VISUAL TOOLS
Visual tools are a great way to remind volunteers of the organization's values without pulling them away from their work. When these values are visible online or in an organization’s physical space, it communicates their importance to everyone and helps to keep everyone accountable to serving the same mission.
Visuals can be something like a poster explaining food justice values that your organization holds, or an infographic to explain complex information about the space you’re working in, to fun items like t-shirts and merchandise sharing the organization’s logos and a fun tag line. There are free resources online to download and print (be sure to check for permissions and requirements for printing & sharing), or you can talk to your community and hire an artist to create new items for you.
LOGOS AND BRANDING
Logos should be included in as many of your organization’s publications as possible, such as in the examples listed below. Including your organization's logo can help build the brand identity of your organization and remind volunteers that they are a part of a community.
​
As a general design rule for the logo image itself, you want it to be legible when it’s as small as a dime, and avoid overly complicated imagery or fonts. You also want it to work on both dark and light backgrounds.
​
Consider including a tagline to your organization’s logo, specifying a value held most important to your nonprofit.
POSTERS
Posters are a great way to make information accessible in a slightly more detailed, yet still friendly, manner. Have you ever found yourself reading posters in an exam room while waiting for the doctor to arrive? The same principle can be applied to your volunteers. Consider hanging posters where volunteers have an idle moment, such as a break room or even in a bathroom stall.
​
Posters can include a variety of content, from upcoming events to organizational values. A few of the following examples of value posters include detailed information with a friendly visual to catch the viewer’s eye and educate without being overwhelming.
Shareable Posters (non-commercial only!)
https://justseeds.org/graphics
https://www.learningforjustice.org
https://favianna.com/resources/guides
Free apps to design your own
​
Creative Commons images
BRANDED PRODUCTS
Merchandise or “swag” for your organization is a great opportunity to share your organizations’ values with not only volunteers but clients, donors, and the broader community as well. There are many types of merchandise you can give away or sell at various price points. Consider what would actually be useful to people to own, rather than what is cheapest to afford - this makes it less likely that your materials will be thrown out, and more likely to be used in their day to day life. Some popular items include:
​T-shirts and other clothing worn by volunteers are a great space to showcase your organizations’ values. The volunteers should be proud to showcase your organization, and if the shirts are worn while volunteering, clients may see the messaging as well. Be careful when ordering - some companies require minimum numbers, which means if you don’t already know the quantities you want in each size, you can end up with extra inventory to get rid of, which can be wasteful or cost-ineffective for you. Consider items that have a wider range of sizes like hats, socks, scarves and key lanyards.
Stickers are a popular way to spread the word of your organization quickly and can be offered in a variety of sizes and applications. Small stickers are popular with younger audiences, who often decorate their personal belongings with stickers they find relevant to their lives. Larger bumper stickers are another way to share your organization with the public, especially if you utilize drivers for deliveries. You can also consider other pieces of stationary or decor like pens, notebooks, mini flashlights, keychains and buttons.
