Project Overview
As the lead storyteller and strategist for the True North Polaris House transformation, I spearheaded a full rebrand of the organization’s digital and communications presence — from its name and website architecture to strategic messaging across social media, email, and search-optimized content. The objective was to humanize the mission, inspire deeper community engagement, and create a cohesive narrative that serves young adults aging out of foster care while resonating with donors, volunteers, and grantmakers.
Working closely with internal stakeholders, I developed a comprehensive content strategy that unified all public-facing channels. This included overhauling the organization’s voice and tone, integrating emotional storytelling across platforms, and applying SEO best practices to increase discoverability. The project culminated in a story-first, action-oriented website that now anchors a more vibrant and responsive communications ecosystem.
Scope of Work
Branding Vision & Repositioning
- Proposed and helped implement a rebrand from “Polaris House” to “True North Polaris House” — anchoring the name in language of direction, empowerment, and identity.
- Rewrote the mission and vision statements to reflect lived impact, community values, and aspirational outcomes.
- Developed messaging pillars that emphasized hope, stability, and transformation — shifting from institutional language to emotionally resonant storytelling.
Website Architecture & Content Strategy
- Designed a new site map with simplified navigation and user-friendly structure.
- Consolidated and restructured major content areas (e.g., “About,” “Programs,” “Get Involved”) to enhance clarity and reduce friction.
- Drafted a full content strategy and project plan, guiding implementation, voice consistency, and long-term engagement strategy across the site.
Full-Site Copywriting
- Developed tailored calls to action for donors, volunteers, mentors, and prospective residents.
- Balanced professionalism with warmth and compassion, ensuring messaging felt trustworthy, human, and inviting.
- Wrote all web content across key pages, including:
- Home
- About + Our Story
- Polaris House Programs
- Support & Donations
- Grants & Partnerships
- Volunteer & Advocacy
- Testimonials & Stories
- Contact / Get Involved
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Strategy
- Integrated SEO keywords into all major website pages to increase visibility among potential donors, volunteers, and foster care advocates.
- Optimized meta descriptions, page titles, and headers to align with high-impact search terms related to transitional housing, youth services, and foster care support.
- Recommended the addition of a blog or news section to support long-term organic traffic through storytelling, program updates, and success stories.
- Ensured that all web copy was both emotionally compelling and strategically structured for searchability and ranking performance.
- Contributed to a 120% increase in website visits, elevated the site to appear in top search results for terms like “affordable housing in Boulder” and “housing for homeless youth.
Grant & Outcome Integration
- Researched and integrated impact data and best practices from national transitional youth programs.
- Framed measurable outcomes to support future grant applications and fundraising campaigns.
- Showcased the return on investment of donations and the long-term transformation Polaris House offers its residents.
Engagement & Infrastructure Recommendations
- Proposed and helped implement new forms for applications, volunteer sign-ups, and donations — streamlining backend workflows.
- Created foundational content for email campaigns, donor outreach, and volunteer onboarding.
- Offered guidance on website accessibility, backend usability, and visual storytelling.
- Established systems to track engagement and respond to inquiries with greater efficiency.
- Website updates have led to a jump from 1 resident application per month to 8+, and over 30 new inquiries monthly from potential volunteers and donors — a clear indicator that previous users were not being effectively captured.
Communications Strategy & Digital Engagement
- Overhauled the organization’s voice, tone, and messaging across all external platforms to ensure alignment and clarity.
- Drafted email content for program updates, donor engagement, and volunteer recruitment.
- Developed a content calendar and campaign ideas for reactivating dormant social media platforms (e.g., Facebook and Instagram).
- Outlined a launch strategy that included digital storytelling, audience re-engagement, and cross-channel consistency.
Key Results
- Drove a 120% increase in website traffic within the first 60 days post-launch, thanks to integrated SEO strategy, storytelling-rich content, and simplified navigation.
- Increased monthly resident applications from 1 to 8+, demonstrating stronger reach to eligible youth and better user flow through the online application form.
- Generated 30+ monthly inquiries from prospective volunteers, donors, and partners through the new Get Involved page — a function the previous site lacked entirely.
- Elevated search engine performance, ranking in the top results for high-intent keywords like “housing for homeless youth” and “affordable housing in Boulder, CO.”
- Unified all external messaging across web, email, and social media, resulting in a cohesive brand voice that inspires trust and deepens connection.
- Created a content and communications system that streamlines engagement, saves staff time, and supports long-term donor cultivation and community-building efforts.
- Positioned True North Polaris House as a regional leader in transitional housing storytelling — establishing the foundation for stronger grant applications, media visibility, and cross-sector partnerships.
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