, including content strategy, CMS builds, resource libraries, and sites designed for staff self-management. Orbit Media Studios
Ask about: downloadable grant resources, searchable archives, staff editing workflows.

Strong technical / grant-resource workflow candidates

• Promet Source

A good option if the foundation needs a more complex site: Drupal, structured content, integrations, and robust content management. Clutch
Ask about: grant application databases, document repositories, permissions, integrations.

• Social Driver

Digital strategy and web development firm with nonprofit experience. Clutch
Ask about: donor/funder audiences, content governance, analytics.

• DataMade

Particularly interesting if your foundation wants data visualization, public reporting, maps, dashboards, or transparent grant impact reporting. Clutch
Ask about: grant outcomes dashboards, searchable grant databases, visual storytelling.

Also consider a grants specialist alongside the web agency

A website firm can build the application experience, but grant strategy and compliance are often a separate skill set. For grant process design, reporting systems, and funding operations, consider interviewing a grants consultant such as ARA Consulting Partners. ARA Consulting Partners

Interview questions I’d use

1. “Show us three foundation or nonprofit websites you built. What changed after launch?”
2. “How would you structure a grant application library?” - Open/closed opportunities
3. Eligibility filters
4. Application guidelines
5. Downloadable PDFs
6. FAQs
7. Past awards
8. Reporting requirements
9. “What CMS would you recommend and why?” - WordPress, Drupal, Webflow, etc.
10. “How will applicants experience the process on mobile?”
11. “Can staff update grant cycles without calling you?”
12. “How do you handle accessibility (WCAG), document accessibility, and multilingual needs?”
13. “What analytics will tell us whether the site is helping communities access funding?”

My suggested first-round interview list (5 agencies)

1. Advocate Creative — mission/brand/storytelling
2. Dialogue Theory — premium digital experience
3. Orbit Media Studios — nonprofit website operations
4. Promet Source — complex grant/resource infrastructure
5. LimeRed Studio — accessible, purpose-driven design

That mix should reveal whether your priority is primarily emotional storytelling, grant usability, or a sophisticated digital platform.

• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Maven Digital - 23 N Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Promet Source - 4809 N Ravenswood Ave #126, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Mightybytes - 4001 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste 404, Chicago, IL 60613
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• MLP BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES LLC - 6127 S University Ave Ste 1078, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• J & P Consulting Group LLC - 401 E 162nd St #105, South Holland, IL 60473, United States
• Lipman-Hearne - 200 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60604
• American Funding Group - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Ste 1225, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Prosper Strategies - 200 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Eurydice - 3600 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Paul Gregory Media - 200 E 5th Ave, Ste 105, Naperville, IL 60563
• Terrapin Blue - 833 W Chicago Ave Ste 405, Chicago, IL 60642, United States

If the goal is a visually strong foundation website plus a genuinely easy grant-application/download experience, I’d interview a mix of creative agencies and firms with deeper nonprofit/digital-product experience—not just conventional web designers.

My Chicago shortlist

• Advocate Creative — Strong all-around interview. They specialize in nonprofit/foundation branding and digital work, and their foundation projects include application-oriented user flows. Good fit if you want the site to feel distinctive and mission-led rather than like a generic nonprofit template.
• Maven Digital — Best for digital strategy + complex user experiences. They have worked with organizations including The Chicago Community Trust and the Hewlett Foundation. I'd ask them specifically about designing the grant-seeker journey from eligibility → application → document downloads → submission.
• Dialogue Theory — Best for a polished, modern digital experience. They're a Chicago design/development studio focused on mission-driven organizations, with UX/UI and full-stack capabilities. Clutch also cites nonprofit web work for them. Clutch
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Strong visual/brand candidate. They combine brand strategy, web design/development, UX, accessibility, SEO, WordPress, analytics and integrations. That's attractive if the foundation needs both a beautiful public-facing site and a maintainable system underneath.
• Promet Source — Best technical candidate. Their Chicago team specializes in Drupal/WordPress, user-centered design, information architecture and complex content systems. I'd put them on the interview list if grant applications involve substantial forms, eligibility logic, document management or staff workflows.
• Mightybytes — Good mission/accessibility option. They're a Chicago digital agency focused on purpose-driven organizations, with strategy, product and web capabilities. Particularly worth interviewing if accessibility and sustainable digital practices are priorities.
• Beth Interactive — Worth adding if fundraising/donor experience matters. Their specialty is digital philanthropy, communications, analytics and donor engagement, so they could bring a useful fundraising perspective even if they aren't the obvious choice for the entire website build.

One particularly relevant specialist

project6.com is worth reviewing too. They explicitly work with foundations and nonprofits, including grant and donation tools, accessibility/WCAG 2.2 AA, stakeholder interviews and digital design. Project6

Who I'd interview first

I'd narrow the first round to Advocate Creative, Maven Digital, LimeRed, Dialogue Theory and Promet Source.

I'd give all five the same interview brief:

"We need a visually compelling foundation website where prospective grantees can quickly understand eligibility, find funding opportunities, download application materials, understand requirements, and eventually submit applications. Internal staff need to maintain opportunities and documents without developers."

Then ask them to walk through one comparable project, rather than showing only a portfolio.

The most important questions are:

1. How would you structure the grant-seeker journey?
2. Can staff add/edit grant opportunities and downloadable PDFs themselves?
3. How would you handle accessible PDFs, forms and WCAG compliance?
4. Would you recommend WordPress, Drupal, or a grant-management integration—and why?
5. How would you prevent outdated application forms/deadlines from remaining visible?
6. Can the site eventually support online applications, or would it integrate with a grants-management platform?
7. How will you make the site visually distinctive while keeping the grant information exceptionally easy to scan?
8. What happens after launch—training, maintenance, analytics and accessibility testing?

I'd also use The Chicago Community Trust as a useful benchmark for the functional side: its GrantCentral system is explicitly designed as a responsive, web-based platform for managing grant activities and applications. The Chicago Community Trust

If you tell me your approximate website budget and whether applications will be PDFs, online forms, or both, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and give you an interview scorecard/RFP you can send them.

Then ask them to walk through one comparable project, rather than showing only a portfolio.

The most important questions are:

1. How would you structure the grant-seeker journey?
2. Can staff add/edit grant opportunities and downloadable PDFs themselves?
3. How would you handle accessible PDFs, forms and WCAG compliance?
4. Would you recommend WordPress, Drupal, or a grant-management integration—and why?
5. How would you prevent outdated application forms/deadlines from remaining visible?
6. Can the site eventually support online applications, or would it integrate with a grants-management platform?
7. How will you make the site visually distinctive while keeping the grant information exceptionally easy to scan?
8. What happens after launch—training, maintenance, analytics and accessibility testing?

I'd also use The Chicago Community Trust as a useful benchmark for the functional side: its GrantCentral system is explicitly designed as a responsive, web-based platform for managing grant activities and applications.

• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Promet Source - 4809 N Ravenswood Ave #126, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Prosper Strategies - 200 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• American Funding Group - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Ste 1225, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Eurydice - 3600 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Lipman-Hearne - 200 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60604
• JG Poll & Associates - 5445 N Sheridan Rd Apt 2615, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Leading Healthy Futures - 1343 IL-19 #13196, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Paul Gregory Media - 200 E 5th Ave, Ste 105, Naperville, IL 60563
• Vera Creative - 935 W Chestnut St #650, Chicago, IL 60642, United States
• Meyer Partners - 8745 W Higgins Rd Suite 110, Chicago, IL 60631, United States

If the goal is a visually strong foundation website that also makes grant applications and downloadable materials genuinely easy to find and use, I’d interview a mix of web/design agencies and organizations that understand the grant-seeker experience.

