Hawaii Marine Animal Response (HMAR)
HMAR is an astounding marine non-profit dedicated to conservation, education, field support, rescue, and other advocacy efforts around endangered marine wildlife.
In preparation for their annual report, and for the exciting upcoming round of fundraising for the opening of a new field location, I was told that their main priority was to build a catalog of marketable material to help the non-profit succeed even beyond its goals!
My strategy for their communication library was multi-pronged - to celebrate the success (now and future) of the organization, I would center their story around the stories and people who comprise their incredible efforts.
Taking the lead
The importance of visible, motivated leadership for donors
The original annual report was great at speaking to those already donating, but new efforts were needed to bring in those inquiring donors and volunteers.
Guiding the non-profit executive leadership team, I utilized my copywriting skills to create a "Letter from the President" that showed how much the past year's success meant for the organization. I also instructed the team on how best to present the information and provided key update suggestions to their mission statement and values to make the organization more approachable.
Your people are your strongest advocates
Testimonials and signs of success that show the length of a donor's dollar
Donors and volunteers care about your cause, but the annual report (and other fundraising communications) can end up as confusing messes of statistics and unreadable data.
To better show how effective the year's previous efforts were, I guided the organization in selecting a library of testimonials to be used in the current annual report and beyond, highlighting the impact of the non-profit's volunteers.
Key statistics also lend legitimacy to the efforts of the organization and highlight the success that could inspire a donor to fund the next field office.
Show your partners
HMAR also works with governmental offices and private companies to further their impact on protecting marine wildlife.
As such, it only made sense to show how great a partner they were in testimonials from project partners and cooperative agencies as they work to attain new grants and continue the line of work in marine advocacy.
Your volunteers and donors are critical, but those you work with in the field are equally important in showing how their dollars were spent.
Design, direction, and the ultimate goal
Providing content may be one of my specialties, but design and direction guidance are also critical skills I provide to nonprofits seeking to build their strategic communication plans.
From page structure and order to image selection and data presentation, I helped HMAR in presenting their information in the clearest and most visually striking approach. As a result, the organization has been able to utilize the content and designs created in future fundraising and advocacy efforts.
Are you looking for further assistance in your strategic communication efforts? For nonprofits and advocacy groups in search of a leg up in their fundraising efforts, I am happy to work through either CatchaFire or direct contact to empower your efforts on a pro-bono or short-term contract basis!
