OVERVIEW
In Southwest Florida, Collaboratory is redefining what it means to be a community foundation. As they embraced bold new models for operations and mission delivery, they recognized the importance of clearly communicating their evolving vision to remain truly community-centered.
To support this effort, Collaboratory partnered with SmallBox to deeply engage the voices of those they serve. Through a human-centered design approach, we co-created messaging rooted in lived experience—reflecting how Southwest Floridians perceive Collaboratory’s work and what truly matters to them. While data affirmed the success of Collaboratory’s new direction, it was the power of community voice that shaped a compelling, relatable story. SmallBox helped translate those voices into messaging that resonates, builds trust, and fuels connection.
THE APPROACH
To ground Collaboratory’s narrative in the voices of the people it serves, we set out to better understand their diverse audiences, unique challenges, and communication needs. We surveyed staff and board members, conducted 10 virtual interviews, and facilitated six in-person focus groups throughout Southwest Florida.
We listened to coalition partners, funders, donors, professional advisors, nonprofit leaders, and community members—and synthesized these perspectives into a set of Engagement Themes that revealed shared values, questions, and hopes for the future. Alongside this, we created six Partner Profiles, each capturing the motivations and mindsets of key stakeholder groups to help guide targeted, relationship-driven messaging.
Together with Collaboratory, we used these insights to develop a flexible messaging toolkit designed not just for internal alignment, but for broad, inclusive use—enabling partners across the region to speak with a unified voice and build coalitions rooted in community priorities.
Included in Collaboratory’s Messaging Toolkit:
- Organizational positioning statement
- Brand story narrative
- General messaging for community members and partners
- Inventory of targeted messaging designed to help tailor communication effectively for key stakeholders, such as non-profit organizations, fundholders, prospective donors, coalition partners and more.
- Guidance for using, sharing, and maintaining the toolkit
- Detailed stakeholder profiles and other supporting resources to aid in continued community-centered messaging
THE OUTCOME
While the messaging toolkit was only recently launched, its impact began long before its release. The real value lies in the process—bringing people together, listening deeply, and building shared language that reflects the heart of the community. That foundation will continue to guide Collaboratory as they move forward, grounded in the voices that shaped it.
Images courtesy of Collaboratory.