The Brief

Opening Doors is a nonprofit in Dubuque, Iowa that operates the Teresa Shelter, Maria House, and St. Francis Apartments. The organization aims to shelter homeless women, alone or with children, who need help getting back on their feet. It’s more of a program than a shelter. However, there were a lot of misconceptions about what they do there, within and outside of the organization.

Our Solution

We set off to Dubuque to conduct a day full of interviews. We spoke to someone from every perspective possible including the Board of Directors, Internal Staff; Donors and the general public to gather data on the depth of their brand equity. Did people really understand who they are, and what they do? This inclusive approach was eye opening to all involved.

With this data we put together a detailed brand overview as well as an official brand story. Both components, serving different purposes, were designed to bridge the gap of misconceptions and get everyone hearing the same message. We knew that for the public to understand, every single person within the organization had to as well. These documents provided a successful solution.

The Result

The documents and research have become the roots of a new branding project for Opening Doors. Our work has become an invaluable piece that propels every step moving forward with their positioning statement and future public relations strategies.