Webster University’s strong tradition of donor-funded scholarships reflects the University’s commitment to building relationships and connecting donors to needs. They publish an annual report to bridge financial performance and personal impact.
Objective
Endowment reports are valuable communication tools, providing an important touch point with key donors. The Webster University report needed to do double duty, updating donors on the financial performance of their funds while simultaneously engaging them in the impact their donations make on students and faculty.
Strategy
We knew that we needed to tell real stories to balance the data and statistics in the report. We chose the theme of Empower as a nod to those donors who give now and see their impact years later in the success of the students who receive their scholarships. Stories are built around this idea and we also pulled out and highlighted data points to empower donors with more information.
Points of Interest
We used points of light as a recurring graphic element to bring out statistics and pride points that the University was excited to share with donors.
Illuminating Success
Donors give because they feel a connection to the outcomes they are helping provide. In the case of donor-funded scholarships, the interests become very personal. We took the opportunity to highlight a donor and recipients who share a deep interest in the transformative nature of travel abroad, to inspire others to give.
Illustration
The highlights section contained submitted images of all different types and styles, and could have disrupted the brand-building look and feel of the publication. Our solution was to develop brand-specific illustrations in place of images for key highlights.