My Chicago shortlist

• Advocate Creative — Best fit for foundation branding + website. They specifically work with nonprofits and foundations and have experience designing sites around funding/application journeys. I’d ask them to show you a foundation site where visual storytelling and application workflows coexist. Orbit Media Studios
• Dialogue Theory — Best for sophisticated digital experience. They specialize in UX/UI and web development for mission-driven organizations, including nonprofits and civic agencies. Good candidate if the site needs more than a pretty front end—e.g., searchable resources, sophisticated forms, and user journeys.
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Strong all-around nonprofit option. Their work spans brand strategy, UX, accessibility, SEO, WordPress, content strategy, analytics and integrations. That combination is particularly useful if grant PDFs, application forms and resource libraries will be central to the site.
• Promet Source — Interview if the grant-resource side is complex. They're particularly experienced with Drupal/WordPress, information architecture, user-centered design and mission-driven/public-sector organizations. I'd consider them if you'll eventually have lots of applications, documents, eligibility rules, archives or search.
• Beth Interactive — Worth interviewing for the donor/funder communications perspective. They're focused on digital philanthropy and mission-driven organizations, with web audits, analytics and digital engagement expertise.
• Prosper Strategies — Useful strategic interview rather than purely a web-development interview. They work with nonprofits on strategy, communications and branding. They could help make sure the website's visual story actually reflects how your foundation wants applicants, grantees and donors to understand it.

One especially useful benchmarking exercise

I would also interview Chicago funders themselves, not just agencies. The Chicago Community Trust is particularly relevant because its GrantCentral system explicitly focuses on making grant-seeking activities accessible through a responsive web platform and provides resources for submitting applications and managing outcomes. The Chicago Community Trust

Impact Grants Chicago is another good benchmark: its application process includes downloadable application questions, required organizational documents, an online application system and a virtual site-visit stage. Impact Grants Chicago

That gives you two different perspectives: “How should a beautiful foundation site tell our story?” and “What do applicants actually need when they're trying to apply?”

Questions I'd ask every agency

1. Show us 2–3 nonprofit/foundation sites where you solved a document/application problem, not just a branding problem.
2. How would you organize grant opportunities, eligibility, application instructions, FAQs and downloadable PDFs?
3. Can an applicant get from “I'm interested in this grant” to the correct application/download in 1–2 clicks?
4. How will PDFs be accessible, searchable, mobile-friendly and version-controlled?
5. Who on our staff can update deadlines, application documents and grant guidelines without calling you?
6. How would you visually tell our foundation's story without making the site feel like a corporate marketing site?
7. What would you measure—application starts, downloads, completed applications, search behavior, etc.—to know the redesign worked?
8. Can you show us how the proposed CMS handles old application cycles and archived PDFs?

If I were narrowing this to four interviews: Advocate Creative, Dialogue Theory, LimeRed, and Promet Source. I'd use the Chicago Community Trust and Impact Grants Chicago as benchmark sites rather than vendors.

One additional possibility: Chicago's Design Services Program has worked with nonprofits/community organizations on design and explicitly includes assistance with preparing RFPs, so it could be worth exploring if your foundation has a community-design component. Design Trust Chicago

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Promet Source - 4809 N Ravenswood Ave #126, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Lipman-Hearne - 200 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60604
• Prosper Strategies - 200 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Paul Gregory Media - 50 S Main St Suit 200, Naperville, IL 60540, United States
• Blue Daring - 162 W Hubbard St Ste 400, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Bigmouth Creative LLC - 4430 N Clifton Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Purpose Brand - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Paul Gregory Media - 200 E 5th Ave, Ste 105, Naperville, IL 60563
• Vera Creative - 935 W Chestnut St #650, Chicago, IL 60642, United States
• Melcher & Tucker Consultants - 333 North Michigan, 333 N Michigan Ave #606, Chicago, IL 60601, United States

If the goal is a visually compelling foundation site plus a genuinely usable grant-application/download experience, I’d interview a short list rather than a generic web shop.

My Chicago shortlist

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — probably my first interview. They combine brand strategy, visual identity, UX/web development, accessibility, content strategy, WordPress, analytics, and integrations such as forms and CRM. That combination is a strong fit for a foundation where the website needs to be beautiful and functional.
• Advocate Creative — especially worth interviewing if you want a high-end visual identity/storytelling approach. Their foundation/nonprofit work includes websites designed around funding/application flows, alongside branding and communications.
• Dialogue Theory — a good choice if the grant side is more than simply posting PDFs. They focus on digital strategy, UX/UI and development for mission-driven organizations, so I'd ask them to prototype the entire applicant journey.
• Promet Source — I'd put them on the list if you anticipate complex grant workflows, document management, multiple user roles, integrations, or a substantial content system. Their strength is the underlying digital architecture as much as visual design.
• Beth Interactive — worth a conversation if the website also needs to support donor/funder engagement and analytics, not just grant applications. Their specialty is digital philanthropy and mission-driven organizations.
• Substance — consider them if the project starts with repositioning/rebranding the foundation and then translates that into the digital experience. They're particularly strategy- and identity-oriented.

One especially useful interview

I would also talk to The Chicago Community Trust's digital/grants team, not as a vendor but as a benchmark. Its GrantCentral system is explicitly designed to make grant activities accessible through a responsive web platform, and the Trust publishes resources covering application submission, organizational profiles, outcomes, etc. The Chicago Community Trust The Chicago Community Trust

That gives your agency candidates something concrete to react to: What should our grant experience do better than GrantCentral?

What I'd ask each agency to demonstrate

Don't just ask for a portfolio. Give them a mini scenario:

“A prospective grantee arrives at our homepage, understands our priorities, determines eligibility, downloads the guidelines and application template, and then starts an online application. Show us how you'd design that journey.”

Then ask them to address:

• Visual storytelling: How would you make the foundation's work feel tangible rather than institutional?
• Grant discovery: Can visitors quickly find funding priorities, eligibility, deadlines, FAQs and past grants?
• Downloads: Can staff replace application PDFs/forms without calling the developer?
• Application UX: What belongs on the website versus a dedicated grant-management platform?
• Accessibility: How will PDFs, forms, navigation and visual content meet WCAG expectations?
• Mobile: Can a grantee actually find and download the right document on a phone?
• Search: How will users find old grants, reports, initiatives and application materials?
• CMS: Who on your staff will be able to update deadlines and documents?
• Integration: What happens if you eventually want CRM/grants-management integration?
• Measurement: What will you measure to know whether applicants are actually finding and using the resources?

I'd make LimeRed, Advocate Creative, Dialogue Theory, and Promet Source the core four interviews, with Beth Interactive or Substance as the fifth depending on whether your bigger priority is fundraising/engagement or brand/visual identity.

One other reason I'd emphasize the grant workflow: Chicago foundations already use very different models—The Chicago Community Trust uses a responsive online grant platform, while other foundations combine portals with downloadable supporting materials. Christopher Family Foundation Seabury Foundation Your agency should help you decide what belongs in the CMS versus the grant-management system rather than simply putting a pile of PDFs on a “Grants” page. The Chicago Community Trust VNA Foundation

“A prospective grantee arrives at our homepage, understands our priorities, determines eligibility, downloads the guidelines and application template, and then starts an online application. Show us how you'd design that journey.”

Then ask them to address:

• Visual storytelling: How would you make the foundation's work feel tangible rather than institutional?
• Grant discovery: Can visitors quickly find funding priorities, eligibility, deadlines, FAQs and past grants?
• Downloads: Can staff replace application PDFs/forms without calling the developer?
• Application UX: What belongs on the website versus a dedicated grant-management platform?
• Accessibility: How will PDFs, forms, navigation and visual content meet WCAG expectations?
• Mobile: Can a grantee actually find and download the right document on a phone?
• Search: How will users find old grants, reports, initiatives and application materials?
• CMS: Who on your staff will be able to update deadlines and documents?
• Integration: What happens if you eventually want CRM/grants-management integration?
• Measurement: What will you measure to know whether applicants are actually finding and using the resources?

I'd make LimeRed, Advocate Creative, Dialogue Theory, and Promet Source the core four interviews, with Beth Interactive or Substance as the fifth depending on whether your bigger priority is fundraising/engagement or brand/visual identity.

• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Greater Good Studio - 3759 W Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• Lipman-Hearne - 200 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60604
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Beth Interactive Inc. - 4541 N Ravenswood Ave #303, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Paul Gregory Media - 200 E 5th Ave, Ste 105, Naperville, IL 60563
• Ensemble Media - 4704 N Kenmore Ave C, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Prosper Strategies - 200 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• EDUCO Web Design - 128 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Heller Consulting - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 622, Chicago, IL 60604

For a foundation that needs a visually compelling website plus a better system for grant application downloads/forms/resources, I would interview a mix of nonprofit-focused digital agencies, UX/design studios, and grant-technology specialists rather than only general web developers.

