Turning impact into a story donors want to read
How Ventura Graphic Design built on a long-standing partnership to design an impact report that champions access to books and family literacy.
CLIENT: Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream
How it started
Ventura Graphic Design’s partnership with Always Dream spans nearly a decade, beginning with a simple one-pager in 2015 and evolving through multiple projects as the organization grew and its needs became more complex. Over the years, that work included additional one-pagers, impact reports, and — beginning in 2023 — a close collaboration with Always Dream’s small but mighty communications team.
In late 2024, that trusted relationship opened the door to a larger opportunity: a successful grant that funded a full suite of materials for early 2025, from brochures and sponsorship tools to a complete planned giving package. By the time Always Dream turned its focus to the 2024–25 Impact Report, we had a deep, shared understanding of their mission, audience, and story — making the report a natural next step and a clear reflection of years of design collaboration.
“Working with Libby on our Impact Report was a pleasure. She set clear deadlines, which made managing the project so much easier. I appreciate how thoughtfully she worked to understand our organization’s look and feel, her attentiveness to detail, and her openness to feedback from our team.”
Chelsea Brinegar, Marketing & Communications Manager
Project goal
To tell the full story of Always Dream’s Always Reading program — capturing its reach across California and Hawai‘i, the progress families made over the school year, and the outcomes that matter most. Beyond reporting the numbers, the team wanted a report that translated data into a clear, compelling narrative, showing funders and partners how those results add up to meaningful, lasting change.
The challenge
Designing for two audiences
Every deliverable required both a national and a Hawai‘i-specific version, with distinct photography, localized language (aloha, keiki!), and separate regional data — all while maintaining a cohesive brand.
Balancing brand consistency with flexibility
Always Dream’s existing pink, purple, and blue palette felt limiting across longer, data-heavy materials. The challenge was to honor the brand while expanding it thoughtfully to improve clarity and visual rhythm.
The stories behind the data
Impact metrics and powerful stories existed in silos. This required bringing everything together into a polished, accessible report that clearly communicated results to funders, partners, and the community.
Building on momentum, not starting from scratch
Because of earlier projects completed that year, the impact report needed to come together efficiently — leveraging a shared understanding of the brand, team dynamics, and decision-making process.
“Libby was always proactive in checking in and asking clarifying questions, and I could trust completely that she’d always deliver. She made the whole process smooth and enjoyable!”
Chelsea Brinegar, Marketing & Communications Manager
The process
Centralized collaboration
We used a shared client portal to manage timelines, tasks, files, and communication — keeping everything in one place and easy to track.
Early layout,
smarter edits
By organizing metrics and highlighting key accomplishments, a rough first draft helped the team see how content flowed on the page, making it easier to cut and refine content early.
Streamlined
feedback
Adobe InDesign Share for Review allowed multiple stakeholders to comment directly on the design, reducing back-and-forth.
Finishing
touches
Final photo edits ensured visuals felt polished and distraction-free, down to removing visible name tags.
“Our team is thrilled with how this turned out and we’re excited to get these printed and into donors’ hands.”
Chelsea Brinegar, Marketing & Communications Manager
Outcomes and impact
Always Dream now has a go-to resource for their team when sharing about their work with partners, funders, and community members. Having the Impact Report has strengthened their ability to communicate their results and secure support.
“We’ve received nothing but positive feedback about our Impact Report, both internally and externally. We’re proud to send it to our donors and supporters to share our gratitude with them as well as showcase our incredible work. We’re thrilled to be able to present our impact with such a polished and professional design!”
Michelle Collier, Development & Marketing Director