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For any non-profit organization, marketing and communication tools are an integral part of creating an appropriate image. An organization’s website or their logo is a first look into who they are, what they do, and how they are perceived in the community. It is also how non-profits stay connected and create new ways to make the world around us better and more meaningful.
Every year, Capacity Canada selects 10-20 charitable non-profit organizations from across the country to be part of Creative Day for Social Good (CD4SG). Around 100 students pursuing Public Relations and Graphic Design from different colleges team up with industry professionals to create free-of-cost marketing tools for the participating charitable non-profits.
This year, in partnership with Intertek Catalyst, Conestoga College, Him & Her, and Manulife, Capacity Canada selected ten charitable non-profit organizations from across Canada as participants for CD4SG. The 24-hour design event was hosted virtually on October 22.
The annual event is an excellent opportunity for organizations with small to no marketing budgets to receive valuable design and marketing tools for no cost. It has made it possible for charitable non-profits to access professional resources to build their brand and have a more significant social impact.
Wellbeing Waterloo Region
Wellbeing Waterloo Region (WWR) is one of the ten organizations selected this year. When Paige Monck-Whipp, Network Catalyst, heard about the opportunity to be part of the CD4SG, she knew they could not afford to miss out on it. “Throughout the years, WWR has relied on a minimal marketing and communications budget. We recently identified that we needed to update our logo and website to increase accessibility. Creative Day for Social Good seemed like the perfect opportunity to work collaboratively with local students and professionals.”
The team from Conestoga College has created a new logo, a brand guide and a website outline for WWR that will help them engage more sectors and members of the public. According to Paige, WWR is excited to use the new logo and website design. “The materials created are incredible. We love the new logo and the new colour theme! The team of students and mentors has done a phenomenal job. Wellbeing Waterloo Region is extremely grateful to Capacity Canada and is honoured to be part of Creative Day for Social Good.”
Wellbeing Waterloo Region is a community-led collaborative with members working together across sectors to improve the wellbeing of residents in Waterloo Region. The charitable organization is working towards the vision of a community where everyone thrives, and no one is left behind.
Peel Senior Link
With no budget and resources for marketing and communications, Joelle Berube-Cheng from Peel Senior Link was sure they could benefit from CD4SG. “Right now, we don’t have a budget for marketing and communications. We will have our work product come from CD4SG in the form of guidelines and templates. The tools will help us facilitate producing the material we need to reach our target audience in a way that’s sustainable for us,” says Joelle. Peel Senior Link is looking for a brand refresh. “We are looking to update our website to make it more accessible to our clients.” The students have designed a new logo, created a new three-colour palette, and re-designed Peel Senior Link’s website to make it AODA compliant to make all deliverables accessible. The new colour scheme was also used to design templates for social media posts, brochures, and annual reports.
Peel Senior Link provides in-home care for seniors living in Mississauga and Brampton who need assistance but want to continue living in their own homes or cannot find a spot in long-term care.
IntegralOrg
IntegralOrg, an Alberta-based non-profit organization, had been looking to switch up its visual identity to match its evolving identity and programming. “CD4SG is a great opportunity that appeared at the perfect time. We have grown as an organization in terms of size and our mission over the past few years. As a non-profit, we appreciate the opportunity to transform with the support of a program like CD4SG. We also appreciate the opportunity of working with students as they further their experience and knowledge,” says Jennifer Burgess, Communications Specialist, IntegralOrg.
IntegralOrg takes pride in helping other non-profits build capacity in fundamentals through offering education and support. After various zoom meetings and discussions with the students, the creative team from Conestoga College produced several ideas around the organization’s new look. “Our current logo is conservative in design. The original colour palette worked well for an organization that focused on legal and accounting compliance. We recognized that we needed a new look, including a new logo and colour palette. A look that would reflect and promote the dynamic, responsive organization that we are today,” adds Jennifer.
The team created a monochromatic, blue colour palette for the organization. They produced a new logo, a complete brand guide, and templates for their business cards, PowerPoint presentations and social media posts.
NB Lung Association
Like most other organizations participating in Creative Day for Social Good, NB Lung Association wanted to create brand awareness and reach out to as many people as possible. “Our need for creative products outpaces our capacity to deliver as we pivot from tradition information dissemination (hard copy brochures) to primarily interacting with our audience virtually,” says Melanie Langille, President and CEO, The Lung Association – New Brunswick.
NB Lung Association is one of Canada’s oldest health charities. In the last 20 years, their focus has expanded to include environmental lung health concerns such as air pollution, lung cancer-causing radon gas, and climate change. According to Melanie, new marketing tools created by the students will expand their community reach and resonate with a younger audience – a challenge for the organization. The team of around ten students turned NB Lung Association’s traditional brochures into infographics suitable for printing at home, along with graphics and templates for social media posts.
This year, the Creative Day for Social good was hosted virtually. Over 100 students from Conestoga College got together, along with account managers and industry professionals, who volunteered their time to create marketing and communication tools for non-profits.
Students worked together in teams in the weeks leading up to the event to prepare a creative brief based on their assigned organizations’ needs and goals. They were supported by art directors, writers, account managers and other industry professionals.
Together, teams produce more than $100,000 worth of pro bono work during CD4SG. Last year, pro bono work worth $120,000-140,000 was generated. However, the social impact of the work created for these non-profits continues to grow with every passing day.
The ten non-profit organizations taking part in CD4SG this year include:
- Camp Winston Foundation, Muskoka, Ontario
- Cerebral Palsy Kids and Families, Calgary, Alberta
- IntegralOrg, Calgary, Alberta
- Lethbridge Family Services, Lethbridge, Alberta
- NB Lung Association, Fredericton, New Brunswick
- Ontario Public Health Association, Toronto, Ontario
- Peel Senior Link, Mississauga, Ontario
- The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, Guelph, Ontario
- The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth, Kitchener, Ontario
- Wellbeing Waterloo Region, Kitchener, Ontario
Why be part of Creative Day for Social Good?
Fresh Ideas: As part of CD4SG, students pursuing Public Relations and Graphic Design along with industry professionals come together to generate fresh and creative ideas for participating organizations. It could be in any form – a new logo, website, brochures and social media marketing tools, among others.
Quality: Industry professionals from Public Relations and Graphic Design backgrounds mentor students throughout the process to ensure the result is a valuable product.
Exposure: It gives participating non-profits exposure through a well-crafted professional piece. It also ensures students get real-life experience and build a stronger portfolio while building relationships and connections in the industry.
