Honoring Grief, Building Hope

Organization Name:
MargaretAnn's Place
City & State:
Describe your creative piece – what is it and what has it been used for, and why is it innovative?
This work for MargaretAnn’s Place, Wisconsin’s Center For Grieving Children, is really 3 parts working together as an innovative system. The system is a billboard, a brochure and a two-sided flyer, each with a distinct purpose, acting as a part of a whole. All pieces direct the audience to the website where it can find a wealth of information and calls to action (currently a new website is being developed). The billboard uses emotionally powerful imagery and concise, direct copy to give a clear understanding of who MargaretAnn’s Place is and who they help. The brochure is intended for those with limited knowledge of the organization and its mission and services. The piece informs the reader through concise copy, compelling visuals and invokes advocacy with calls to action. The two-sided flyer addresses the needs of a broader range. This piece works for all of those who can benefit from MargaretAnn’s Place, maintains the "brand unity" and promotes calls to action.
What issue or problem were you working to address with this piece?
MargaretAnn’s place was created when the founder realized there were no resources available in Wisconsin for grieving children. Since its inception, MargaretAnn’s Place has grown to serve the entire region of Southeast Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. Many grief centers lack the funding, volunteers and necessary tools to reach all of the people who could benefit from guidance. In the fall of 2008, MargaretAnn’s Place was deeply impacted by the difficult economic climate and nearly lost all funding. In the process, the organization realized the importance of having a clear organizational structure, defined resources and a unified identity in order to serve a greater number of people.
How has your submission successfully impacted your organization’s ability to solve this issue/problem?
This work helps MargaretAnn’s Place better serve the needs of grieving children and their families and set a positive example for similar non-profits throughout the country. The organization has never had such powerful and consistent semantics. This has given MargaretAnn’s Place the opportunity to further define themselves and what they do and has made it easier for grieving families to receive help they need. Implementation of this advertisement and promotion directed specifically at parents, schools, and professionals has played an integral role to improve the lives of more than 500 children and their families who have experienced the death of a loved one.