Constructive

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We are a global organization that works in the philanthropic sector. Our mission is to help philanthropist invest in climate change mitigation.

What is your role and responsibilities, please?

I oversee all institutional communications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Constructive?

We had just gone through a two-year planning exercise, and we updated our business model and strategic plan. We partnered with Constructive to work on a message platform that reflected the new strategy, and also on a website redesign.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They worked on a little bit of branding and then some web design.

What was your process for selecting Constructive to work with?

We sent an RFP to six or seven firms that are some go-to firms in our sector and have worked with partners who really know our space well. We chose Constructive because of their focus on being able to translate data and pre-assigned concepts to the lay person, and their ability to make that data clear and compelling to wider audiences.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

The branding piece of it was somewhere in the $35,000 - $50,000 range, and then the web design was in the $70,000 to $80,000 range I believe.

What was the timeline of this engagement?

The project started around May or June of 2014, and lasted until February of 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any stats, or metrics, or general feedback to show the success of the project?

On the branding side, they created a brand handbook, which has everything from a new mission statement, institutional core values, differentiators; all the things that are core to an organization’s brand. It’s a really solid foundation for us to build on as we implement a strategy around institutional communication. So they did a great job for us there.

We’re also thrilled with the website. It’s fresh and current in terms of the technology and design. People who have spent some time with it understand, at a much higher level, what the organization does, which was one of our goals. So everything turned out wonderfully.

We have a pretty narrow audience, so things like Google Analytics and other online tools don’t necessarily reveal if we’re meeting our objectives. Anecdotally, I think we’ve received lots of really solid feedback. People understand what the organization is. We also seeing more of an uptick in terms of organizations and people wanting to know more and wanting to work with us.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

They’re really great to work with. They’re a relatively small team, so you get a lot of attention, which is a good thing. They have a passion for the clients they take on and the work they choose to do. They’re really committed to it.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

It’s hard to differentiate between areas where my organization can improve and areas where they can improve. There may have been little things here and there, but nothing really worth mentioning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief finance and administrative officer of Overbrook Foundation, a New York-based philanthropic organization that supports environmental and human rights initiatives in the US and Latin America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Constructive?

We needed help with branding, a style guide, and ongoing website support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Constructive redesigned our very outdated website from top to bottom. They also provided a helpful branding and style guide.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–5 teammates from Constructive.

How did you come to work with Constructive?

Someone referred Constructive to me. We chose them over other options because they had high ratings, their pricing fit our budget, they were a great culture fit, and we liked the quality of their work.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $50,000–$99,999.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–November 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We were pleased with the redesigned website. We tracked traffic and people who signed up for our mailing list through the website, which went up dramatically. Our board was also very pleased with the new site.

How did Constructive perform from a project management standpoint?

Constructive delivered on time. We communicated via virtual meetings, emails, and messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Constructive’s hands-on and customized approach was impressive. I also liked the willingness of their leadership to jump in and get involved when needed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Constructive lost track of the design partway through the project, but they redoubled their efforts and delivered an excellent site in the end.