The Challenge
Cunningham Children’s Home, a therapeutic treatment, child welfare and special education agency in West Central Illinois, needed a new logo.
The existing logo and color palette did not tell our story and did nothing to convey our mission and work.
With help from a talented graphic designer, I led a consultative stakeholder process that resulted in a meaningful new brand for the century-old agency.
Collaborators
Cunningham executive leadership, whose depth of expertise and strategic vision included a commitment to ongoing, mission-driven professional development for staff, Board and volunteers. This created a climate where the agency vision, Kids’ Needs First, was integrated across all of the agency’s efforts.
Teachers, counselors and other program staff who were deeply invested in their work with children and youth.
Board members from the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The United Methodist Church, who were invested in maintaining a religiously-plural, hope-inspiring mission and ministry.
Cunningham Foundation Board Members, who were committed to broadening the reach of agency messaging and fundraising to diversify sources of support.
My Contributions
Directed a series of stakeholder sessions that began with an overview of how branding works and then crowd-sourced the inspiration. Among the images and concepts surfaced during these sessions were:
- Adult and child holding hands
- Young people playing outside
- Green grass of the campus
- Christian cross
- Steeple of the Spiritual Life Center
- Hearts and hands
- Adult holding a child
In consultation with the designer, the Vice President for Advancement and I identified several concepts and I made presentations to agency leaders as we narrowed the choices and settled on a color palette.
The new branding launched with a new logo that was featured on our redesigned website, new stationary, and redesigned newsletter template.