What good is good work that people don’t know about?
This is the question that was facing Camp Get-A-Way, a nonprofit camp in upstate New York with a specific vision— to share a traditional camping experience with children who might not traditionally have access to it.
This is the question that was facing Camp Get-A-Way, a nonprofit camp in upstate New York with a specific vision— to share a traditional camping experience with children who might not traditionally have access to it.
The camp was founded with the specific intent of supporting children and families who are navigating mental, emotional, or behavioral health challenges. While Camp Get-A-Way had successfully fulfilled its mission for over 20 years, the camp’s leadership recognized that they were starting to reach the limits of word-of-mouth marketing. The time was right to define a clear and unified vision.
For us, then, the question was simple: How do we rebrand a nonprofit?
For us, then, the question was simple: How do we rebrand a nonprofit?
Locating Camp Get-A-Way
The answer, however, was a little bit trickier as we strove to get to the heart of the camp experience and translate it visually. Camp Get-A-Way initially came to us for a logo refresh, but it became clear that the project deserved a deeper form of attention. The old logo, featuring a sun and moon divided by a heart, offered a certain warmth but lacked a distinctly camp-like feel. After some conversations with camp leadership, we jointly decided to dive into a full rebrand for the nonprofit.
The first step in the rebrand was a new logo, which preserves the soft, rounded edges of the old logo while showcasing a campsite surrounded by the pines that campers might encounter. We also incorporated the year that Camp Get-A-Way was established so that interested parents would instantly know the organization’s history of thoughtful service. Along with the logomark, we created a wordmark using a lightly off-kilter sans serif to suggest the playful spirit of every camper.
The question of how to rebrand a nonprofit doesn’t end with a single answer, so our work with Camp Get-A-Way didn’t end there either.
The first step in the rebrand was a new logo, which preserves the soft, rounded edges of the old logo while showcasing a campsite surrounded by the pines that campers might encounter. We also incorporated the year that Camp Get-A-Way was established so that interested parents would instantly know the organization’s history of thoughtful service. Along with the logomark, we created a wordmark using a lightly off-kilter sans serif to suggest the playful spirit of every camper.
The question of how to rebrand a nonprofit doesn’t end with a single answer, so our work with Camp Get-A-Way didn’t end there either.
How to rebrand a nonprofit: Start at the center
We began work on a new, SEO-optimized website that interpreted the heart of the camp into language and imagery that would resonate with readers, which we further supported with new print materials and marketing tools. This is where our writers were able to step in to help Camp Get-A-Way develop a voice that is friendly, thoughtful, and informed about the most sensitive ways to communicate with their target audience. For first-time campers, the prospect of leaving home for a day or more can be overwhelming, so we made sure to prioritize photos that highlight one simple truth: camp is a lot of fun!
One of Camp Get-A-Way’s core themes is that camp is for everyone, so we made a point of stressing that universality in the writing. We spoke with the camp leadership to get the rundown on all the activities that campers can participate in, and we intentionally situated them in the unique community of families that visit. We wanted to emphasize the idea that visitors are signing up for more than s’mores, even though that’s a perk—they are signing up for the support of other people just like them. Likewise, it will all happen with the help of staff who are trained and—where appropriate—certified with relevant credentials.
Behind the scenes, we also streamlined Camp Get-A-Way’s communications by replacing their complicated paper registration forms with branded, HIPAA-compliant registration and medical forms that are easily accessible through the website. It might seem like a small thing, but that kind of approachability defines the Camp Get-A-Way brand—the balance between expertise and familiarity.
One of Camp Get-A-Way’s core themes is that camp is for everyone, so we made a point of stressing that universality in the writing. We spoke with the camp leadership to get the rundown on all the activities that campers can participate in, and we intentionally situated them in the unique community of families that visit. We wanted to emphasize the idea that visitors are signing up for more than s’mores, even though that’s a perk—they are signing up for the support of other people just like them. Likewise, it will all happen with the help of staff who are trained and—where appropriate—certified with relevant credentials.
Behind the scenes, we also streamlined Camp Get-A-Way’s communications by replacing their complicated paper registration forms with branded, HIPAA-compliant registration and medical forms that are easily accessible through the website. It might seem like a small thing, but that kind of approachability defines the Camp Get-A-Way brand—the balance between expertise and familiarity.
How to rebrand a nonprofit: Work from relationships for relationships
We loved rebranding a nonprofit with such a distinct vision, which made it thrilling when the Board of Directors reached out with another project a few years later—ongoing communications. Our team partnered with the camp’s leadership through a communications flex retainer to support Camp Get-A-Way with marketing, communications, and development tasks. Through this relationship, we continued to cultivate the brand’s voice with ongoing emails sharing registration information and the excitement of the Camp Get-A-Way experience. Whether it was an announcement of the year’s camps or a reminder of an impending deadline, we ensured that every email felt as warm as the camp itself.
Finally, because our goal is always to make it easy for people to live out their own brand, we made easily editable Canva templates so that the camp staff could post relevant info whenever they choose.
Through our rebrand process, we helped the Camp Get-A-Way team articulate their vision and communicate the camp experience. Making the website and forms more accessible allowed Camp Get-A-Way to live out its mission in all aspects of its work, and improving communications holistically improved the camp experience. Ultimately, then, our guiding question—how does one rebrand a nonprofit?—does have a simple answer:
It starts with small, intentional steps toward the heart of an organization—and ends when that heart is finally able to speak for itself.
Finally, because our goal is always to make it easy for people to live out their own brand, we made easily editable Canva templates so that the camp staff could post relevant info whenever they choose.
Through our rebrand process, we helped the Camp Get-A-Way team articulate their vision and communicate the camp experience. Making the website and forms more accessible allowed Camp Get-A-Way to live out its mission in all aspects of its work, and improving communications holistically improved the camp experience. Ultimately, then, our guiding question—how does one rebrand a nonprofit?—does have a simple answer:
It starts with small, intentional steps toward the heart of an organization—and ends when that heart is finally able to speak for itself.
Want a behind the scenes look at this project? Check out the comprehensive project case study below.