Brief
The organization had gone silent, too cautious about harming refugee clients to tell stories at all. Their communications lost clarity, donor engagement was stalling, and leadership was under pressure to re-establish purpose.

Idea
Build an ethical storytelling framework that avoided trauma narratives while celebrating clients’ full humanity. Center messaging on accomplishments, cultural context, and present-tense wins like housing, education, and career milestones.

Role

• Designed and wrote all campaign collateral (postcards, pamphlets, donor one-pagers, decks)

• Created a messaging guideline document for staff and volunteers

• Developed new brand voice and visual direction across print and digital assets

• Balanced narrative sensitivity with political scrutiny in Florida

Execution
Delivered a refreshed communications ecosystem: clear donor-ready copy, a unified design system for print and digital, and an ethical storytelling framework. Collateral supported both grassroots events and formal fundraising.

Impact

• Social media engagement rose 20%, reversing a decline and proving the new voice resonated

• Equipped staff and board with a full suite of donor-ready tools for the first time, enabling them to confidently fundraise and advocate

• Restored external visibility and internal alignment around purpose, positioning the organization to navigate political scrutiny in Florida with clarity and credibility

• Built a scalable messaging framework that leadership continues to use beyond my tenure