LIFT (formerly National Student Partnerships) is a dynamic and innovative nonprofit headquartered in Washington, DC.  As described on their website, “LIFT envisions a day when all people in our country will have the opportunity to achieve economic security and pursue their aspirations.”

We began working with LIFT last year on their 2007-2008 Impact Report design.  This project kicked off with a typical nonprofit challenge: a very limited budget combined with a deep desire for high-end professional design.  We were skeptical we could fill both needs with our standard approach but confident that we could partner with the great team at LIFT to figure this out.  Instead of offering full design we created a hybrid project with LIFT’s Communications Manager, Colleen Flynn.  The design project was broken into two phases: template design, and design training.  Frankly, we were hesitant to do this kind of design partnership with a client.  I (Julie) had flashing visions of disastrous files with broken links, tiny low-res images, and abundant drop shadows.  These fears never became reality thanks to Colleen’s willingness to learn and clearly managed expectations.  To all of our delight the report design came out beautifully and we used a similar process model to create the brand new 2008-2009 Impact Report.

Colleen, who never ceases to impress me with her intelligence, thoughtfulness, or warmth responded to questions about our work with LIFT.  The following is taken from a series of questions that we asked Colleen earlier this month:

“The decision to work with J Sherman Studio originated from the recommendation of a colleague based on Julie’s previous work with New Profit Inc., where LIFT is a portfolio organization…. When we were considering graphic designers for our annual report, we wanted a designer with a strong portfolio of work and experience creating similar projects. After years of producing lackluster publications, we wanted a designer who could create a piece of collateral that would really make LIFT’s work sing. But since we were operating on a small budget, we needed a designer who understood our financial constraints and could work within them.”

We asked Colleen if they had considered trying to get the annual report design as a donation? Her response:  “Like many other nonprofits, LIFT operates on a small budget and traditionally our outreach materials have taken a backseat to programmatic expenses. We had spent years trying to get high level design through donated services, but came to realize that the adage “You get what you pay for” often rings true. After working with J Sherman Studio on our first annual report, we received overwhelmingly positive responses to our fundraising appeals and introductions to new partners. We are now firm believers that quality design is an investment in your brand and your organization, and that investment will yield returns.”

Which naturally leads to our next question… which has partly selfish motivations as we would love to work with LIFT more, but also from a sincere curiosity about what design projects are worth the investment for nonprofit organizations.  We asked Colleen what types of design projects would they still outsource as they develop their internal capabilities?  Her response: “J Sherman Studio’s creativity, sense of color and layout, and thoughtful details are things that LIFT likely will not be able to replicate internally for several more years, so we hope to be collaborating with J Sherman Studio for future projects. As LIFT grows as an organization, we would like to expand the cache of literature we can distribute to illustrate our work, including reports, informational brochures, recruitment materials, invitations, posters, and much more.”

“Producing great graphic design is so much more rewarding when you have a great designer to work with. The quality of service that J Sherman Studio provides is phenomenal. From start to finish, Julie is clear, accessible, and flexible, making the design process a breeze. Whether she was fine-tuning graphics or offering environmentally friendly printing options, Julie worked with us to deliver a final product that exceeded our expectations and reflected our organization’s work brilliantly.  Julie is a talented businesswoman and I think she shines as both a professional and an artist. She strikes a great balance between listening to her client’s vision and taking the lead as the design expert, and LIFT benefited greatly from her guidance. Hopping on the phone with Julie is always a treat and I feel I come away from our conversations having learned something new and excited to keep working.”

As LIFT continues to grow we hope that our relationship and partnership with LIFT will continue to flourish… and Colleen’s designs skills will get even sharper, so if she ever moves back to Massachusetts she can help us out!