Here are Chicago-area agencies I’d put on your interview list:

Strong first-round candidates

• Dialogue Theory — A good fit if you want a modern, story-driven site with strong UX. They focus on strategy, design, development, and digital experiences for mission-driven organizations. Clutch

Ask them about: grant portals, document libraries, accessibility, donor/community storytelling, and CMS training for staff.

• Advocate Creative — Particularly relevant for foundations because they combine branding, communications strategy, and website work aimed at helping mission-driven organizations communicate impact.

Ask them about: visual identity refreshes, impact storytelling, annual reports, and turning grant information into easy-to-use applicant journeys.

• Sandstorm Design — A Chicago UX/digital experience firm with experience in research-driven websites, accessibility, and purpose-driven organizations.

Ask them about: user research with grantees, accessibility compliance, search/filter tools for grant opportunities, and content governance.

• Beth Interactive — Worth interviewing if your foundation also cares about donor engagement, fundraising communications, analytics, and measuring digital performance.

Ask them about: connecting website behavior with donor/grantee engagement metrics.

• Greater Good Studio — A strong choice if your foundation emphasizes community voice, equity, and human-centered design.

Ask them about: stakeholder interviews, community-centered design, and making grant programs easier for applicants to navigate.

More visually focused / branding-heavy options

• Firebelly Design — A Chicago creative studio known for socially conscious design, branding, campaigns, and digital experiences.

Best for: foundations that want a distinctive visual identity and storytelling system.

• Bark Design — A mission-driven Chicago design studio offering branding, web design, UX, and digital communications.

Best for: a smaller, hands-on creative partnership.

• Lipman-Hearne — Has experience with institutional, nonprofit, and foundation communications, including digital strategy and storytelling.

If grant applications are a major workflow problem

You may also want a separate conversation with a grants-technology or nonprofit systems specialist. The website agency should be able to integrate with (or recommend) systems for:

• online grant applications
• applicant accounts
• downloadable templates
• eligibility quizzes
• FAQs and knowledge bases
• reviewer workflows
• reporting dashboards

For example, many foundations use dedicated grant-management platforms rather than trying to build all grant functionality into the website. A Chicago example of a foundation grant portal approach is The Chicago Community Trust’s GrantCentral system. The Chicago Community Trust

Interview questions I’d use

1. “Show us three foundation or nonprofit websites you redesigned. What problem were you solving?”
2. “How would you organize a grant application section for applicants who are unfamiliar with our process?”
3. “How would you make our impact stories visually compelling without overwhelming users?”
4. “What CMS would you recommend, and how much can staff update without developers?”
5. “How do you handle accessibility (WCAG), mobile design, and downloadable PDFs?”
6. “Can you design a searchable grant archive or resource library?”
7. “How do you measure whether the new site is actually helping applicants, donors, and partners?”

A practical shortlist for initial interviews would be Dialogue Theory, Advocate Creative, Sandstorm Design, Beth Interactive, and Greater Good Studio—they cover the intersection of visual storytelling + nonprofit/foundation usability.

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• DataMade - 626 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Artversion - 205 N Michigan Ave 8th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Prosper Strategies - 200 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Conlon Public Strategies - 1 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• A-5 - 1 N La Salle St, Ste 4700, Chicago, IL 60602
• Watch Street Consulting - 1 N State St f15, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• a5 Inc. - 1 N LaSalle St #4700, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Vera Creative - 935 W Chestnut St #650, Chicago, IL 60642, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States

Yes. For a foundation that needs a highly visual site plus a better grant-application/download experience, I’d interview agencies with different strengths rather than hiring a generic web shop.

My Chicago shortlist

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — probably my first interview. They combine brand strategy, visual identity, UX/UI, web development, accessibility, content strategy, WordPress, analytics, and integrations for purpose-driven organizations. Their work with nonprofits and civic organizations makes the foundation context particularly relevant.
• Dialogue Theory — strong UX/civic-design candidate. Their focus on mission-driven organizations, UX research, digital strategy, and experiences that need to work, not merely look good, fits a grant-seeker audience particularly well.
• DataMade — interview if the grant side is complicated. They're a Chicago civic-tech/data consultancy, so I'd ask them specifically about application workflows, structured grant data, search/filtering, and integrations rather than just visual design.
• Artversion — strong visual/brand contender. Worth including if the foundation wants the site to feel especially polished and editorial, with brand and digital experience working together.
• Firebelly Design — good mission-driven creative option. Their portfolio includes foundations, nonprofits, and Chicago civic organizations, with capabilities spanning identity, digital experiences, campaigns, and content.
• Prosper Strategies — add a strategy voice to the interviews. They're more nonprofit strategy/communications than pure web development, which makes them useful if you haven't settled the foundation's messaging, audiences, or grant-seeker journey yet.

One especially relevant specialist

Beth Interactive is worth a conversation if fundraising and donor experience are important alongside grants. They're digital-first and focused specifically on mission-driven organizations, with web audits, analytics, creative, and engagement strategy.

I'd also look at Project6: it explicitly works with foundations/nonprofits and lists grant and donation tools, accessibility compliance, stakeholder interviews, UX/UI, usability testing, and WordPress/Drupal among its capabilities. Project6

Who I'd interview first

If you only want four, I'd do:

1. LimeRed — strongest overall mission/brand/UX combination.
2. Dialogue Theory — strongest product/UX perspective.
3. DataMade — strongest candidate for a sophisticated grant workflow.
4. Firebelly — strongest creative/visual counterpoint.

And I'd interview The Chicago Community Trust's grant team or grant-application stakeholders as a user-research interview, not as a vendor. Their GrantCentral system is specifically designed around grant seekers, responsive access, accessibility, application submission, organizational profiles, and outcomes reporting. The Chicago Community Trust That could give your agency candidates unusually useful insight into what applicants actually struggle with.

For the agency interviews, I'd give everyone the same 5-minute scenario: “I'm a small nonprofit visiting this foundation for the first time. I need to understand whether I'm eligible, find the right opportunity, download the guidelines/application materials, and submit an application without calling anyone.” Then ask each agency to sketch that journey. You'll learn much more than from reviewing portfolios.

For a foundation that needs a visually compelling website plus a better system for grant application downloads/forms/resources, I’d interview a mix of nonprofit-focused web agencies, UX/design studios, and grant-communications specialists rather than only general web developers. Here are Chicago-area candidates to put on your interview list:

Strong website + storytelling partners

Advocate Creative

Advocate Creative
Web
Address: 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
Good fit if you want a foundation website that feels like a brand platform: impact storytelling, visuals, campaigns, and clear pathways for applicants or donors. Their nonprofit/foundation work includes websites designed around funding and action flows. www.orbitmedia.com

Interview about:

• How they translate a foundation’s mission into visual storytelling
• Grant-seeker user journeys
• Application portals vs. downloadable resources
• Accessibility and content governance

Orbit Media Studios

Orbit Media Studios
Web
Address: 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
Phone: +1 773-348-4581
A well-known Chicago nonprofit web agency with experience building mission-driven websites and content systems. www.orbitmedia.com

Interview about:

• WordPress/CMS recommendations
• Resource libraries
• SEO for grant opportunities
• Staff training after launch

Sandstorm Design

Sandstorm Design
Web
Address: 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
Phone: +1 773-348-4200
A strong UX-focused option if your site needs to serve multiple audiences: applicants, grantees, partners, board members, and the public. www.orbitmedia.com

Interview about:

• User research
• Information architecture
• Accessibility
• Designing around complex application processes

Firebelly Design

Firebelly Design
Web
Address: 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
Phone: +1 773-489-3200
A design-led studio with nonprofit experience and capabilities across branding, UX, and digital design.

