Case Study: Climate Solutions
Annual Report
The Project
Climate Solutions sought an Annual Report Service Grant to improve their communication with major donors and to assist with fundraising.
The Need
Climate Solutions acts to accelerate practical and profitable solutions to global warming. Their regional programs help the Pacific Northwest lead the charge for clean energy initiatives, while building a strong base for national action. Championing a unified approach to climate change, they bridge cultural and political divides, creating partnerships among business, government, agriculture and civic interests.
Climate Solutions needed additional fundraising to support more robust programs across the Pacific Northwest. A professional-quality annual report was seen as a critical tactic to improve donors’ understanding of their sophisticated approach, to increase the number of financial contributions and the dollar amount of each contribution. However, Climate Solutions did not have the capacity to produce a high caliber annual report in-house; without a Service Grant they would have needed additional funds to hire professional consultants, compelling them to balance quality with price.
The Work
Climate Solutions received an Annual Report Service Grant in 2007. Taproot Foundation Account Director John Beale assembled a highly skilled marketing team who conducted interviews with Climate Solutions key stakeholders to better understand their positioning and needs. They needed to summarize their target message and present a cohesive look and feel. Beale recounted, “They wanted to demonstrate their fiscal responsibility and showcase the breadth of their work and knowledge.”
The team, inspired by Climate Solutions’ mission, leveraged their professional capabilities to draft several concepts for the Annual Report, each of which would assist the nonprofit in tackling their strategic goals. Two of these conceptual options were further refined with original visuals and copy. The team’s photographer Jay Drowns went to the extent of attending their retreat and scaling a windmill in order to best capture the nonprofit’s vision.
The dual concepts were presented to the organization to determine which should be implemented and prepared for printing. Executive Director Gregg Small observed that the Taproot Foundation consultants contributed significant expertise to the project, allowing Climate Solutions to produce an Annual Report that would present their mission and programs in a compelling way.
The Impact
Climate Solutions and the pro bono team worked together to complete the project in time for one of the organization’s important events, which allowed them to immediately distribute their Annual Report to over 150 business and civic leaders. The report was also widely circulated among their constituents in both print and electronic format. At the close of Climate Solutions’ Fall fundraising campaign they had brought in over $319,000 in donor and sponsorship revenue; their Annual Report had been a key tool in securing those donations.
As well as gaining a successful fundraising tool though their Service Grant, Climate Solutions developed solid relationships with their Taproot Foundation team members. Recognizing the need for financial expertise on their board, Climate Solutions invited Strategy Analyst Philip Gerity to become their Board Treasurer and contribute his talent long-term.
Climate Solutions now has the ability to update their Annual Report from year to year using templates provided by the team. The nonprofit was tremendously satisfied with the project, and Small noted, in spite of his initial skepticism of the pro bono model, the project was a complete success.
The Pro Bono Consultant Team
- John Beale, the pro bono Account Director, has over twenty years of experience working on market entry, product marketing and financial communications strategies. He currently works for the Seattle-based nonprofit VillageReach as their Director of Strategic Development and previously dedicated over ten years to the wireless telecommunications industry.
- Katharine Conroy brought ten years of marketing and customer strategy development experience to her role as Project Manager. She specializes in actionable and measurable CRM strategies, and currently works for Microsoft, focusing on the Consumer Marketing Audience within Consumer & Online. Katharine has completed two projects for the Taproot Foundation.
- Todd Olsen was the Marketing Manager for the team. He has over ten years in product and marketing management experience, and has experience in both client and agency environments. He is currently the Director of Blended Beverages for Starbucks Coffee Company.
- Additional pro bono consultant team members included Graphic Designer Lara Behnert, Copywriter Paula Doe, Photographer Jay Drowns, and Strategy Analyst Philip Gerity. These team members pooled their diverse marketing backgrounds which include experience working with Story Worldwide, Semiconductor Equipment & Materials, Yole Developpement, Sporting News Magazine and Microsoft. The entire Service Grant team brought a combined 65 years of marketing-related experience to the project.
About the Client
Through a regional approach, Climate Solutions accelerates practical and profitable solutions to global warming by galvanizing leadership, growing investment and bridging divides. Learn more at www.climatesolutions.org.
About the Taproot Foundation
Every year, hundreds of nonprofit organizations rely on the Taproot Foundation’s award winning Service Grant program to provide millions of dollars worth of pro bono strategy management, marketing, HR, and IT consulting services that better equip them to tackle our society’s toughest challenges.
About the Sponsor
Climate Solutions’ Annual Report Service Grant was sponsored by the Bullitt Foundation, whose mission is to safeguard the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest.
