CCD Impact Photos

NONPROFIT STORYTELLING THROUGH MY CAMERA LENS

SANTA CLARA GRAND OPENING CEREMONY

Refugee Services Community Garden

Image of a newborn baby in the arms of his parents on the day of his birth

Adoption Services

Photo of an older husband and wife talking to an Immigration Lawyer about Citizenship paperwork at a table at a Citizenship Workshop in Dallas, TX.

CCD Citizenship Workshop

King and Queen of the Valentine's Day Dance at Brady Senior Center

THANK YOU PHOTO FROM SANTA CLARA

Two sibling groups, who were adopted together, are sitting in a nature reserve park close together, arm in arm in Allen, TX.

Celebrating National Adoption Month 2014

Swim instruction at Santa Clara Regional Center in Dallas, TX

Adoption Services

MARKETING MATERIALS WITH MY PHOTOS + DESIGNS

My Role AND RESPONSIBILITIES

My JOB TITLE

Redefining my role (2013-2016)

Website + Marketing Coordinator

(What I was hired as)

Content Strategist
for Fundraising

(What I actually did)

Storyteller +
Photographer

(What I decided I needed to do)

When I was hired in 2013, by Catholic Charities of Dallas as a website and marketing coordinator, I had a very strong desire to use my photography skills to update all marketing materials. I made it my mission to change the look and feel of the CCD marketing materials for both print and web.

THE NEED FOR A POWERFUL NARRATIVE

Capturing all photography

Using my own DSLR camera and lenses, I captured HD images to use for all CCD marketing.

Attending events in person

I found ways to be at certain events at opportune times all over the Dallas Metroplex to get the assets needed.

Tweaking the annual content strategy

Over time, I was able to multi-purpose the really impactful photos to use in the marketing campaigns.

STEM summer projects for kids at Santa Clara Community Center

EMPATHIZE

An ethnographic research approach

In this case study, I am taking an ethnographic approach to study the three years I spent as a Website and Marketing Coordinator for Catholic Charities of Dallas (CCD).

Let's explore the impact of having real stories and photographs in all marketing materials and the correlation it has on fundraising.

My goal is to gain a deeper understanding of how seeing the tangible impact of donations can impact fundraising efforts. I used photography as a means of documenting and visually capturing the effects of donations in action. By observing the effects of funding in real-life scenarios, I gained valuable insights into how information can be leveraged to encourage increased donations and support for charitable causes.

DEFINE

In the three years, I worked at CCD, it was essential to always treat people with dignity and respect. I immersed myself in the day-to-day activities of the people served, staff members, donors, and volunteers. It was important to me to tell their stories in a way that was authentic and respectful of their experiences. My approach not only helped to create compelling visual narratives but also served to promote ethical and responsible marketing practices.

PROBLEM: WHY STOCK IMAGES AND CLIP ART?

Despite the limited budget and no allowances for photography, I used my own DLSR camera, lens, and external flash to showcase the charity's impact. I relied on my ingenuity and resourcefulness in this fast-paced environment. It was astounding that nobody had recognized the need for this photography before, but my efforts paid off as I established myself as an asset to the nonprofit. I gained the trust of others by demonstrating my passion and dedication.

LACK OF RESOURCES

There was only a budget for one person on the marketing team, yet the leadership tasked marketing with helping achieve successful fundraising goals.

CCD HAD NO EQUIPMENT

I volunteered to use my own professional digital camera equipment to fulfill this need. I risked damaging my personal camera lenses and camera bodies at locations all over the Dallas Metro Area.

PHOTOGRAPHY CONSENT

I carried two consent forms with me at all times. One in English. One in Spanish. I always asked for a photography consent form to be signed especially when there were minors involved in the pictures.

QUALITY OF IMAGES

People volunteered photos from their phones to use on the website or social media (if the composition was clear and consent was given) This did not always meet the need for usable photos as the composition or quality of the image may not be suitable for all collateral pieces for print and web.

LANGUAGE BARRIERS

I put a lot of thought into who I wanted to interview and photograph. The language might have been a barrier at times, but I relied on other CCD Staff members to translate for me when necessary. Many of the people in need at CCD spoke Spanish. However, we also served a refugee resettlement population that had people from all over the world. I also learned that showing people what was on my camera screen helped build trust and rapport.

As a storyteller, I took on the challenge of captivating a diverse audience at CCD, and it was an experience that I will always hold dear. From the start, I embraced the diversity within the audience and worked hard to build trust and rapport with the CCD employees and those we served. I was determined to convey the essence of CCD's values, even with language barriers.

