Snapshot
Audience: Donors, partners, and education supporters
Challenge: Fragmented communications needed visual unity and clarity
Solution: Cohesive reports, donor materials, and strategic publications
Result: A consistent storytelling system that strengthened belief and trust
Where They Started
10,000 Degrees helps students from low-income backgrounds pursue higher education through scholarships, mentorship, and long-term support. Their communications needed to reflect both the energy of their student community and the credibility required to engage institutional donors and partners.
The organization had powerful stories and meaningful results, but 10,000 Degrees saw an opportunity to:
- Present reports, microsites, and case statements in a more consistent visual language
- Capture the vibrancy and aspirations of their students
- Strengthen donor trust through polished communications
What Was Getting in the Way
The team needed design that could connect multiple types of materials into one cohesive experience without flattening the personality of the organization.
Their visual language provided a strong foundation, but growth created an opportunity to elevate and unify key materials so supporters could more clearly see the organization’s trajectory.
As their Director of Marketing and Communications shared:
“The designers at Acton Circle are extremely creative, easy to work with, professional, flexible and timely with deadlines, and achieve results that have earned us high praise and accolades for our materials.”
What We Built
We created a cohesive family of branded publications that balanced student energy with donor clarity.
The impact report combined student photography, bold color, and hand-drawn iconography to capture the organization’s spirit while maintaining clean hierarchy and readability. The strategic plan used a more restrained, minimalist system to foreground long-term goals and institutional credibility.
Deliverables included:
- Impact Report with donor booklet and Webflow microsite
- Strategic Plan with Webflow microsite
- Case statements for donors and partners
Each piece reinforced the others, creating a recognizable visual language across the organization’s most important communications.
What Changed
10,000 Degrees now has a consistent storytelling platform that connects student journeys to donor investment in a way that feels both human and credible.
Supporters can see how individual stories map to systemic outcomes. Internal teams have materials that reinforce one another instead of competing for attention. The organization communicates with clarity, energy, and confidence across every major touchpoint.
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