Advancing a mission.

Setting the stage

Effective campaign communication presents a clear institutional vision and a compelling case for support—messaging strengthened by an emotionally resonant identity that can rally audiences under a shared banner throughout the fundraising effort. 

Our design process begins with listening—identifying an institution’s unique strengths and building an understanding of the affinity held by its audiences. This insight informs strategic design choices, from brand marks to color, imagery, and typography, always with an eye on developing design systems that are at once cohesive but flexible enough to appeal to distinct donor groups and work across various mediums. We approach this work holistically, partnering with exceptional writers and photographers to develop integrated campaign platforms that forge emotional connections, and drive awareness, engagement, and contributions.

A Campaign for Kenyon

In 2005, Kenyon College approached us to develop a suite of communications materials for an upcoming fundraising campaign entering its silent phase. The campaign’s highest priority was a dramatic increase in endowment—a goal set to bring the Kenyon experience to a broader, more diverse student body for years to come. As such, our work focused heavily on showing the unique student experience, the reverent (and quirky) sense-of-place, and the special people that make Kenyon Kenyon.

For this effort, our work borrowed nostalgically from a successful and well-remembered campaign from the past, The Campaign for Kenyon, bridging affinity for the institution’s rich history with excitement for the future. We produced a 32-page case book for the campaign, a series of gatefold brochures targeting specific priority areas and audiences, and numerous other donor materials.

As the campaign entered its public phase, we created the name and branding, We Are Kenyon: The Drive for Excellence. Through a fantastic partnership with our longtime clients, the campaign concluded in 2011, raising over $240 million, well in excess of the campaign’s original $140 million goal.

First in America

In 2006, after seven years of tremendous growth and a rising reputation, Dickinson College was ready to take a bold step toward cementing its legacy as a leading liberal arts institution—requiring significant capital investments and endowment growth to support its ambitious goals. The forward-looking campaign title, First in America: Fulfilling Our Destiny, draws from the visionary belief of the College’s founder, Benjamin Rush (a signer of the Declaration of Independence), that Dickinson—the first college established in an independent United States—could become one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning.

Our campaign mark celebrates this remarkable history while looking ahead, using a sharp, contemporary swash-signature styling that boldly declares the campaign’s promise. The identity’s spirited tone extends into an energizing campaign case book and targeted direct-mail materials, which transfer the institution’s vision and excitement to its donor audiences—compelling them to join in this inspiring moment.

The transformative campaign raised more than $208 million.

Inspire Innovation

Through its silent phase, Carnegie Mellon raised $550 million of its incredible $1 billion fundraising goal, aimed at addressing pressing global issues and advancing its culture of innovation with research investment, establishing new endowed professorships and scholarship offerings, and making various facility enhancements. Entering the public facing effort in 2008, the campaign needed naming and identity design.

We conceptualized Inspire Innovation and designed a lively, punctuated wordmark that exclaims “we’re investing in big ideas for years to come.” Our case book We Inspire Innovation puts a spotlight on the University’s rich history of research, scholarship, and discovery, while highlighting the creative spark and multi-disciplinary achievements that have earned CMU its incomparable reputation. The case book’s uniting “We” extends to environmental graphics, event banners, communications for individual priority areas, targeted direct-mail campaigns, and more. Brand guidelines, detailed design templates, and robust photo libraries helped carry the graphic work forward through 2013.

The campaign reached its $1 billion goal ahead of schedule, and ultimately raised $1.19 billion and made a notable impact on the University.

Restoring an Icon

Mellon Square, downtown Pittsburgh’s masterful 1.37 acre park (the first of its kind to sit atop an underground parking garage) was an oasis in the bustle of the city’s business district since opening in 1955. Once heralded as “the magnificent square in the triangle” and a symbol of the city’s post-industrial renaissance, the park fell into dilapidation by 2008. Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy selected us to assist with the identity and fundraising materials for a capital campaign aimed at raising the funds necessary for a full restoration of the modernist masterpiece.

Our work identified the iconic Venetian terrazzo pavings as an ownable and recognizable symbol that could be carried throughout the campaign. A pattern mirroring the park’s stone work adorned the cover of a case book, direct-mail marketing materials, campaign stationary, and uncommon donor gifts (such as terrazzo-patterned scarves and ties). 

The Mellon Square: Restoring an Icon campaign raised the $10 million needed for the enhancement efforts, in addition to establishing a $4 million maintenance fund for future preservation of the park. Following the completion of the work, we designed the book Mellon Square: An Icon Restored celebrating the park’s history and the Conservancy’s renovation achievements.

Leading Lives of Consequence

After designing communications materials for the previously successful Honor Our Past, Build Our Future campaign in 2011, we were once again brought on board to assist Washington and Lee with branding and  website design for the currently active Leading Lives of Consequence campaign, beginning in 2023.

Through the first two years of the partnership, our work, along with strategic writing partner Libretto, yielded a visual design of the campaign identity and comprehensive brand usage guidelines, a messaging platform including training workshops, a case book, a newsletter and brochures, presentation slides, and various stationary materials. Plus, a robust engagement-building website was designed and developed that highlights campaign priorities, ongoing initiatives, connection opportunities, progress updates, and impact stories.

But wait, there’s more

Our expertise and experience in designing communications materials that capture donor audience attention is broad. In addition to these highlights, we have also worked on fundraising initiatives big and small for City Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Oberlin College, Chatham University, The Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, the Carnegie Library system, and others.