Project summary
The Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative gathered perspectives from nonprofits and community organizations across the Arkansas Delta to inform investment recommendations for the King Foundation. S&J transformed the findings into a 20-page editorial publication, bringing structure to complex research while giving community voices a more prominent place in the narrative.
The challenge
The Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative (ABPC) conducted listening sessions and surveys to better understand the challenges facing communities across the Arkansas Delta. The findings addressed issues ranging from access to education and healthcare to housing, economic opportunity, and nonprofit funding.
The project began as an 11-page Word document containing research, survey responses, and recommendations for the King Foundation.
The client wanted a professional report with the credibility and restraint of an academic publication. It needed to work primarily as a digital document hosted on a landing page, while remaining suitable for future printing.
The challenge was to make a substantial amount of information easier to navigate without compromising the depth or seriousness of the research.
Our approach
We started by asking questions about the report’s purpose, distribution, visual expectations, and production requirements. These early conversations established an important direction: the publication should remain content-led, with design supporting the research rather than competing with it.
With flexibility to expand beyond the original page count, we developed an editorial system around typography, page hierarchy, color, and consistent layouts.
Survey findings were organized into visual comparisons, while selected participant quotations received greater emphasis throughout the publication. Photography and graphic elements introduced visual breaks between sections, helping readers move through detailed information without losing the thread of the report.
The design also established a clear progression from identifying community challenges to presenting recommendations and potential investment strategies.
The solution
The result was Investment Strategies for King Foundation, a 20-page publication presenting research and recommendations developed through ABPC’s community engagement efforts.
A restrained blue and orange palette, structured typography, and consistent page compositions create a cohesive visual language. A donut chart introduces survey findings, while photography and highlighted quotations bring attention to the people and communities represented in the research.
The report moves from an overview of challenges facing the Arkansas Delta into seven investment recommendations, followed by supporting materials and references.
The publication maintains the substance of the original research while creating a clearer path through its findings, perspectives, and recommendations.
Results / impact
The project produced a 20-page editorial report that organized community research, survey findings, and seven investment recommendations into a cohesive publication.
The completed design provided ABPC with a structured format for presenting its research to the King Foundation, with an emphasis on readability, navigation, and the perspectives of participating communities.