strategy | design | implementation
for nonprofits & other do-gooders
Whether you’re creating a simple website or a sophisticated campaign, you need to have a strategy, a plan and the right tools.
And you want it to look and work great for your audience. So you need a trusted partner to help with some or all of those pieces.
I’d like to help
Services
strategy
While I’m proud of my creative public facing work, a lot of the most interesting work I do is behind the scenes.
- Stakeholder alignment
- Competitor audits
- Brand architecture
- Messaging & positioning
- Campaign planning & identity
- Fundraising & advocacy
- Persuasive messaging
- Marketing & outreach
- Microsites & cobranding
- Website architecture & flow
- Content audit & assessment
- Taxonomy & content modeling
- Communications strategy & planning
- Technical tools assessment & planning
- Workflows & internal systems
design
I love design. All kinds of design. Snappy banners, responsive emails, full brand ID or advanced UI — it’s all good.
- Logo & visual identity
[portfolio] - Brand guide
- Marketing collateral
- Art direction
- Customized themes
- Full original design
- One-page/micro sites
- Easy to navigate enterprise sites
- Data visualization
- Concept visualization
- Interactive maps
- Online Campaign Ads
- Social Media
- One Pagers
- PDF Publications
implementation
Seeing a project through from concept to completion is something of a specialty — no matter how large or small.
- Websites
- WordPress customizations
- Integrations
- Content migration
- Donation Forms
- Advocacy Forms
- HTML Emails
- Website Integrations
- Design Elements
- Form Templates
- HTML Emails
- Content placement
- Team capacity augmentation
- Training
- Post launch support
Selected Work
Tools for Engaging Landowners Effectively
Sustaining Family Forests Initiative (SFFI)
Project Scope: Strategy, Branding, Website Design, Website Development, Training
The Sustaining Family Forests Initiative (SFFI) at the Yale School of the Environment developed a research and education program, Tools for Engaging Landowners Effectively (TELE) to enhance the ability of natural resource professionals to reach more family woodland owners with effective conservation and stewardship messages. Since it was established I have helped create three distinct versions of the website to meet their online communication needs for the program over the years. The current iteration survives as a resource after the program’s sunset, offering step by step guidance and a valuable trove of landowner profiles with easy to browse and filter data by location.
Deadly by Design
A campaign by CeaseFirePA
Project Scope: Branding, Website Design, Website Development
Long time client CeaseFirePA wanted to illustrate the connection between the state’s dysfunctional gun laws and policies and the tragedies faced by everyday Pennsylvanians. Together we created a compelling campaign using video interviews from around the state housed in an easy to browse website. Visitors were called to share the videos widely, including with their representatives.
National Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Training & Technical Assistance Center
New York City Elder Abuse Center
Project Scope: Website Design, Website Development
Part of an innovative program led by Weill Cornell Medicine / New York City Elder Abuse Center, the National Center website provides innovative strategies and resources for Multidisciplinary Elder Abuse Teams. Even on a fixed budget we were able to provide a clean custom website with a filterable resource library, an engaging blog, and a private grantee only area. Resources are first shared only with logged in grantees, but are easy for site administrators to convert to appear in the public library.
The Learning Generation
The Education Commission
Project Scope: Branding, Website Design, Website Development
Long time client, the Education Commission, wanted a stand alone website to update the public on their work and showcase their outreach video. One of three websites created for the organization, the site and video both make the case for fully funding education worldwide. Their priorities, and their work to make them happen, are outlined in an easy to apprehend way. This highly visual one page site packs a lot of information with 4 related slideshows and ways to engage.
Humane Society of Tennessee Valley
Project Scope: Strategy, Technical and Capacity consulting, Website Design, Website Development, Training
The Humane Society of Tennesse Valley had a unique story to tell since its operations are above and beyond the typical animal rescue shelter. However their website not only didn’t showcase this distinction, but in fact hampered the organization’s ability to do even keep their supporters up to date on adoptable pets and local events.
One reason for the disconnect between the site and their communication goals was the website’s underlying platform and the difficulty for staff to update or edit it. After a thorough audit of their WordPress installation and setup it was determined that starting over from scratch was the best way forward. Lengthy waits for agency updates were replaced with easy admin access and training to make keeping the site current and useful for interested visitors.
Voices Vote Now
Project Scope: Website Design, Website Development
Data analytics company Voices Vote Now needed a design update including a way to highlight their original research papers. Moving the site from flat HTML to WordPress allowed for the creation of a custom content type for research paper so they could be easily added and displayed. Imagery, including a subtle background texture featuring data rows helped to illustrate their work. The design treatment for research provides easy browsing and consistent presentation.
WAVE
Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Educational Fund
Project Scope: Strategy consulting, Website Design, Website Development, Training
The team at Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Educational Fund knew their website could be more effective, efficient and engaging, but weren’t sure how to get there. A comprehensive audit revealed technical and aesthetic challenges that were impacting user experience and making the site difficult to maintain. While their underlying framework was fine, the site they inherited was poorly structured and had become bloated over the years. It was fairly straightforward to implement best practices to greatly improve the site visitor experience and administrative wark flow. Even with a limited budget, we were able to provide strategy, design, and technical guidance that will allow them to maintain their new and improved website.
The Foundation for Medical Excellence
Project Scope: Website Design
When The Foundation for Medical Excellence was ready to realign their website with the growth of their organization, they enlisted my help for a third time. This iteration features a crisp bold look and simplifies navigation to showcase their most important programs. Event landing pages provide a hub for all related information on their flagship events.
heather gardner-madras | principal
I bring over 25 years of creative and technical project experience with nonprofits to every engagement. My experience begins with a BFA in photography from SCAD, but has come to embrace all things design and web related.
I began consulting because I wanted to share lessons learned the hard way and exciting new ideas with great causes. My passion for the work my clients do inspires me and I learn something new from every project.
gardner-madras | strategic creative provides a wide range of communications services to progressive nonprofits and other do-gooders. Working together, we will solve all your creative, marketing, and technology challenges. Having fun while doing great work is important to me. I want my clients to love the process just as much as they do the project outcome.
I work with clients in all time zones from my virtual office in the lovely wooded hills of Oregon. When I’m not online, you can find me cooking something, hanging out with my husband, or doting on our cats.