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Positive Living Niagara, a dedicated non-profit organization focused on enhancing the well-being and quality of life for individuals affected by HIV, HCV, STBBIs, substance use, and related health issues in the Niagara region, was buzzing with anticipation. The source of this excitement was the opportunity to collaborate with talented students who were determined to help break the barriers limiting their online presence and outreach.
Every year, Capacity Canada invites non-profit organizations from across Canada to apply to participate in Creative Day For Social Good (CD4SG). Around 100 students pursuing Public Relations and Graphic Design from Conestoga College team up with industry professionals to create free-of-cost marketing tools for participating charitable non-profits.
The annual event, in partnership with Intertek Catalyst, Conestoga College, Manulife, HIM&HER, and the creative community, is an excellent opportunity for organizations with small to no marketing budgets to receive valuable design and marketing tools for no cost. It has enabled charitable non-profits to access professional resources to build their brand and have a more significant social impact. The teams together produced more than $100,000 of pro bono work!
For Positive Living Niagara, it all started when Talia Storm, the StreetWorks Director, first heard about CD4SG through a personal contact. Instantly recognizing the potential of this collaboration, Talia believed it was a perfect fit for their organization. CD4SG’s mission and vision aligned seamlessly with their own, emphasizing the importance of bringing resources, people, and the community together to help every member flourish.
“Positive Living Niagara has been working diligently to provide comprehensive support, education, and advocacy for its clients and the community. However, the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed a need for a stronger online presence, particularly through their website and social media platforms,” said Keegan Langelaan, Positive Living Niagara.
Their primary goal was to develop a more user-friendly website that would eliminate the current barriers faced by both community members and service providers. The website had been fragmented into three different sections, making it difficult for users to find the information they needed. CD4SG’s involvement was instrumental in creating a new website that would streamline access to essential information.
Additionally, CD4SG had taken up the challenge of unifying the organization’s logos. Positive Living Niagara had two logos — one representing the organization as a whole and the other representing the StreetWorks program. CD4SG’s team was working diligently to ensure that these logos would be instantly associated with one another, further reinforcing the organization’s cohesion.
“Working with the students has been a positive experience for us. The students had been proactive in learning about our organization and its unique needs. The creative brief they had provided showed a deep understanding of the organization’s mission and vision, which translated into well-structured projects aimed at showcasing these values,” said Keegan.
Through their collaboration, Positive Living Niagara received a website prototype that met OADA standards and was far more user-friendly. They also have a unified logo that represents both the organization and the StreetWorks program.
As they moved forward with the project, Positive Living Niagara felt that their expectations were being met. The impact of these services on the community was profound. The new website and unified logo would create an accessible and barrier-free way for community members and service providers to access the organization’s services and programs. This enhanced accessibility would also facilitate fundraising efforts and improve communication with potential funders, corporations, and the community, ultimately enabling Positive Living Niagara to support its clients better and develop new services as needed.