Interview about:

• Visual identity refresh
• Impact reports and annual reports
• Photography/video integration
• Creating a memorable foundation presence

Agencies especially relevant to grants, fundraising, and nonprofit communications

Beth Interactive

Beth Interactive
Web
Address: 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640
Phone: +17733324022
Worth interviewing if the website is tied closely to fundraising, donor engagement, analytics, and communications strategy. www.orbitmedia.com

Interview about:

• Conversion tracking
• Donor/grantee communications
• Website analytics
• Connecting website content to fundraising goals

Social Capital-Chicago

Social Capital-Chicago
Web
Address: 980 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
Phone: +1 312-266-0300
A nonprofit consulting option for messaging, proposals, impact materials, and communications strategy. www.orbitmedia.com

Interview about:

• Grant narrative consistency
• Impact storytelling
• Foundation communications strategy
• Annual reports and case statements

JG Poll & Associates

JG Poll & Associates
Web
Address: 5445 N Sheridan Rd Apt 2615, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
Phone: +1 773-425-9011
A grant-writing/resource-development specialist that could complement a web build.

Interview about:

• Grant application workflow
• Applicant communications
• How to organize downloadable materials
• Review processes

Smaller or mission-aligned studios to consider

Greater Good Studio

Greater Good Studio
Web
Address: 3759 W Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
Phone: +1 773-599-9717
Consider if your foundation wants deeper community-centered design research, not just a website redesign.

Advocate Creative

Advocate Creative
Web
Address: 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
Also worth keeping on a shortlist if you want a highly polished visual identity paired with digital work. www.orbitmedia.com

Questions I’d ask every interviewee

1. “Show us three foundation/nonprofit sites you built where users had to find grants, applications, or downloadable resources.”
2. “How would you structure our grant page?”
   • Current opportunities
   • Eligibility rules
   • Guidelines PDF
   • Application portal
   • FAQs
   • Past awards
   • Reporting requirements
3. “Who owns updates after launch?”
4. “How will you make the site accessible (WCAG)?”
5. “What CMS would you recommend and why?”
6. “How will you measure success?”
   • Application starts/completions
   • Resource downloads
   • Newsletter signups
   • Donor engagement
7. “Can you help migrate our existing grant documents and clean up our content structure?”

A practical shortlist of 5 interviews would be:

1. Advocate Creative
2. Orbit Media Studios
3. Sandstorm Design
4. Beth Interactive
5. Social Capital-Chicago

That mix gives you visual design, nonprofit UX, and grant/fundraising strategy rather than just a website vendor. www.orbitmedia.com

If you mean Chicago-area agencies to interview as potential partners for a foundation website—not government grantmaking agencies—I’d put these on the shortlist:

1. LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Probably my first interview for a visually distinctive foundation site. They combine brand strategy, visual identity, UX/web development, accessibility, SEO, messaging, and integrations. Their research/stakeholder approach is particularly relevant for a foundation with multiple audiences. clutch.co

2. Dialogue Theory — Strong choice if you want strategy + storytelling + sophisticated digital experience, rather than simply a prettier WordPress site. They work with nonprofits and civic organizations and cover discovery, UX/UI, content strategy, development, and ongoing iteration. clutch.co

3. Sandstorm Design — Worth interviewing if visual design, inclusive design, accessibility, and user research are central. Their work spans brand strategy through enterprise web development.

4. Prosper Strategies — I'd add a strategy/fundraising specialist to the interview mix. Their focus is nonprofit strategy and fundraising, so they can help ensure the site's grant/donor experience isn't designed in isolation from your development strategy.

5. Promet Source — Particularly interesting if your grant applications will involve large resource libraries, complex forms, permissions, accessibility, or Drupal. They're more technology/platform-oriented than purely visual.

6. Nonprofit Megaphone — Consider them if the website also needs to drive search/discovery and Google Ad Grant traffic. Their specialty is nonprofit digital marketing and Google Ad Grant management.

7. Alford Group — A useful counterpoint to the design agencies: nonprofit fundraising and organizational strategy. I'd interview them if you want someone to pressure-test the site's fundraising/grant-seeking architecture before the designers build it.

For your particular brief

I'd actually run two kinds of interviews, rather than asking one agency to solve everything:

One important point: don't frame “grant application downloads” as merely a PDF-download feature. Chicago funders such as The Chicago Community Trust's GrantCentral resources demonstrate how grant seekers increasingly encounter responsive, web-based application workflows alongside instructions, FAQs, organizational profiles, outcomes, and supporting information. Your agency should think through that entire applicant journey.

For the RFP/interview, I'd give every agency the same challenge:

“Show us how you would design a visually compelling foundation website where a first-time grant applicant can find eligibility, deadlines, application instructions, downloadable templates, FAQs, and the actual application in under two minutes—without making the site feel like a grants portal.”

Then ask them to mock up the homepage + grant-seeker journey, rather than just showing their portfolio. That will reveal much more than another hour of agency presentations.

Yes. For a foundation that needs a highly visual site plus a genuinely usable grant-application/download experience, I’d interview agencies with different strengths rather than treating this as a generic website redesign.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Dialogue Theory — best overall fit
   • Strong combination of digital strategy, UX/UI, visual design and development.
   • Their mission-driven work makes them a particularly good candidate if the site needs to explain complex programs and guide applicants through funding processes.
   • I'd ask them to prototype the grant-seeker journey, not just the homepage.

2. LimeRed Studio, Inc. — best for visual identity + UX
   • Particularly interesting if you want the website, brand, storytelling, accessibility and content system to feel like one integrated experience.
   • Their capabilities include UX/UI, information architecture, accessibility/SEO auditing, WordPress and integrations for forms/payments/CRMs. www.project6.com

3. Sandstorm Design — best for sophisticated UX/accessibility
   • Worth interviewing if your foundation serves diverse audiences and accessibility is a serious requirement.
   • Their process emphasizes stakeholder research, design thinking, UX and inclusive design.

4. Advocate Creative — best for foundation/nonprofit storytelling
   • Their Chicago practice focuses specifically on nonprofits and foundations, including brand strategy, visual language and websites designed around actions such as funding applications.
   • I'd include them if the site needs to feel editorial, distinctive and mission-led, rather than like a conventional institutional foundation site.

5. McGuffin Creative Group, Inc. — interesting creative alternative
   • Combines branding, website/UX work and nonprofit experience.
   • Especially worth an interview because they also operate a nonprofit-focused pro-bono grant program, suggesting familiarity with organizations working under resource constraints.

6. Beth Interactive — consider if fundraising is central
   • More philanthropy/fundraising-oriented than a pure web-design shop.
   • Their digital audits and analytics work could be valuable if you want the new site to improve donor and applicant behavior, not simply look better.

One agency I'd add specifically for the grant-download problem

Project6 is worth a conversation. It explicitly works with foundations/nonprofits and lists grant and donation tools, accessibility compliance, UX/UI, usability testing, WordPress/Drupal and custom programming among its capabilities. www.project6.com

There's also a particularly relevant case study from Serenity Studios: its Miller Foundation redesign involved personas and user journeys for grant seekers, an accessible searchable grant-history database, and redesigning the grants experience around simpler language and navigation. www.serenitystudios.com That's the kind of precedent I'd use when evaluating agencies.

What I'd ask every agency to demonstrate

Don't ask, "Can you build us a beautiful website?" Ask them to respond to these five things:

• Show us a grant-seeker journey you've designed. How does someone discover eligibility → understand requirements → download forms → submit → get help?
• How would you handle PDFs? Can applicants preview them, download accessible versions, understand which version is current, and find supporting instructions?
• How would you make the site visually driven without sacrificing usability?
• Show us the CMS experience for foundation staff. Can a program officer replace a PDF, update a deadline or add an FAQ without calling the agency?
• How will you test the grant application experience with actual users?

That's important because foundation sites often fail not at the visual layer but at the information architecture around grants. For example, Impact Grants Chicago itself provides eligibility, requirements, FAQs and application questions as downloadable resources—exactly the kind of content architecture your agency should make dramatically easier to navigate. www.impactgrantschicago.org

If I were narrowing it to 3

I'd interview Dialogue Theory, LimeRed Studio, and Project6. I'd then use Advocate Creative as the fourth interview if distinctive visual storytelling/brand expression is a major priority.

For benchmarking, Chicago's nonprofit web-design market currently includes firms ranging from relatively small web shops to larger UX/development agencies; current listings show substantial variation in pricing and specialization, so I'd make the agencies respond to the same short design challenge rather than comparing proposals at face value. clutch.co

If you tell me your approximate website budget and foundation type (arts, community, education, health, etc.), I can narrow this to 3–5 agencies and give you a side-by-side interview scorecard.

