Project background

The Colorado Poverty Law Project (CPLP), an organization dedicated to ending homelessness and housing injustice, was on the brink of a major expansion. They had one big problem. Their communication strategy was adrift, which made fundraising and recruitment a challenge.

The project was ambitious:

• Guide staff through creation of a new vision and mission

• Come up with a new tagline to anchor brand story

• Write all copy for a brand new website

• Jumpstart an inconsistent social media presence

• Create email newsletters and templates

Creative process

This organization was a storytelling gold mine. From the hotshot attorney who was inspired to launch CPLP by the homeless people she passed on her way to work at a powerful Denver firm, to the single mom living in a shelter who fought for both her kids and her alimony payments with help from CPLP staff, it was a copywriter's dream come true.

My challenge was to infuse this magic into their communication materials, paving the way for a wider, more engaged audience.

Over the course of several months, I interviewed staff, volunteer attorneys, and community partners, and read everything from grant reports to twitter threads about CPLP's work.

I then distilled this wealth of information into practical storytelling assets that could be deployed on CPLP's website, social media, blog, newsletters, and fundraising appeals.

Final results

The best indication of this project's success is what came after. CPLP began a period of dramatic growth, hiring over 15 new staff members and securing enough grant funding to serve a much broader client base. Clear, compelling copy provided a foundation for CPLP to take its inspirational work to the next level.

Project highlights:

• Integrated the tagline "Everything Depends on a Place to Call Home" into all brand messaging assets

• Debuted a dynamic "Stories of Impact" section on the new website

• Raised nearly 10K with one story-based email that shared the plight of a CPLP client on the edge of eviction.

• Dramatically increased social media performance (impressions up 1160% and reach 964%)