Branding and Style Guide Design

We need a style guide that includes specific colors, fonts, and other graphic design elements in formats we can use in print and digital. We're looking for a volunteer who's excited about our mission and has experience with brand and voice. This is a highly visible project that will impact us for a long time! This style guide may also include the following:
-Rules and guidelines for staff and board members to maintain brand consistency
-Tone and voice guidelines and examples
-Formatting examples
-Grammar, spelling, and punctuation preferences
-Instructions for utilizing the brand style guide based on communications channel or stakeholder
-The value of a consistent brand and voice

💡 Why This Project Matters
Your work will serve as the visual and editorial foundation of how we present ourselves across the country—from grant proposals to national campaigns, from social media to community events. It’s a highly visible contribution that will:

Bring brand clarity to staff, board members, and partners

Increase the credibility of our organization with funders and stakeholders

Ensure consistency across platforms, improving engagement and recognition

Support the launch of our first-ever Impact Report, which tells the story of how we’ve helped shift access, representation, and opportunity for underrepresented communities

You’ll be helping us stand taller, speak clearer, and reach farther.

🎯 What You’ll Help Create
You’ll develop a comprehensive, easy-to-use Style Guide that includes:

Our official color palette, fonts, logos, and visual hierarchy

Rules and tools to maintain brand consistency across print and digital platforms

Tone and voice guidelines with real examples

A section for email, social, web, and print communication rules

Formatting do’s and don’ts to empower staff and board members to use the brand effectively

Guidance on spelling, grammar, and punctuation to reflect our values and cultural integrity

🙌 Who You’ll Be Helping
By volunteering, you’ll directly support:

Young Black and Brown students across the U.S. who are receiving mentorship, scholarships, and literacy resources

Classroom teachers who are bringing culturally-relevant books into learning spaces

Communities who are seeing themselves reflected in medicine, education, and leadership

A growing national movement to shift representation and opportunity in STEM and healthcare

🎨 What We’re Looking For
We’re seeking a volunteer who:

Has experience in brand design, graphic design, or visual communications

Is excited about equity, storytelling, and community engagement

Can bring together design + function to make something timeless and useful

Has a portfolio or examples of previous style guide, branding, or editorial work

This is your chance to leave a mark on something that will grow, thrive, and amplify equity for generations.

📬 Ready to Design a Legacy?
If this speaks to your passion and skills, we’d love to meet you. You’ll join a team that deeply values your talent, and you’ll see the impact of your work unfold in real-time.

Let’s build something beautiful together. 💛 Here's the Pie In the Sky List:
1. Brand Campaign Platform
Positioning Statement
Purpose
Theme Statement
Brand Anthem or Organizational Manifesto

2. Copywriting & Editorial Guidelines
Brand Voice and Tone (with examples)
Headline Styles (primary and secondary)
Body Copy Guidelines (clarity, confidence, action-oriented language)
Inclusive Communications Guide (APA & DEI standards)
Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation Preferences
Editorial Style (tailored to our org’s voice)

3. Personas / Target Audience Framework
Summary for each key stakeholder group (e.g., students, donors, community, schools)
Messaging pillars per persona
Sample headlines and voice guidelines by audience

Communication tone and intent for:
Cohort/Scholarship Recipients
Donors
Volunteers
Corporate partners
Board & volunteers

4. Typography
Primary and Secondary Fonts (e.g., Proxima Nova, ITC Caslon 224 equivalents)
Font weights and usage (for print and web)
Text hierarchy examples (headers, subheaders, body, pull quotes)

5. Graphic Elements
Custom graphic textures or patterns
style texture (for culturally-relevant imagery)
Brush stroke and layered graphics (for dynamic layouts)
Infographic & icon styles
Gradient overlays or photo filters

6. Photography
Studio photo guidance (e.g., tone, expressions, cropping)
Editorial photography styles (natural, candid, negative space usage)
Composition guidelines for high-impact storytelling

7. Color Palette
Primary and secondary brand colors (with HEX, RGB, CMYK)
Accent and neutral palettes
Web and print guidance
Accessibility and contrast ratios

8. Logo & Brandmark Usage
Approved logos (full-color, reversed, black & white)
Clear space and sizing rules
Where and how to apply logos in various formats
Co-branding or partnership lockups

9. Digital & Print Communications Formatting
Email signature templates
Social media post layouts
PowerPoint and Google Slides templates
Letterhead and document headers/footers
Event collateral and signage guidelines
Report cover and body template examples

10. Social Media
Voice and tone across platforms
Branded template recommendations (IG, Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn)
Best practices for engagement and storytelling
Hashtag, emoji, and tagging policy

11. Video Branding
Video intro/outro formats
Phone shooting tips
Captioning and accessibility
YouTube banner/logo placement guidance

12. Event Branding
One-pager for event signage, sponsor recognition, photo backdrop guidance
Templates for program guides, name tags, and banners

13. Style Guide Implementation Toolkit
PDF and InDesign/Canva-ready versions of the guide
Quick-reference 1-pager for staff/board
Instructions on usage by audience or communications type (e.g., fundraising, newsletter, website)

14. Brand Value & Vision Page
“Why Brand Consistency Matters” section
Tie-in to your mission, impact goals, and equity-centered storytelling
Target audiences you are reaching through this brand effort

We'll share our branding goals and our target audiences. Our team will also come prepared with examples of brands we like. We'll share some of our past marketing materials. During the interview process, we'll ask to see your portfolio and examples of your graphic designs.