Roots for the Home Team
- Feb 6
- 2 min read
Helping a nonprofit show up consistently, creatively, and with heart
Roots for the Home Team (ROOTS) is a growing nonprofit with a powerful mission to collaborate with community partners to empower youth by providing meaningful employment, fostering entrepreneurial opportunities, and cultivating essential life skills for their success. As a small organization working with a limited budget, ROOTS needed design and marketing support that could stretch their resources while still feeling intentional, professional, and aligned with their long-term vision.
Their seasonal baseball and soccer game-day presence required a range of materials like social media graphics, print material, and communications to supporters. However, without an in-house design or marketing team, creating cohesive and timely content was challenging. ROOTS sought a creative partner who was excited about their work, willing to think creatively, and help them show up consistently across channels.
ROOTS partnered with Linli to act as an extension of their team to provide adaptable graphic design and marketing support, which balanced their budget and need for high-impact materials.
Flexible, Mission-Driven Creative Support
Our approach centered on flexibility, collaboration, and excitement for ROOTS’ mission and community. Rather than focusing on a single campaign or deliverable, we supported ROOTS across multiple touchpoints throughout the season. Their messaging, visuals, and storytelling felt cohesive whether someone interacted with them at a game, in their inbox, or on social media.
We particularly focused the messaging around their tagline, “Eat Good. Do Good. Everyone Wins,” which informed our suite of assets to support ROOTS’ programs, outreach, and fundraising efforts:
Social media graphics promoting salads available at upcoming games
One-pagers to recruit youth participants for their leadership workshops and communicate an organizational overview to partners and supporters
A custom Pride sign celebrating inclusivity and community presence
Four newsletters to supporters that shared program updates, impact stories, and opportunities to engage, receiving an average 43% open rate and 4.78% click-through rate.
An ad placement in Twins Magazine to reach new audiences
On-site photography capturing youth workshops and operating SaladUP! Concession Carts, adding authenticity to future storytelling
Donor thank-you cards and youth leadership workshop completion certificates to celebrate support and participant milestones
An end-of-year giving social media campaign designed to build momentum and encourage donations
An organizational overview video to help ROOTS clearly communicate their mission, programs, and vision for the future
Each piece was designed to feel approachable, joyful, and rooted in community to reflect the energy of the youth involved and the values at the heart of ROOTS’ work. With consistent, creative support, ROOTS had materials, which clearly communicated who they are, what they do, and why it matters to connect supporters with their mission.
Social media and newsletters strengthened their ongoing engagement, supported by the on-site photography of youth on game-days to offer supporters “slice of life” content. Thoughtful donor and participant materials reinforced appreciation and belonging, and the organizational video provided another storytelling tool for outreach, fundraising, and partnerships.
Most importantly, our partnership with ROOTS allowed their small but mighty team to stay focused on their programs and community impact, knowing their marketing and design needs were handled with care, creativity, and a shared belief in their mission. The result is a social impact organization equipped with templates and a storytelling foundation needed to prepare them for another great season!