Yes. If the goal is to design a visually driven foundation website that also makes grant applications and downloadable materials genuinely easy to use, I’d interview people who actually experience the grant-seeking process—not just web designers.

My Chicago shortlist

1. The Chicago Community Trust — probably the highest-priority interview. Its GrantCentral system is specifically designed to let grant seekers manage applications online, and the Trust provides separate resources for submitting applications, completing profiles, and reporting outcomes. www.cct.org

Ask about: application UX, accessibility, document downloads, applicant support, and what information applicants struggle to find.

2. Chicago Cultural Affairs Department (DCASE) — useful if your foundation has an arts/culture component. It's a city agency dealing directly with artists and cultural organizations seeking funding and public resources.

Ask about: how applicants discover opportunities, how they use PDFs/forms, and where municipal grant processes create friction.

3. Field Foundation — especially valuable for understanding a modern, equity-oriented Chicago grantmaking experience. Field uses an online application portal and has programs spanning arts/culture, journalism/storytelling, and community power. blue-amphibian-kk5x.squarespace.com

Ask about: balancing storytelling/visuals with eligibility and application requirements.

4. MacArthur Foundation — excellent interview target if you're interested in visual storytelling and sophisticated grantmaking communications. Its Chicago Culture, Equity, and the Arts program uses participatory grantmaking and publishes grant guidelines and FAQs. www.macfound.org

Ask about: how a large foundation communicates complex funding programs without overwhelming users.

5. Arts Alliance Illinois — not primarily a funder, which is actually useful. It works across Illinois' creative sector and helps organizations navigate resources.

Ask about: what arts nonprofits expect from foundation websites and what information they routinely have trouble finding.

6. Chicago Cultural Alliance — a strong candidate for the community-user perspective. Its network includes cultural heritage organizations with very different sizes, technical capacities, and audiences.

Ask about: multilingual content, accessibility, mobile use, and communicating opportunities to smaller organizations.

One especially useful "benchmark"

Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation (GDDF) is worth studying because its Chicago arts grant process explicitly starts with a conversation with a program officer, while its site also provides application information and a sample application. blue-amphibian-kk5x.squarespace.comwww.macfound.orggddf.org

That gives you an interesting design question: what should the website answer itself, and what should it route to a human?

I'd structure the interviews around 5 questions

• Discovery: "When you're looking for a grant, what do you need to know within the first 60 seconds?"
• Downloads: "What do you expect when you click 'application,' 'guidelines,' or 'budget template'?"
• Visuals: "Do images/video actually help you understand a foundation's priorities, or do they get in the way?"
• Trust: "What makes a foundation website feel credible and welcoming?"
• Pain points: "Tell us about the last grant application website that frustrated you."

For your particular project, I'd prioritize Chicago Community Trust → Field Foundation → DCASE → MacArthur → Chicago Cultural Alliance, then interview 3–5 actual Chicago nonprofit grant applicants alongside them. That combination should give you much better design insight than interviewing foundations alone.

If the goal is a visually compelling foundation website plus a strong grant-application/download experience, I’d interview a mix of agencies rather than hiring a generic web shop.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Advocate Creative — my first interview
   • Works exclusively with nonprofits and foundations.
   • Particularly relevant because its foundation work includes sites designed around funding/application actions, not just branding.
   • Good fit if the site needs to communicate your foundation’s priorities while making it easy for applicants to find requirements, download materials, and take the next step.

2. Firebelly Design — best for highly visual storytelling
   • Strong UX, information architecture, content strategy, accessibility and web development.
   • Has worked with major Chicago institutions and nonprofits, and has operated a nonprofit-focused Grant for Good program.
   • I'd interview them if visual identity and storytelling are central to the project.

3. LimeRed Studio, Inc. — best mission-driven design option
   • Chicago agency focused on purpose-driven organizations.
   • Particularly interesting for foundations that want the website, brand, photography/illustration direction and communications materials to feel like one coherent system.

4. Sandstorm Design — best for UX/accessibility + complex sites
   • Strong emphasis on UX, inclusive design and enterprise web development.
   • I'd put them high on the list if your grant application process has multiple audiences, complex navigation, accessibility requirements, or integrations.

5. Beth Interactive — best if fundraising/donor communications are also important
   • Focuses on mission-driven organizations, digital engagement, analytics and fundraising.
   • Worth interviewing if the website needs to serve donors as well as grant applicants.

6. Statement — good smaller-agency alternative
   • Positions itself specifically around nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, with branding, storytelling and digital/print execution.
   • Could be attractive if you want a more hands-on creative partner rather than a large digital-development team.

One thing I'd insist on in the interviews

Don't describe this simply as a "website redesign." Give every agency the same mini-brief:

Build a visually distinctive foundation website that tells our story, clearly communicates funding priorities, lets prospective grantees quickly determine eligibility, provides downloadable application materials, and makes the application process intuitive on desktop and mobile.

Then ask each agency to show you one comparable project and walk through:

• How would you structure the Grant Opportunities section?
• Can staff easily replace/download application PDFs without developer help?
• Would you recommend PDF downloads, web forms, or an external grants-management portal?
• How would you make deadlines, eligibility and required attachments visually obvious?
• How will the site meet WCAG accessibility expectations?
• How will you handle mobile users downloading/submitting documents?
• Can the CMS support multiple grant programs without creating a maintenance nightmare?
• What happens when an application cycle closes—archive, redirect, or replace the materials?
• Can you integrate with a grants-management system later?

There's a useful Chicago precedent: The Chicago Community Trust's GrantCentral is a responsive web-based grant platform with resources for application submission, organization profiles and outcomes reporting. www.cct.org Impact Grants Chicago similarly lets applicants preview/download application questions while using an online system for actual submissions. www.impactgrantschicago.org

That distinction is important: your public-facing website doesn't necessarily need to become the grant-management system. I'd favor a beautiful, easy-to-maintain website that hands applicants cleanly into whatever application platform you use.

If you only interview three, I'd start with Advocate Creative, Firebelly, and Sandstorm. They give you three useful perspectives: foundation/nonprofit specialization, exceptional visual storytelling, and sophisticated UX/accessibility.

If the goal is a visually strong foundation site that also makes grant applications/downloads genuinely easy for applicants, I’d interview a mix of creative web agencies and firms with deeper nonprofit/grant-application UX experience.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Advocate Creative — Probably my first interview for a foundation. They specifically work with nonprofits and foundations, including sites designed around funding/application and advisory pathways. Their strength is combining brand, visual storytelling, and web experience. clutch.co

2. Dialogue Theory — Strong candidate if the site needs to be more than a beautiful brochure. They specialize in digital strategy, UX/UI and development for nonprofits and complex mission-driven organizations; recent Chicago-area reviews specifically cite nonprofit web work. clutch.co

3. LimeRed Studio, Inc. — A particularly interesting option if you want brand + visual identity + website + messaging under one roof. Their web capabilities include UX, accessibility, WordPress, analytics and integrations such as forms and payments.

4. Mightybytes — Worth interviewing if accessibility, sustainability and a mission-driven digital strategy are important. They work on digital products as well as websites, so I'd ask them specifically about applicant-facing workflows.

5. DataMade — The wildcard I'd definitely include. They build data-heavy public-facing tools and digital application “front doors” with staff-facing back ends. If your grant process involves eligibility questions, application forms, document uploads, status tracking, or complex program information, this is exactly the kind of capability I'd want to test.

6. Sandstorm Design — Strong visual/UX contender, particularly if you're serving multiple audiences and want inclusive, accessible design. Their process emphasizes stakeholder research, UX and accessibility rather than just aesthetics.

7. The Chicago Community Trust — Not an agency, but I'd actually interview them as a user/reference organization. They operate grant programs in the Chicago region, so their perspective on what applicants struggle with in foundation websites and application processes could be extremely valuable.

One more specialist to consider

Beth Interactive is more fundraising/philanthropy-oriented than a pure web shop. I'd bring them in if the website also needs to strengthen donor engagement and digital fundraising, rather than being primarily an applicant portal.

How I'd structure the interviews

Don't ask agencies simply, “Can you build us a beautiful website?” Give each one the same mini-brief:

We need a visually compelling foundation website where prospective grantees can quickly understand our priorities, determine eligibility, find the right funding opportunity, download application materials, and understand deadlines and requirements. Staff must be able to update opportunities and documents without developers. Accessibility and mobile usability are mandatory.

