Building a brand
At a glance
In VFC's first five years, our growth hinged on strategic network building, targeted marketing, and expanding our reach through genuine community engagement.
Faced with challenges like fundraising and establishing credibility, we employed creative solutions, such as leveraging in-kind support and forming strategic partnerships.
“My advice to future leaders and entrepreneurs is to prioritize building strong, supportive networks and to remain resilient in the face of obstacles. The journey taught me the importance of adapting strategies to local contexts and the power of community in amplifying impact.”
Growing with VFC
As we approached our fifth year, we began a relationship with our communications design partner, Hypenotic. Through early discussions about VFC's positioning, the issue our work addressed, and our role in the issue ecosystem, they observed how VFC is a nonprofit that acted like the startups in our then-burgeoning network.
So, we evolved our visual identity from a relatively government-y aesthetic to a visual vernacular that reflected the aesthetics the cool product brands sported in 2018.
Way Before
Before
As new opportunities led to pilot projects and pilots led to programs, partnerships, a conference, and other new communications opportunities, we capitalized on each chance to evolve our identity.
Now
Over the last five years, we've gone from 'blending in' to a design system and mature component library. Each new initiative integrates the best communication, design, and technical solutions from our recent history allowing rapid innovation as we fill increasingly fewer gaps.