de Novo Gives Back
Crafting Meaningful Creative for Area NonProfits
The Need: Nonprofit Marketing
Marketing plays a crucial role in uplifting the work of Iowa nonprofits, raising awareness about their mission and impact, engaging the community, and boosting donations through targeted campaigns. By leveraging marketing strategies, nonprofits can measure their impact, attract more resources, and ultimately make a more significant difference in the lives of the individuals and communities they serve.
For many nonprofits, the struggle to secure funding for marketing services is a challenge. Budgets are often stretched thin across essential programs and services, meaning there are few resources left to invest in marketing—putting these organizations at a disadvantage. They face the uphill battle of trying to make a meaningful impact but are hindered by the inability to access the tools and expertise needed to share their story and connect with their audience effectively.
The Solution: Fresh Impact
At de Novo, creativity is the essence of who we are, enabling us to craft refreshing work that tells your story and taps into your audience. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to tell that story. In alignment with our mission to make business meaningful, we are proud to continue our pro bono program for small nonprofits in Iowa as it enters its second year in 2026.
This initiative provides vital marketing services to one nonprofit organization each year, pro bono, through a pre-selected project. Each year, the project type will change, allowing different organizations to apply based on their needs and timing. Project types might include: video, branding, web development, messaging strategy, and more.
In 2026, the Fresh Impact program will support a branding project.
de Novo will deliver a professionally developed brand package, including logo variations, a defined color palette, typography, and a brand standards guide. Cohesive branding brings clarity and credibility to your organization—building brand recognition and trust.
Who Can Apply?
501(c)(3) credited nonprofit organizations within the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City Corridor with a yearly operating budget under $500,000.
To make the Fresh Impact program more accessible in 2026, we increased the eligible operating budget from $350,000 to $500,000 and removed the volunteer-only requirement. This creates opportunity for more organizations in the Cedar Rapids–Iowa City Corridor to take part and benefit from meaningful brand support.
What You Get
(2026 Project)
Once selected, we will kick off the project with a brand exploration session.
From there, deliverables include:
- 3 Branding Options
- 2 Rounds of Revisions
- Logo Files
- Brand Standards Guide
- 2-3 Business Collateral Pieces (to be determined during our brand exploration session)
How It Works
Application
Does the Fresh Impact program sound like a good fit for your organization? Applications are now open for the 2026 Branding Project! Application deadline: February 13, 2026.
Selection
A selection committee will review all applications and select a nonprofit by February 27, 2026. The selected nonprofit will be contacted by email with potential kick-off date options. If no confirmation is received by March 6, 2026, we will select an alternate recipient.
Ideation
We will host an in-person meeting and brand exploration session to get to know your organization—your mission, vision, and what makes you unique. From there, we’ll work together to explore ideas and shape a brand or brand refresh that meaningfully represents your organization. At de Novo, your goals are our goals, so including you in the ideation process is vital.
Design
The design process will take place in Q1 of 2026. We’ll share three logo concepts to get the conversation started, then work closely with you to refine the direction that best represents your organization. One additional round of revisions is included, giving us the space to make sure the final design feels like the right fit.
Delivery
Once the brand is approved, we’ll move into designing your selected business collateral and wrap everything into a complete brand package. This package will include all final logo files, a brand style guide to help keep your look consistent, and ready-to-use files for your collateral—giving you everything you need to roll out your refreshed brand.
Examples
To get you thinking about what’s possible, here are a few brands we’ve created over the years. Maybe you’ve even seen some of them out in “the wild.”
These examples are meant to inspire, not define, the work ahead. Your brand will be uniquely shaped around your organization, your mission, and the story you want to tell.
Last Year's Project
For nearly 20 years, IERAL has worked to ensure abused, neglected, and abandoned horses across Iowa find safety, care, and a second chance—often in partnership with law enforcement and supported entirely by donors and volunteers. Through the Fresh Impact project, we created a storytelling video that brings their work to life—helping to raise awareness and deepen donor and community engagement.
