Our Work

Here are some examples of how we've helped nonprofits drive sustainable change and make a lasting impact.

JUMPSTARTING A STALLED PROGRAM

Problem: A volunteer companionship program stalled out of the gates. With a handful of volunteers and enrolled recipients, the recurring calls dwindled.

Solution: We helped to create a better experience for both volunteers and participants by building a new onboarding program to better reflect each audience’s reality – simply put, volunteers needed a more meaningful introduction to their role and to their participant. The new program provided clear roles and responsibilities, tips and tricks to build a rapport, and other supporting resources. It included a new, 1-hour virtual orientation for volunteers to help better equip them for success and build a sense of community, as well as a supporting toolkit and volunteer agreement. In addition, we listened to enrolled participants’ preferences to help match people to the right caller and provide that caller with more background on their participant.

Impact: The program was re-launched with 10 active callers and participants and continued to scale over time, attracting both new volunteer callers and enrolled participants.

Work #1

Work #2

TELLING A NEW NARRATIVE

Problem: A nonprofit had expanded its reach by engaging new stakeholders through new programs and other ways to engage. A good story! But as they grew, they struggled with their expanded stakeholders fully grasping the organization’s impact and potential.

Solution: We helped to refocus the narrative on the future the nonprofit was bringing to life now. That included a refresh of the brand, logo, tagline and visual identity, as well as a new strategic messaging framework that better segmented the unique realities and needs of the diverse audiences that now engaged with the organization.

Impact: The foundational materials led to a refreshed website, marketing collateral, social media activation and other resources that helped the organization more clearly articulate their value, grow their volunteer and member base, and gain better alignment among their existing members on their programs and services. In addition, the new narrative was critical to the subsequent re-activation of the organization’s fundraising efforts.

Work #3

CREATING A NEW REVENUE STREAM

Problem: A nonprofit had a great idea for a new revenue stream. Yet, they struggled in actually bringing it to market.

Solution: We helped turn that future into a reality. We first assessed all the great work already done. We then clarified the vision of the program and probed on each of the unique stakeholder groups involved. From there, we identified the key needs of each stakeholder group, linked those needs to a set of actions and deliverables, and created a launch plan. Together, we cranked out the key items needed for a successful launch, including a cost model, pricing model, sales and marketing plan and materials, and other educational resources.

Impact: The program is currently being piloted. The program team will be adapting the offering based on initial client engagement and then continuing to expand to new clients.

Work #4

ACTIVATING MEMBERS TO REINVIGORATE THE MISSION

Problem: A nonprofit had 300+ members who were the core engine for delivering the organization’s programs and services in the community. Over time, a growing portion of members had lost sight of the mission, which eventually stalled the organization’s ability to grow and expand impact.

Solution: We started by first defining the key roles and expectations of the members and created a comprehensive Membership Guide that more clearly outlined the organization’s mission, and importantly, each member’s role in making an impact on that mission. The Guide was used first in recruiting new members, and also contained a new membership agreement to be signed by each new member to bring complete transparency and accountability to the expectations. That guide was used as a template for a similar guide for Leadership roles in the organization, as well as a new set of membership/contribution types to help bring greater visibility to all the ways people, beyond the traditional view of a “member”, could make an impact on the mission.

Impact: This clarity helped to launch a new chapter of members in the quickest period of time and with the greatest number of charter members since the Foundation’s inception. In addition, the team saw a steady increase in the number of philanthropic contributions made each year by members.

Work #5

REVAMPING A BRAND TO ENGAGE NEW COMMUNITIES

Problem: A nonprofit had a dated brand and had organically built their website over several years, without a clear strategy or roadmap for this important channel. Over time, the site felt dated and became confusing to users who were unable to find key resources and all the ways they could benefit from the organization’s programs and services.

Solution: We first engaged a design team to develop a refreshed visual identity system. We also researched best practices and examples of websites targeting similar audiences in the market. From there, we developed a new navigation structure that streamlined the site and brought greater visibility to the ways that different stakeholder groups could engage. The new structure made it easy to find key resources and provided flexibility for the site to grow and evolve over time. We also added a new section of impact stories to help share the stories of real people whose lives’ were impacted by the organization’s programs and services. We then extended the visual identity system to all marketing collateral.

Impact: As a key channel for information and resources, the new website made it easier for stakeholders of all types to engage. The refreshed brand also brought a more modern and professional image to the site, which is important for building credibility among the community.

Work #6

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS TO MULTIPLY IMPACT

Problem: A nonprofit was approaching all potential partnerships as one-size-fits-all and struggled with building valuable relationships with both new and existing partners.

Solution: We developed a new sponsorship and partnership package that identified all the specific ways that various types of stakeholders can engage with the organization. This resulted in multiple new membership, partnership and sponsorship types to help structure relationships where all parties found value.

Impact: Within the first three months of launching the new model, the organization was able to attract five new partners, creating revenue for the nonprofit and enabling partnering organizations to achieve their desired goals.