Overview
The Chris Long Foundation (CLF) works to fulfill the basic needs of people at home and abroad by promoting clean water access in East Africa and the United States, and by supporting education equity through free book distribution and other initiatives that help kids get what they need to to achieve an education.
Founder Chris Long—Walter Payton Man of the Year and two-time Super Bowl winner—wanted to expand his nonprofit organization’s impact and reach. We were thrilled to help lay the strategic groundwork for the Foundation’s later success, and are honored to provide ongoing support as the organization continues to evolve the many brands under its umbrella, and improve user experience for the donors, sponsors, and fundraisers who are raising awareness around critical issues our world faces today.
Interviews with Chris Long and other key stakeholders provided insight into the Foundation’s philosophical roots, as well as its broad goals moving forward. Analysis of the competitive nonprofit landscape—particularly of organizations focused on providing clean water access—revealed opportunities for a unique approach to positioning and messaging, grounded in Chris Long’s reputation as a standout professional athlete.
As CLF continues to expand, we’ve helped develop concepts, foundational messaging, and brand identities for the various initiatives operating under the larger organization. Starting from CLF’s position as a meeting-point where athletes and fans can unite to improve the lives of millions, we’ve developed distinct stories around the organization’s efforts to promote clean water access for East African women, for underserved communities here in the US, and so on.
Strategy in hand, we built out the brand and website for Waterboys, CLF’s flagship initiative which leverages the platforms of key NFL players to promote clean water access in East Africa, and crafted a name and brand identity for Waterboys’ sister program, water4Her. We also implemented peer-to-peer fundraising models, auction capability, and in-depth storytelling across other subsidiary programs including NFLWaterboys, Hoops2O, Conquering Kili, Hometown H2O, and water4Her.
Following the launch of two new websites, multiple brand names and identities, and various annual reports, presentations, and pieces of print collateral, we’ve proudly continued our work with the Chris Long Foundation by providing ongoing technical support, marketing strategy, and content development as the organization serves our most vulnerable neighbors around the world.
