Graphic Design & Visual Communication Partner

Project: State of the Sector Report 2027

Date Issued: February 27, 2026

Proposals Due: April 1, 2026

Project Overview

Cape Fear Collective’s State of Nonprofits (SoNP) initiative is seeking a professional graphic designer to translate complex county data analysis and visualizations into visually compelling, accessible "State of the Sector" materials.

The central report will serve as a diagnostic tool for funders, policymakers, and nonprofit leaders in New Hanover County. We are not looking for a decorative "white paper" or a marketing brochure. We will share our findings across a variety of formats, and need a clean and urgent visual toolkit to communicate actionable data.

Important Timeline Note: We are selecting a partner during Q2 2026 to lock in availability for the production phase, which will occur in Q4 2026 (Oct–Dec).

Our Commitments to You

We understand that a fixed budget requires a disciplined client. To ensure this project remains profitable and efficient for you, we commit to:

• Text Lock: You will not receive the manuscript for layout until it has been fully approved by our CEO. We do not edit text in the design phase.
• Consolidated Feedback: You will not receive stray emails from five different people. All feedback will be consolidated by the Project Lead into single, actionable punch lists for each round.

Scope of Work

The selected partner will work with the Project Lead to execute the following:

A. Visual Identity & Style Guide

• Develop a cohesive "look and feel" for the SoNP initiative that aligns with our guiding principle of prioritizing data and honest diagnosis.
• Aesthetic Direction: Clinical, urgent, and accessible.
• Deliverable: A simple style sheet (color palette with hexcodes, typography, hierarchy standards) that can be applied to the PDF, the web dashboard, and social assets.

B. Report Layout & Design

• Layout of the full "State of the Sector" report (estimated 15–20 pages).
• Integration of provided text (plain language) and data visualizations.
• Deliverable: A visually accessible document (legible fonts, high contrast, clear hierarchy).

C. Advocacy & Event Materials

To support our launch, we need physical assets that stakeholders can carry with them.

1. Executive Summary: Design of a high-impact 1-page visual summary.
2. Social Media Suite: 1-2 "plug-and-play" templates.
3. Deliverables

Successful completion of the contract requires the handover of five (5) core packages:

• Visual Systems Guide:
  • A concise PDF defining the typography, color palette, and standards for our internal team.
• The Report Package:
  • Full Report (15–20 pages) in High-Res Print PDF and Web-Optimized PDF formats.
• Editable Source Files: All native InDesign/Illustrator files (packaged with fonts/links).
• The Executive Summary:
  • A standalone 1-page Executive Summary PDF (repackaged from the main report design).
• Launch Toolkit:
  • Social Suite: 1-2 reusable templates (Canva/Image files).

Timeline & Work Windows

We are securing a partner now to guarantee capacity during our critical production window.

• Proposals Due: April 1, 2026
• Proposal Selection: May 1, 2026
• Contract Signing: May 14, 2026
• Light Touch-Base: September 2026 (1 hr meeting to review content outline).
• Active Production Phase: October 1 – December 15, 2026.
• Final File Handover (Print Deadline): December 18, 2026 (All files must be delivered before the holiday break).
• Contract Close: January 5, 2027.

Please confirm in your proposal that you have availability during the Oct–Dec 2026 window.

Budget

Total Fixed Fee: $2,000 – $3,000 USD

Payment Schedule:

• 50% upon Contract Signing (May 2026)
• 50% upon Final Delivery (January 2027)

English