Then ask each agency to show you:

• 2–3 nonprofit/foundation sites they've actually built.
• A before/after example where they improved information architecture, not just visuals.
• How they'd design the grant opportunity → eligibility → application/download journey.
• How staff would upload/update PDFs, guidelines, deadlines and FAQs.
• Whether they recommend WordPress, a CMS, a grant-management platform, or a custom application layer—and why.
• How they handle WCAG/accessibility, especially downloadable PDFs and forms.
• How they'd measure whether applicants are finding the right information.
• What happens after launch: training, maintenance, analytics and accessibility remediation.
• A realistic budget range and phased approach.

For a visually driven foundation, I'd probably put Advocate Creative, Dialogue Theory, LimeRed, DataMade, and Sandstorm into the first interview round. That gives you a useful spread from brand/storytelling → nonprofit UX → application technology, rather than getting five agencies that all pitch essentially the same website. clutch.co

If grant application downloads/forms are the most important functional requirement, I'd move DataMade and Dialogue Theory toward the top. If the primary challenge is repositioning the foundation visually, I'd prioritize Advocate Creative and LimeRed.

Yes. For a foundation website that needs to be visually compelling but also make grant applications and downloadable materials genuinely easy to use, I’d interview a mix of digital/design agencies and one or two grant-process specialists.

My Chicago shortlist

1. LimeRed Studio, Inc. — strong all-around candidate
   • Purpose-driven branding + web design/development.
   • Particularly relevant because they cover UX, accessibility, SEO, WordPress, forms, payments, analytics, and integrations.
   • I’d ask them to show a foundation/grantmaking site where the visual storytelling and application workflow were both central.

2. Advocate Creative — best for a highly visual foundation brand
   • Focuses specifically on nonprofits and foundations.
   • Their work includes visual identity, messaging, web experiences, and foundation sites with funding/application-related user flows.
   • Good interview if you want the site to feel distinctive rather than like a conventional grantmaker website.

3. Sandstorm Design — best for sophisticated UX
   • Chicago agency emphasizing UX strategy, inclusive design, accessibility and enterprise web development.
   • Worth considering if applicants, grantees, board members and staff will all have different journeys through the site.

4. Dialogue Theory — best for mission-driven digital experiences
   • Works with nonprofits and civic organizations on digital strategy, UX/UI and web development.
   • I'd interview them if you want the site to function more like a polished digital product than a traditional brochure website.

5. Maven Digital — best for strategy + digital
   • Their client experience includes organizations such as The Chicago Community Trust and the Hewlett Foundation.
   • Particularly interesting if the project needs stakeholder research and strategic digital planning before design.

6. Mightybytes — best for accessibility and mission-driven technology
   • Focuses on purpose-driven digital work, with an emphasis on accessibility and sustainable digital practices.
   • A good choice if accessibility and long-term maintainability are explicit requirements.

7. DataMade — wild card for a more sophisticated grant portal
   • They build data-centric digital products and public-facing application/"digital front door" experiences.
   • I'd include them if "grant application downloads" might eventually become online applications, eligibility tools, searchable grant information, or an applicant dashboard, rather than simply PDFs.

Also interview a grant-process specialist

Strategic Philanthropy Ltd is worth a conversation if you want someone to examine the grantmaking workflow itself, not just the website. Their work includes grantmaking execution, grants-management systems and operational support.

That's important because Chicago foundations already demonstrate very different approaches. For example, The Chicago Community Trust uses GrantCentral, a responsive web-based grant platform with applicant instructions and resources, while Impact Grants Chicago provides downloadable previews of its LOI and full application questions. www.cct.org

If I were narrowing it to 4 interviews

I'd start with:

LimeRed + Advocate Creative + Sandstorm + DataMade

That gives you four substantially different perspectives: brand/visual storytelling, foundation-specific creative, UX/accessibility, and application-system/product thinking.

For the interviews, don't just ask "Can you build our website?" Give each agency the same challenge:

"Design the experience for a first-time grant applicant who lands on our site, understands our priorities, determines whether they're eligible, downloads the application materials, understands what supporting documents are required, and knows exactly what to do next."

Then ask each agency to sketch that applicant journey live. You'll learn much more about their thinking than from portfolio screenshots.

For reference, current Chicago examples show that grant applicants may need to navigate eligibility, application questions, downloadable PDFs, portals, supporting documents and tutorials—not merely a pretty homepage. www.cct.org

If you tell me your foundation's approximate budget for the website (e.g. <$25K, $25–75K, $75K+) and whether applications should remain PDFs or eventually become an online portal, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually invite to pitch.

For a foundation that needs a visually compelling website plus easier grant application downloads/forms, I would interview a mix of nonprofit-experienced digital agencies, UX firms, and grant-portal/content specialists rather than only traditional web designers. Chicago has several strong candidates. clutch.co

Shortlist to interview

Also consider interviewing a grant-process specialist

Your website problem may not just be design—it may be information architecture. A foundation site often needs:

• Grant opportunity pages
• Downloadable PDFs and application packets
• FAQ and eligibility flows
• Calendar/deadline management
• Applicant instructions
• Accessibility compliance
• Searchable archives of past grants

For comparison, look at how major Chicago funders structure online grant access. The Chicago Community Trust uses an online grant portal approach designed around applicant access and grant management. www.cct.org

Interview questions I’d use with every agency

1. Show us 3 nonprofit/foundation sites you built. What problem were you solving?
2. How would you organize grants so a first-time applicant finds the right application in under 2 minutes?
3. Would you recommend WordPress, Drupal, a headless CMS, or another platform for our needs? Why?
4. How will staff update grant PDFs and deadlines without calling developers?
5. How do you handle accessibility (WCAG), mobile users, and document accessibility?
6. Can you redesign our application journey, not just the homepage?
7. What analytics would you install to understand where applicants get stuck?

I’d probably interview 4–6 firms: two design-led agencies, two UX/development firms, and one specialist focused on nonprofit/grant workflows. That will make it easier to separate “beautiful website” proposals from solutions that actually reduce staff workload and applicant confusion.

For a foundation website that needs to be highly visual but also make grant applications/downloads easy to find and use, I’d interview a short list rather than a generic web shop. My strongest Chicago-area candidates are:

1. Advocate Creative — Probably my first interview. They specifically work with nonprofits and foundations, and their foundation work includes websites designed around funding/application journeys. Good fit if you want brand + visual storytelling + grant-related user flows.

2. LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Strong choice for a beautiful, purpose-driven site with serious UX/accessibility underneath. Their capabilities include information architecture, UX/UI, accessibility, SEO, WordPress, forms and integrations.

3. Bark Design — I'd interview them if the foundation wants a particularly visual/editorial identity. They have substantial mission-driven experience and work across branding, digital, fundraising communications and impact storytelling. barkdesignchicago.com

4. Sandstorm Design — Worth considering if the grant application experience is complicated. They emphasize UX research, stakeholder interviews, inclusive design and accessibility, alongside web development.

5. Dialogue Theory — A good option for a more custom digital experience rather than a conventional nonprofit website. Their work combines strategy, UX/UI and development for mission-driven organizations.

6. Firebelly Design — Particularly interesting if you want a distinctive visual brand. Their work includes UX, information architecture, accessibility, responsive development and CMS integration, with nonprofit clients including Chicago Community Trust and Illinois Humanities.

One agency I'd add to the interview list

Orbit Media Studios has an unusually deep Chicago nonprofit portfolio. Its nonprofit work includes the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre and Pat Tillman Foundation, and it explicitly focuses on conversion-oriented design, easy content management and nonprofit SEO. www.orbitmedia.com

Project6 is another strong specialist: it explicitly works with foundations and nonprofits, including grant/donation tools, accessibility, WordPress/Drupal, UX, prototyping and stakeholder interviews. www.project6.com

My suggested interview slate

If you only want 5 agencies, I'd start with:

The key is to not evaluate them primarily on how pretty their portfolio looks. In the interviews, I'd ask each agency to show you a real example of a site where a visitor has to go from “I want to understand this foundation” → “Am I eligible?” → “What are the requirements?” → “Download the application” → “Submit/ask a question.” That will reveal who actually understands your problem.

