If your strategic plan reads like a to-do list, you’re missing the chance to spotlight the inspiring ideas that spur donations and loyal supporters. When your community sees themselves reflected in your strategic vision and corresponding plan, they’re not only inspired to ensure your plan succeeds – they’ll ensure you raise the money needed for the plan’s success.
Our work with the Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy communicated their strategic plan in a way that elevated beyond the expected to launch their major donor fundraising campaign. Because the plan was inextricably linked to their vision, we helped turn it into a powerful fundraising tool to educate and inspire donors.
During Black History Month, we are pleased to highlight this organization, dedicated to preserving a valuable and under-recognized piece of Black history. What can you learn from how they creatively employed their strategic plan to further your own fundraising goals this year?
A Brief History Lesson: New Beginnings Beyond Emancipation
As the birthplace of Juneteenth, Texas holds a special place in Black American history. On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and read General Order No. 3. This order informed all of the enslaved people they were now free. June 19th came to be known as Juneteenth or Emancipation Day. Black Americans celebrate it nationwide.
Houston’s Freedmen Town is the oldest Black settlement in Houston. Approximately 1,000 freed people migrated to Buffalo Bayou post-Juneteenth. They settled in what was then referred to as the Fourth Ward. By 1880, Freedmen’s Town was home to 95% of Black Houstonians, marking a substantial black middle class. By the 1930s, it was a self-sufficient community with over 400 Black-owned businesses and was known as “the Harlem of the South.”
Houston Freedmen’s Town’s Vision
Once 568 historic structures, today, Freedmen’s Town has only 50 original buildings, preserved, but many in disrepair. The coalition that founded the nonprofit Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy, came together to restore and preserve this important part of Black history.
They came to Mission Minded in May 2021 to partner with them on a translation of their strategic plan in a way that would capture the history of the Fourth Ward, uplift their future vision, and invite donors to be a part of it.
Traditionally, strategic plans treat fundraising as a job to be done. What Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy needed was a hybrid solution: a visionary summary and a case for major donor support of that vision. Our work focused on showcasing the vision for individual, corporate and foundation donors.
Mini Case Study: How to Reach Out and Invite In Through Design
So, how do you engage with design?
How our design helped their priorities.
One of the key choices we made with the color palette connects directly back to the history of Houston Freedmen’s Town Center. Their logo’s pattern reflects the bricked streets you would walk on in their neighborhood. To understand that history, you retrace those same steps and rewalk their path. Shades of red reinforce the pattern and the intense, saturated colors reference Yoruba colors, which frequently appear in Black American art.
We also gave each priority a backstory directly connected to the strategic plan’s objectives. Take a look below:
You can be provocative without being offensive. Notice how we refute the assumptions of “It’s just some old buildings” and respond to it. We use vibrant imagery to reinforce the colors and invite you to envision a beautiful future, connected to the past.
Houston Freedmen’s Town Center Now
Working on this project was a privilege we wouldn’t trade for anything. On June 16, 2021, Freedmen’s Town was named as Houston’s first Heritage District. Their fundraising has a focus donors quickly appreciate and support. We congratulated Houston Freedman’s Town Conservancy on their work and lift up their vision.
To honor Black history with a donation, consider Houston Freeman’s Town Conservancy or these nonprofits.
How can your own strategic plan become your best fundraising tool? Contact us to help you with the strategic plans, donor messages, and fundraising campaign tools to reach your own inspiring vision. And sign up for our free monthly newsletter full of inspiration to help you raise more money and attract more people to your work with the urgency your mission demands.
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