NOTE: NewBridges is thrilled to share the following article that describes our wonderful partnership with Gravity Group. One point of clarification, however, is that our website is courtesy of Estland Design.

HARRISONBURG – NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center has a new professional-grade website and publicity materials – all at no cost – thanks to Gravity Group, a local marketing and communications agency.

The brand makeover, which also included a new logo, brochures and a tagline, were donated to NewBridges, which beat out almost three dozen other nonprofits that applied for the company’s “brand challenge.”

NewBridges began in 2000 as an initiative of several local churches to serve the Harrisonburg area’s immigrant community.

Alicia Horst, NewBridges’ executive director, said it’s an ongoing challenge for nonprofit organizations to effectively communicate their message and goals to clients, donors and the community, all while working with a limited budget and small staff.

“You’re there to help people, but you’re not always thinking about all these other audiences,” Horst said. “It’s a learning curve.”

The Gravity Group staff also created a brand manual for NewBridges and helped the small four-person staff understand how to better use Facebook and other social media sites.

The company selected NewBridges over about 35 other nonprofit groups that applied for the opportunity to have a professionally executed marketing and brand review in 2011.

“What we really looked for was an organization [where] there was a definite need and they showed a lot of potential,” said Lindsey Laughlin, a marketing and communications specialist with Gravity Group, which has been in business in the Valley for about 20 years.

Christian Perritt, Gravity’s creative director, said he hopes other local companies will follow its lead in partnering with nonprofit organizations.

“Your brand identity is key to how audiences perceive you, and I think NewBridges’ new brand identity will help them to better share their story with their clients, donors, and volunteers,” Steve Gilman, president of Gravity, said in a statement.

Starting this month, Gravity will begin accepting applications for what they’re dubbing the 2012 nonprofit brand challenge. Gilman said the company’s goal is not only to serve organizations, but to empower them as well.

Horst said she’s excited to move forward with New Bridges’ new look.

“What I’m realizing is that we have incredible tools and it’s up to us to utilize them well,” she said.

Copyright (c) 2012, Byrd Newspapers, All Rights Reserved.

The Honduran Consulate came to Harrisonburg on November 19 and helped 120 people to register their children and obtain passports.  We are so grateful for their newly established collaboration and look forward to hosting them again in 2012!  Hosting Consulates would not be possible without the incredible support of our community.  And in particular, thanks to volunteers Theresa Ruggiero and David McDevitt for staying late to clean up Community Mennonite Church.

“The astonishing and unprecedented footage in Lost in Detention has the power to change how people understand the immigration crisis and motivate them to act. The film starts with the highly criticized Secure Communities (S-Comm) program and goes on to give a look at the overall system of detention and incarceration – and on the physical and sexual abuse that has become commonplace.”–PBS