I'd also ask for a proposed approach to accessible, searchable grant PDFs/downloads, mobile application instructions, deadline/status management, CMS ownership, and whether your staff can change grant cycles without calling the agency.

Orbit Media nonprofit portfolio
Project6 foundation & nonprofit work
LimeRed Studio
Bark Design

For a foundation that needs a visually compelling website plus a smoother experience for grant application downloads/forms/resources, I’d interview a mix of nonprofit-focused digital agencies, UX/design studios, and grant-system specialists rather than only traditional web shops. Chicago has several strong candidates. clutch.co

Shortlist of Chicago agencies to interview

Also consider a grant-process specialist lens

Your “grant application downloads” requirement is important: the site may need more than PDFs. Ask agencies how they would handle:

• searchable grant guidelines
• eligibility quizzes or decision trees
• downloadable application packets
• applicant portals
• FAQ libraries
• accessibility-compliant documents
• tracking which resources applicants use
• integrations with grant-management platforms

For grant workflow expertise, it may also help to talk with organizations that run sophisticated grant portals, such as The Chicago Community Trust, which uses a web-based grant management system for applicants and resources. www.cct.org

Interview questions I’d ask every agency

1. “Show us three foundation or nonprofit websites you built where storytelling and applications/resources were central.”
2. “How would you organize content for donors, grantees, applicants, and community members who have different needs?”
3. “How would you make grant PDFs and forms accessible under WCAG standards?”
4. “Would you recommend PDFs, a portal, a CMS-driven resource library, or a combination?”
5. “How will staff update grant cycles without needing developers?”
6. “What analytics would you install to measure applicant engagement?”
7. “What is your approach to photography, video, illustrations, and impact storytelling?”

For a foundation, I’d probably bring 4–5 agencies into first-round interviews: Sandstorm Design, Mightybytes, Dialogue Theory, Advocate Creative, and Beth Interactive. That mix covers visual storytelling, nonprofit UX, accessibility, and grant/fundraising workflows.

If your foundation is interviewing agencies specifically to design a visually driven site and improve how applicants find/download grant materials, I’d prioritize organizations that have unusually strong applicant-facing grant workflows.

My Chicago shortlist

1. The Chicago Community Trust — probably the best benchmark. Its GrantCentral system is explicitly designed as a responsive, user-friendly grant platform, with separate resources for application submission, organization profiles, demographics, outcomes, and fiscal sponsorship. www.cct.org

Interview about: navigation, applicant journeys, accessibility, downloadable resources, and how the website hands applicants off to the grant portal.

2. Field Foundation — strong choice if you want the website to feel storytelling- and visually-driven, rather than like a conventional institutional foundation site. Its grantmaking spans community power, arts/culture, journalism, and leadership, with different application models. fieldfoundation.org

Interview about: balancing compelling stories/imagery with clear grant information and calls to action.

3. Chicago Cultural Affairs Department (DCASE) — useful if your foundation will serve artists and cultural organizations. It has experience communicating public grant programs and resources to a broad applicant audience.

Interview about: explaining complicated eligibility/application requirements visually and making downloadable materials discoverable.

4. 3Arts — particularly valuable for a visual storytelling benchmark. Its audience includes artists across performing, teaching, and visual arts, so the organization has to make grantmaking feel accessible and human rather than bureaucratic.

5. Impact Grants Chicago — an excellent benchmark specifically for grant-application downloads. It lets applicants preview/download both its Letter of Inquiry and Full Grant Application questions as PDFs, while also explaining the online submission process and providing an applicant information session. www.impactgrantschicago.org

Interview about: why they offer downloadable previews, what applicants need before entering the portal, and where applicants get confused.

6. LISC Chicago — worth interviewing if your foundation funds neighborhood/community development. Its work involves community organizations, capacity building, and multiple stakeholder audiences, making it a useful model for organizing substantial information without overwhelming users.

One more I'd add

Christopher Family Foundation has a particularly interesting applicant experience: it uses an online grants portal but explicitly encourages new applicants to contact its Grants Manager and offers information sessions around its grant-management system. christopherff.org That makes it a good interview target for understanding the human support layer around a digital application process.

If you can only interview 4

I'd choose:

Chicago Community Trust + Field Foundation + Impact Grants Chicago + 3Arts.

Together they give you four different perspectives: grant-platform UX, visual storytelling, downloadable application materials, and artist-facing communication.

For the interviews, I'd ask each agency to walk you through their website as if they were a first-time applicant, rather than simply asking what they like about their site. That will expose the real pain points: “Where would I click to find eligibility?” “What can I download before applying?” “What happens after I click Apply?” “Where would I look for examples?”

Chicago Community Trust — How to Apply
Impact Grants Chicago — Grants
Field Foundation — How to Apply

For a foundation that wants a highly visual site plus a strong grant-application/download experience, I’d interview 4–6 Chicago-area agencies, but I’d weight nonprofit/foundation experience much more heavily than general web-design reputation.

My shortlist

1. Advocate Creative — probably my first interview. They explicitly specialize in nonprofits and foundations and combine brand strategy, visual identity, websites, campaigns, annual/impact reports, and other collateral. Their portfolio includes foundation work and they specifically describe application-oriented web experiences. advocatecreative.com

Best for: a visually distinctive foundation brand + website + grant/application materials.

2. Mightybytes — strong if you want sophisticated digital UX rather than simply a beautiful brochure site. They're Chicago-based and focused on mission-driven organizations, with strategy, digital product development, accessibility, and sustainability expertise.

Best for: a modern, accessible site with sophisticated digital functionality.

3. Dialogue Theory — worth interviewing if the grant process needs to feel like a real digital product: intuitive navigation, application flows, content management, etc. Their work focuses on digital strategy, UX/UI, and web development for mission-driven organizations.

Best for: complex grant/application journeys.

4. LimeRed Studio — a particularly interesting fit if you want brand + storytelling + website under one roof. Their capabilities include information architecture, UX/UI, accessibility, SEO, WordPress, analytics, and integrations for forms, payments and CRM.

Best for: strong visual storytelling with practical nonprofit infrastructure.

5. Sandstorm Design — I'd add them if accessibility and inclusive UX are major priorities. They emphasize UX-driven strategy, stakeholder interviews, inclusive design, accessibility and enterprise web development.

Best for: a polished, research-driven site serving diverse audiences.

6. Beth Interactive — less of a pure visual-design choice, but compelling if fundraising and donor conversion are central to the project. They're a Chicago digital philanthropy/communications agency with analytics and digital-presence auditing capabilities.

Best for: connecting the website to fundraising and donor engagement.

One specialist I'd also consider

Project6 has unusually direct foundation/nonprofit experience: it says it has worked with 36+ foundation/nonprofit clients and specifically lists grants and donation tools, accessibility, stakeholder interviews, WordPress/Drupal, usability testing and interactive prototyping. www.project6.com

What I'd ask in the interviews

Don't just ask, “Can you make us a beautiful website?” Give every agency the same mini-brief:

• Show us 3 nonprofit/foundation sites you've actually designed and built.
• Show us an example where users had to find, download, or submit grant materials.
• How would you structure our Grant Opportunities → Eligibility → Guidelines → Application → Downloads journey?
• Can staff add/change grant opportunities and downloadable PDFs without developers?
• How will you make PDFs and application materials accessible (WCAG/ADA)?
• Can you integrate with our grants-management/application system, or would you recommend linking to an external portal?
• How will you handle large numbers of PDFs, archived grants, deadlines and versions?
• Who owns the design files, code, CMS, photography and content after launch?
• What would you measure after launch—downloads, applications started/completed, donor engagement, etc.?

That's particularly important because foundation grant experiences often need more than a CMS: for example, the Chicago Community Trust uses a dedicated responsive GrantCentral platform for grant activity, while other Chicago foundations use online portals or protected applications. www.cct.org

If I were narrowing it to three interviews: Advocate Creative + LimeRed + Dialogue Theory. That gives you a useful spread between visual/brand strength, nonprofit digital experience, and application/UX sophistication.

