When I joined Refugee Assistance Alliance, the organization was stuck. Their team wanted to tell powerful stories about refugee clients, but were so committed to avoiding harm, they had nearly stopped communicating at all. Over time, their messaging had gone quiet, their content felt stale, and their brand voice had lost clarity.

I led a full messaging strategy process to help them navigate that tension. Through audits, stakeholder conversations, and close collaboration with their volunteer and program staff, I developed an ethical storytelling framework that balanced dignity, nuance, and audience engagement. Instead of avoiding client stories entirely, we shifted the focus, highlighting accomplishments, cultural context, and present-tense wins like housing, education, or career milestones. This approach allowed the team to celebrate their clients' full humanity without relying on trauma narratives.

But it wasn’t just tone, we had to navigate real-world political pressure. Based in Florida, the organization faced scrutiny from both external critics and internal board members. I worked with leadership to create messaging that walked that line: human-centered, clear-eyed, and donor-ready. I also expanded their communications strategy beyond digital, building out physical materials like postcards, event pamphlets, and donor one-pagers to better support in-person outreach and fundraising.

The results were immediate: increased engagement, stronger internal alignment, and a refreshed brand voice that reflected the organization’s purpose without sacrificing complexity. I left them with the tools and confidence to speak with clarity, care, and integrity.