What I’m Being Asked To Do More Of

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed a consistent pattern in the kinds of projects that find their way to me. I’m being brought in for design, and staying for the strategy.

Organizations may first approach for design, brand, or communications support—but once we’re in conversation, the work quickly moves upstream. Instead of “Can you design this?”, the question becomes “Can you help us figure out what we should be doing, in what order, and why?”

From Design To Direction

Design has been the core of my practice for a long time: building brands, creating fundraising campaigns, and developing systems that help organizations show up clearly and consistently.

But increasingly, I’m being brought in earlier—at the moment when leaders are trying to decide where to focus limited time, budget, and energy. My recent work with a nonprofit in a development support role is a good example: rather than just creating materials, I partnered with their team to build a year-long fundraising strategy, complete with priorities, timelines, and feasible next steps.

The Gap I Keep Seeing

Across nonprofits and small organizations, I see a familiar pattern: committed teams, good ideas, and a lot of activity—but not always an integrated strategy to tie it all together.

The result is that effort gets diluted. Campaigns don’t ladder up to a clear goal, messaging feels scattered, and design is asked to solve problems that are really strategic in nature. Once we clarify the strategy—who they’re trying to reach, what outcomes matter most, and how success will be measured—everything else becomes simpler and more effective.

How I Like To Work With Organizations

When I come in as a consultant, I’m not just adding another project to the list; I’m helping create the framework that guides which projects should exist in the first place.

Typically, that looks like:

• Clarifying goals and constraints (what you’re trying to achieve, with what resources)
• Mapping current efforts and identifying what’s helping, what’s neutral, and what’s in the way
• Building a practical, time-bound strategy (often around fundraising, brand, or communications) that your team can actually implement
• Aligning design and messaging to that strategy so every output has a clear job to do

In other words: I’m there to turn “we’re doing a lot” into “we’re doing the right things, in the right order.”

Where My Knowledge Is Pointed Next

Consulting and strategy work aren’t new lanes for me—they’ve been woven into my client relationships for a long time.

What’s changing is my intention: I’m making more space for organizations that want a strategic partner, not just a designer. If you’re a nonprofit or purpose-driven organization needing clarity around fundraising, brand, or communications—especially if you feel like you’re “doing all the things” without seeing momentum—that’s where I perform my best work.

If this sounds like where you are, I’m opening up more room for this kind of engagement: shorter-term strategy sprints, ongoing advisory support, and embedded partnerships where design and strategy move together.

Because in my experience, the most valuable thing I can offer isn’t a single campaign or asset—it’s a clear, grounded direction that everything else can build on.

If this sounds like an alignment with your organization or purpose-driven business, let’s connect or schedule a discovery call!

Learn more about Strategy and Consulting for Nonprofits and Purpose-Driven Teams