OurChallenge
Since 1946, the Gates Family Foundation has funded capital projects for nonprofit organizations throughout the state of Colorado. In 2004, Gates developed a PDF guide to support nonprofits that were pursuing building purchases, construction, expansion, renovation and/or land acquisition. The guide was updated in 2007 in partnership with a committee of experts in fundraising, construction, finance and lending, nonprofit management, and high-performance building. Fast forward to 2022 when Gates recognized the need to overhaul the guide significantly and began a multi-year partnership with Barefoot PR to create a new digital resource reflective of today’s real estate landscape, capital projects experience and user preferences for engagement.
OurSolution
Tasked to create an accessible resource for nonprofit organizations exploring or currently going through a capital project, Barefoot PR began our work by auditing the existing guide and identifying opportunities for refreshed content. We also facilitated conversations with nonprofit professionals and experts in fundraising, construction, finance, lending and more to gather their feedback on what information would be helpful to feature in the updated guide.
Based on this listening and learning, we determined a web-based version of the guide would improve user engagement with the guide, and provide the best opportunity to showcase information, tools and best practices for nonprofits at every stage of their capital project process. Over the next year, we developed a simple yet comprehensive website – the Nonprofit Capital Projects Guide – where visitors can self-select the resources they need based on their role. The site also includes learning modules with video case studies, a glossary of commonly used terms, and editable forms and checklists that can be downloaded and printed.