$North Texas Giving Day Collage for Wake-Up Texas$

Looking back on my time at CCD, the word that comes to mind is "family." Not only did I have the opportunity to express my creativity through my job, but I was also surrounded by so many wonderful people who made me feel like I was part of their family. The seniors at the Brady Center and the adoptive parents in Pregnancy and Adoption Services embraced me as one of their own.

I feel so grateful for the chance to connect with such a diverse and welcoming audience at CCD. Building relationships and earning their trust was a top priority for me, and I'm proud of the connections I was able to make. Despite the language barriers, I always did my best to convey the core values of CCD. Being able to express my creativity and work alongside such extraordinary individuals made my job even more fulfilling.

Dallas Aquarium with Summer Camp kids at Santa Clara

AUDIENCE

With several target audiences, I had many avenues to explore in telling the CCD story:

* Families and children
* Senior citizens at Brady Center
* Clients of Immigration and Legal Services
* Early Childhood Education and Readiness
* Summer camp in Oak Cliff area of Dallas
* ESL students
* Citizenship applicants
* Unaccompanied minors

* Pregnant women
* Adoptive parents
* The Catholic Community
* (Diocese of Dallas)
* Refugee Resettlement Program
* CCD Food Bank Workers and Recipients
* CCD Volunteers
* CCD Employees
* CCD Board of Directors
* CCD Donors
* All CCD Events

THE TASKS

I took the initiative to address the issues by conducting a collateral audit going back to 2010-2013. The audit included a thorough examination of all visual assets, website and blog content, social media posts, and program sheets - printed takeaways for donors about each CCD program.

THE ACTIONS

I had to start from square one as the collateral audit revealed that every part of CCD marketing needed new imagery, especially with a new website being designed. I made sure not to transfer over any clip art or fake photos, as authenticity was key in conveying the mission and impact of the organization.

1. CONTENT CALENDAR
2. Create for Web + PRINT

Staying organized was my key to success. I had several calendars to juggle, but having a strategy for the really busy weeks made my work flow manageable.

My strategy included planning my content calendar for the week, the month, the quarter, and the year. We had many annual events that I could anticipate. I took an overhead view of what was needed and then created content from the week that might be social media content immediately, but end up in an annual report or a donor "big ask" video. Nothing was ever wasted!

Technically, I made sure to save every thing I created for web (rgb, pixels) and then for print (CMYK, inches).

I did most of the graphic design in this role and had to automate many tasks in the editing phase to keep the projects on schedule and sustainable.

WHAT I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY?

I would have spoken up for myself more in the aspects of graphic design. There were many people above me that told me I should just copy what was done before to save time. Not having the time to do more of my own designs was part of the compromise for photography. There was only so much I could do in a 40-hour week. I would still do everything else the same. Little by little, I introduced my own designs (especially after the launch of the new website. I am pretty sure I left my mark with the 1000s of photos I left in their archive.

Prototype

Smile in Together We Learn at Santa Clara

Together We Learn Graduation for Mothers in ESL

BRADY CENTER SENIOR STRETCHING AND SMILING

VALIDATE

The results of using new, candid photographs in our non-profit's website and collateral led to significant success in fundraising efforts. We were able to raise one million dollars each at three charity galas, receive a $575,000 donation from the Crystal Charity Ball, and have two successful North Texas Giving Day events raising more than $60,000 each.

The use of real photographs that showed the impact of our work and the diversity of those we help helped us connect with donors and volunteers on a deeper level, ultimately leading to increased engagement and support for our organization. These efforts highlight the importance of using authentic and candid photographs in non-profit marketing materials.

ANNUAL REPORTS WITH MY PHOTOS

Annual Report with Impact Photos alongside the text.

Annual reprot page for four divisions of CCD

NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY STRATEGY 2014

CONCLUSION

Ethnographic UX research involves observing and studying people in their natural environment to gain insights into their behavior, attitudes, and motivations. It is a qualitative research method that seeks to understand the user experience by immersing the researcher in the user's context and culture. Ethnographic UX research typically involves methods such as participant observation, interviews, and artifact analysis, and is often used to inform the design of products and services that are more user-centered and effective.

In addition, the results of using new, candid photographs in the non-profit's website and collateral pieces led to significant success in fundraising efforts. We raised one million dollars each at three charity galas, received a $575,000 donation from the Crystal Charity Ball, and had two successful North Texas Giving Day one-day events raising more than $60,000 each.

The use of real photographs showed the connection to the increased engagement and support for our organization through dollars, volunteer hours, and in-kind gifts. I met my fundraising goals set by the CCD leadership each quarter, which does highlight the importance of using authentic and candid photographs in non-profit marketing materials.