Yes. For a foundation that needs a visually compelling site plus a practical grant-application/resource-download experience, I’d interview a short list rather than a generic web shop.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Advocate Creative — strongest overall fit
   • Specifically works with nonprofits and foundations, combining branding, visual language, website design, campaigns, annual/impact reports and print. advocatecreative.com
   • Particularly interesting for a foundation because its work includes foundation sites designed around funding/application-related actions.
   • Interview for: visual storytelling, brand refinement, grant/application UX, downloadable resources.

2. Mightybytes — strongest digital/UX option
   • Chicago digital agency focused on mission-driven organizations, with strategy, UX/UI, web development and accessibility expertise.
   • I'd put them high on the list if the site needs to become more than a brochure—e.g., searchable grant resources, sophisticated forms, integrations, analytics and accessibility.

3. LimeRed Studio, Inc. — strong design + nonprofit combination
   • Offers brand strategy, web design/development, UX, accessibility, SEO, WordPress and integrations.
   • Good candidate if you want the brand, website and content architecture to feel like one coherent system.

4. Sandstorm Design — strongest UX/accessibility candidate
   • Their positioning emphasizes UX-driven strategy, inclusive design and enterprise web development for mission-led organizations.
   • Worth interviewing if your grant materials need to work exceptionally well for different audiences and accessibility levels.

5. Dialogue Theory — interesting high-end digital option
   • Chicago studio specializing in digital strategy, UX/UI and web development for nonprofits, civic organizations and other complex initiatives.
   • I'd interview them if the grant-download/application portion may eventually evolve into a more sophisticated digital platform.

6. Windy City Web Solutions — practical/budget-conscious option
   • Focuses on WordPress sites for nonprofits and emphasizes accessibility, reliability and ongoing support. windycitywebsolutions.com
   • Less of a "big creative transformation" choice, but potentially attractive if you want something maintainable without a large-agency budget.

One additional agency I'd definitely consider

Project6 isn't in the business results above, but its own foundation/nonprofit practice is unusually aligned with your requirements. It explicitly works with foundations on web design, branding, print, grants/donation tools and accessibility, including impact reports and other foundation communications. www.project6.com

And Orbit Media is worth adding if you're comfortable considering a Chicago agency with a particularly strong nonprofit web portfolio. Its nonprofit work includes the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre and others, and it emphasizes easy-to-manage CMSs, resource publishing and nonprofit conversions. www.orbitmedia.com

I'd structure the interviews around one important distinction

Don't just ask, "Can you build us a beautiful website?" Ask them to walk through how they'd design this flow:

Foundation homepage → What we fund → Grant opportunity → Eligibility → Application instructions → Downloadable materials → Application/submission → Confirmation

That's especially important because grant portals often have very different requirements. For example, Chicago Community Trust uses a dedicated responsive GrantCentral platform with application instructions, organization profiles, outcomes/measures and other grant resources. www.cct.org

My first three interviews

If you only have time for three, I'd start with:

Advocate Creative — visual identity + foundation expertise
Mightybytes — sophisticated digital/UX + mission-driven work
LimeRed — brand + website + accessibility/content integration

Then give all three the same hypothetical grant-application brief and ask each to sketch the information architecture and user experience. That will make the differences between agencies much easier for your board/team to evaluate.

Yes. For a foundation that wants a visually strong website plus a much better grant-application/download experience, I’d interview a mix of Chicago funders, nonprofit-service organizations, and digital/design specialists—not just web agencies.

My shortlist

1. The Chicago Community Trust — probably the most important funder to interview. Its GrantCentral system is specifically designed to be responsive, accessible, and easy for grantseekers to navigate, and it provides downloadable application resources. Ask about what applicants struggle with, what information they need before applying, and how they balance online forms with downloadable materials. www.cct.org

2. Taproot — useful perspective from the nonprofit-capacity side. Taproot connects nonprofits with pro-bono skills including design and creative services, so they can tell you what smaller organizations actually need from a foundation's digital presence.

3. Community Programs Accelerator — particularly valuable if your foundation serves community-based organizations. Its work is centered on building capacity for Chicago nonprofits, making it a good source for understanding how smaller organizations experience funder websites and applications.

4. Sandstorm Design — strong candidate for the experience/design interview. Their work emphasizes UX, inclusive design, accessibility, stakeholder interviews, and web development for mission-driven organizations.

5. Firebelly Design — worth interviewing if the visual storytelling/brand side is especially important. Their Chicago studio works across brand identity, digital experiences and campaigns and has experience with organizations including the Chicago Community Trust and City of Chicago.

6. Ensemble Media — especially relevant if "downloads" means accessible PDFs, reports, toolkits and other grant materials as well as the website itself. They combine web design/development with graphic design and explicitly address accessibility for web and document deliverables.

7. Beth Interactive Inc. — a good interview for the fundraising/conversion perspective. They do digital strategy, creative, analytics and web audits for nonprofits, including analyzing where users encounter barriers and what drives action.

8. Prosper Strategies — useful if you haven't settled the information architecture or content strategy yet. Their nonprofit consulting work incorporates stakeholder research, brand/design, fundraising and strategy rather than treating the website as simply a technology project.

I’d prioritize 5 interviews

If you only have time for five, I'd do:

Chicago Community Trust → a small Chicago grantee → Taproot → Sandstorm → Ensemble.

That gives you five different perspectives: funder, applicant, nonprofit capacity-builder, UX/design, and accessible digital/document production.

A particularly useful research exercise would be to ask each interviewee to walk through the last grant application they submitted or administered, screen-sharing the actual website, forms, PDFs, confirmation emails, and download process. That will reveal far more than asking "what do you want in a foundation website?"

For example, Impact Grants Chicago actually lets applicants preview/download its application questions as PDFs while submitting through an online system, while Chicago Community Trust uses a responsive web-based GrantCentral platform. Those are two useful Chicago models to study side-by-side. www.impactgrantschicago.org

Chicago Community Trust — How to Apply
Impact Grants Chicago — Grants/Application Process

If by "Chicago agencies" you mean City of Chicago departments/agencies specifically rather than Chicago-area nonprofit/foundation organizations, I can narrow the interview list to city agencies that administer grants and publish application/download workflows.

If the goal is a visually strong foundation site plus a genuinely usable grant-application/download experience, I’d interview a mix of agencies rather than just traditional branding firms.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Advocate Creative — probably my first interview. They explicitly work with nonprofits and foundations, combining brand strategy, visual identity, and web experiences. Their foundation work includes application/funding-related user flows, which is unusually close to your brief.

2. LimeRed Studio, Inc. — strong choice if you want brand + UX + website + accessibility under one roof. Their capabilities include information architecture, UX/UI, WordPress, accessibility, forms, CRM and payment integrations.

3. Dialogue Theory — worth interviewing for a more digital-product-oriented approach. They specialize in complex, mission-driven organizations and emphasize UX/UI and systems that staff can maintain.

4. Sandstorm Design — particularly interesting if accessibility and inclusive design are priorities. They use stakeholder workshops and design research to connect brand strategy to the actual web experience.

5. Mightybytes — good candidate if you want the site to be both visually sophisticated and technically thoughtful, particularly around accessibility, sustainability and digital strategy.

6. Lipman-Hearne — consider them if your foundation has a more institutional/philanthropic feel. Their work spans web design, content strategy, digital campaigns and nonprofit/philanthropic organizations.

One important second group

I'd also interview grant-process specialists, because the downloadable application piece is really a service-design problem, not just a web-design problem.

• Eurydice — Chicago-based grant consultant offering grant research, review, writing and application workshops.
• JG Poll & Associates — focused on grant proposal writing, program development and proposal review.

For benchmarking, look at how Chicago funders actually handle this today. The Chicago Community Trust uses GrantCentral, a responsive web-based grant platform with application instructions, FAQs, instructional material and organization-profile workflows. www.cct.org Impact Grants Chicago is particularly relevant to your download requirement because it publishes its LOI and full-application questions as downloadable PDFs alongside the online process. www.impactgrantschicago.org

If I were narrowing it to four interviews: Advocate Creative, LimeRed, Dialogue Theory, and Sandstorm. Then ask each to walk through one existing foundation/grant application experience and specifically demonstrate how they'd handle: discover → understand eligibility → download/preview requirements → apply → upload documents → save/return → confirmation.

That exercise will tell you much more than looking at their portfolios.