It's been my good fortune to be able to do quite a bit of work for non-profit organizations. They have their challenges, that's for sure. They usually have small budgets and desire pieces that look nice — but not "too nice." Understandably, these folks don't want it to appear as though they aren't being good stewards of their resources. I find it especially rewarding to be able to know that my efforts are helping these agencies do so many good things. I consider it a strength of mine to be able create effective designs that promote their efforts — in the most cost-efficient way possible.One of my favorite clients is Goodwill Southern California. Every year they host an event called "Hope, Jobs & Futures" to celebrate the successes of participants in their programs. I just finished this year's invitations, RSVP cards, programs and posters. I not only handled the design, but also the fulfillment — printing, shipping and the mailing of the invitations. Contrary to popular belief, living in the heartland has its benefits. One of them is cost-of-living. It can be less expensive to produce items here in Indiana than to have them produced in other parts of the country. Thanks to high-speed internet and large bandwidth, it's entirely possible to do work for a client clear across the country, or the world for that matter.
In these lean times, promotion is often the first thing to be cut from a budget. In reality, it should be the last. It's more important than ever to be in front of potential clients. The challenge is in doing it in the most productive way possible. I think most companies could take a lesson from the non-profit world.
