Elev8 is a youth services organization that is the real deal. They are deeply embedded in their communities and believe in the power of the people they serve. They came to Pulse Forward in need of a website redesign. We were excited because their reputation preceded them - we knew they were effective change-makers in our beloved city. However, their website was outdated and dry. It may have appealed to funders, but it did not represent the liveliness of their mission, the hearts of their staff and the vibrancy of their community.
During the brand discovery workshop with their team, we heard time and again “we want to see our communities claim their power”. This isn’t a nonprofit that swoops in from above and saves the children. Elev8 believes and invests in the communities they serve. The passion, dedication and competency of their team was evident when we spoke to them. We left the meeting full of energy and excitement.
Following the workshop, we created two brand directions that the website could follow. One of them followed a more traditional donor-centric approach while the other was more radical and centered around the communities they work in. We secretly hoped they would choose the edgier version, but we didn't tell them that because we know it can feel risky for nonprofits to take a bold stance. Still, we thought that if anyone could do it, they would be the ones.
They overwhelmingly chose the bolder version (yay!). After that we were on to building the website. We prioritized the experience of their clients and considered how the language and visual tone would speak most clearly to them. The final website features people-centered photography, African patterns and hand-drawn artwork. The whole team is enthused about how their new site truly reflects them and highlights the joy and strength of their stakeholders and the power of Elev8’s work.
"Working with the Pulse Forward team was amazing. Prior to our engagement we had a website that was outdated and did not reflect our focuses on race, equity and liberation in partnership with students, families, and communities. Since we have completed our project we have increased the number of engagements with “cold request” looking to partner and we feel confident directing stakeholders to our website."
– Alexandria Warrick-Adams, Executive Director
