Trellus
Marketing and Campaigns
My Role
Lead Designer
Content structuring & hierarchy
Visual system & layout design
Brand alignment
Print-ready production
Overview
Trellus is a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting immigrants, refugees, and underserved communities as they build stable, empowered lives. Their programs span behavioral health, adult education, workforce development, youth employment, and community health services.
To support outreach efforts and improve clarity across communications, I designed a cohesive, multi-channel outreach system that included printed program brochures, monthly email newsletters, and fundraising marketing campaigns. The goal was to create materials that were clear, culturally responsive, and actionable across both community-facing and donor-facing touchpoints.
The Challenge
Trellus offers a wide range of services to diverse audiences with varying levels of English proficiency, digital access, and familiarity with nonprofit services. Existing materials made it difficult to quickly understand:
Which programs were available
Who each program was for
How to enroll, attend, or support Trellus’ work
Additionally, outreach needed to work across multiple formats — physical handouts, email campaigns, and fundraising communications — without losing brand consistency or clarity.
Print Outreach: Program Brochures
The printed brochure system served as a foundational touchpoint for Trellus’ outreach. Each brochure clearly outlined services, eligibility, and contact information while maintaining a warm, welcoming tone.
The layouts balanced bold color blocking with clean typography to guide readers through complex information without visual overload. Photography was used selectively to reflect community and trust while keeping content the primary focus.
These brochures were optimized for:
Community events and tabling
In-office distribution
Partner organizations
Informational displays
Main Brochure
Adult Education & Workforce Brochure
Digital Outreach: Monthly Email Campaigns
To support ongoing communication, the visual system was extended into monthly email newsletters. These campaigns highlighted:
Upcoming programs and classes
Community events
Important service updates
Organizational news and milestones
Emails were designed with a mobile-first mindset, prioritizing:
Clear content hierarchy
Short, scannable sections
Strong CTA placement
Reusable templates ensured consistency while allowing flexibility for changing content month to month.
Fundraising Marketing Campaigns
In addition to service-focused outreach, I supported Trellus’ fundraising efforts through event-based and seasonal campaigns. These materials balanced emotional storytelling with clear calls to action to encourage participation and donations.
Fundraising assets included:
Donation-driven email campaigns
Event promotion graphics
Digital marketing visuals
The goal was to communicate impact clearly while maintaining trust and transparency with donors and supporters.
Cross-Channel Consistency
Across brochures, newsletters, and fundraising campaigns, a consistent visual language was maintained to reinforce Trellus’ brand and mission. While tone and messaging shifted based on audience — community members versus donors — the underlying system remained cohesive and recognizable.
This approach strengthened Trellus’ presence across channels while reducing the need to reinvent layouts for each new campaign.
IMPACT
Improved clarity and usability of outreach materials
Strengthened brand consistency across print and digital channels
Supported increased engagement through clearer calls to action
Enabled scalable monthly communications through reusable templates
Helped staff and volunteers communicate services more effectively