Marketing Team Fills A Special Role for Arnall Family Foundation

While our program-focused staff members help grantees through the grant process, our marketing staff helps make sure grantees have everything they need to tell their story and present the work they do. 

Whether an organization is receiving a grant to expand an already successful program or to start a new program from scratch, chances are that marketing is not the center of their focus. Most grantees are focused on providing services, collecting data and measuring outcomes, and finding sustainable sources of funding to continue to make an impact. While they focus on doing the work and making a transformative impact, the AFF Marketing Team steps in to help them shine.  

We start by assessing their needs. We learn as much as we can from their team and review any existing marketing assets they have. Some organizations need help with specific projects, like designing an annual report or creating a website. Sometimes an agency needs a full brand identity, built from scratch, like the Diversion Hub, About Face or Oklahoma Data Exchange.

The marketing team builds brand identities that help organizations become recognizable. Scroll for examples.

Whether the project is big or small, we take time to learn about the tools an agency currently uses and what they are comfortable learning. We also ask them about their goals and priorities, which help us prioritize the work. Once we have a complete understanding of the project, we determine the timeline and get to work.  

Our aim is to build resources that are easy to use and in formats that are easy for the organization to update and maintain. This often means building a library of templates for press releases, social media posts, slide decks, and newsletters. Some grantees are comfortable with advanced design tools, but many use apps that offer simplified design options. We set these accounts up and make sure that all the logos, colors, and fonts are correct and in line with brand guidelines. We have even helped organizations connect multiple apps that work together to lower barriers for publishing blog posts, distributing newsletters, and even accepting donations.  

Through video storytelling, the marketing team helps organizations communicate their mission and impact.

Working with our grantees, we create a sustainable creative plan that can be implemented at their skill level. Impactful branding and design are great, but if it is too difficult to use, many organizations will revert to old templates or even stop posting or sending information through a platform that is too difficult to use.  

To make a transformative impact, agencies need help telling their stories, and our marketing team is proud to help our partners tell them.