HAWAII COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Amplify the Power of Giving

Since 2012, W|W has been a collaborating creative agency partner with the Hawaii Community Foundation,  a philanthropic non-profit organization that helps donors in Hawaii make a difference by inspiring the spirit of giving and by investing in people and solutions to benefit every island community. W|W completed a strategic Brand Audit to help further develop the HCF brand positioning and messaging as the organization entered its second century of giving. W|W has also designed and developed the integrated 2014 The Gift of Giving, 2015 Amplify the Power of Giving, 2016 The First 100 Years, 2017 The Future of Philanthropy, 2018 Making Change and 2019 Partnering for Change Annual Reports and the Centennial Campaign. The annual report websites were developed using W|W CMS, a Ruby on Rails content management system, and integrated the use of Responsive Design to optimize the user experience for desktop, mobile & tablet devices. 

BRINGING CHANGE TO LIFE

When W|W received the word document first draft of the 2017 annual report copy, the book was to open with a bulleted list of focus areas for nonprofit work. HCF wanted W|W to display this list with an interesting graphic treatment of some kind. 

  • Economic: Business/Community Development, Work & Poverty
  • Health & Social Welfare
  • Arts, Culture & Society
  • Environment
  • Government & Civic Sector
  • Education

Noticing that the first letters of each category almost spelled the word change, and the goal of this endeavor was long-term, positive change, W|W  proposed some adjustments and the CHANGE framework was born. What began as a complex list of 6 categories with 18 sub-categories became a memorable system around which HCF could begin to garner support and partnerships.

In the years since the CHANGE framework has evolved as its own brand.

Where it all began: 2017, the first graphic form of the CHANGE framework.
In 2018 the graphic evolved to be more of a standalone guide.

The CHANGE framework is a campaign to address Hawaii’s greatest challenges. Representing the measurable and amplified impact of collective efforts, the logo is made up of six ripples, each representing one of six focus areas of the program. They are organic and incomplete, and the resulting arc also forms the letter C, for CHANGE. It could be said that the icon as a whole represents a community made up of these components. And just as a community is ever-changing and evolving, our noble work is never finished.

The Foundation needed a gallery exhibit to celebrate their centennial year. The challenge was designing something modular, that could travel to five other events on three different islands, with each exhibit highlighting different combination of milestones and donors. The exhibit also needed to accommodate artwork commissioned especially for the exhibit, but which wouldn't be finished until the night before the event.

A central visual theme throughout all of our work for HCF is a rich color palette and vibrant, human-centered imagery. We partner with local photographers skilled in documentary-style photography, who can capture the natural warmth of the people that make up Hawaii's philanthropic community. The full spectrum of color and smiling faces conveys a sense of optimism and gratitude felt by everyone involved. 

Each year, HCF gives thanks to the generous donors and partners that enable them to continue their work to better Hawai‘i. This year's version aimed to expand that circle of gratitude. Each donor received a perforated accordion fold card that could be torn into smaller individual panels, each featuring a custom illustration and uplifiting message to be passed on to another recipient.