About

Hi, I’m Jennifer.

Recovering aid worker, chronic overpacker, gregarious introvert, American expat, storyteller. Graphic designer + writer.

Your organization’s communications partner.

Hi, I’m Jennifer.

A recovering aid worker. Chronic overpacker. Gregarious introvert. American expat. Storyteller.
Communications Designer 

Your organization’s key to communicating your impact.

 

I get the development world.

I studied, lived, breathed (and barely slept) development for the better part of two decades. I understand the closely monitored budgets, the wearing-too-many-hats, the long days, all kept afloat by sheer will and a passion for the work.

I tried on what seemed like all the hats – managing projects from HQ, leading proposal development processes, directing a team of senior program staff in a country office, consulting on program design and development, and more. 

 

I get your context.

I’ve lived and worked all over –  the United States, Liberia, Sudan, DRC, Cote D’Ivoire, Peru, Timor Leste, Indonesia, Guatemala, Venezuela, Bosnia and, since 2009, South Africa. I understand that words need to speak differently in different places. Domestic audiences might need to hear a message one way, while international partners another. Your organization’s HQ has different communications needs from your field offices. Your audiences vary widely in literacy, education, understanding of your work, and even language.

 

I use my understanding of your context and work to create materials that are not only pretty, but clearly and simply communicate your message to your audience – donors, volunteers, policy makers, partners.

I nerd out on good design, and get giddy about well-crafted content. But it’s more than that – I know that passion alone doesn’t fuel development. Organizations need to effectively tell their stories to raise funds, increase awareness of their cause, differentiate their organization from all the rest, and build trust and support.

I believe that good design and writing are essential to good development.

I used the opportunity of moving to South Africa in 2009 to shift my focus to working FOR the organizations I used to work IN. Taking that step back gave me a lot of perspective on the industry and the bigger challenges many organizations face. What I saw frustrated me. 

  • Amazing work is going unrecognized and unfunded because organizations don’t tell their stories with enough style and substance.
  • Groundbreaking research and learning is being left in a pile of unread Word documents on a policymaker’s desk.
  • Mistakes are being repeated over and over because our peers weren’t able to easily LEARN from our experience.
  • Money is being left on the table with donors who can’t see how their support can make transformative change.
  • Organizations are closing their doors because they can’t articulate their WHY.

You’ve come to the right place.

You’re a development practitioner. A social entrepreneur. A nonprofit fundraiser. A marketing manager. A communications director. A humanitarian. An educator. A corporate social responsibility manager.

You see the possibilities in the world around you, the opportunities to make things better. You ditched the rose-colored glasses long ago, but you’re still passionate about the work you do.

Maybe you’re part of a robust communications team. Maybe communications is just one of many (MANY) hats you wear every day. You need someone to lend a hand and take some of the burden off, or a strategic partner in designing something larger.

You can breathe a sigh of relief.

Want to know more?

Send me a message
Book a call