When I joined the Foundation for Physical Therapy, it was at a moment of reflection. The organization was approaching its 40th anniversary with a brand identity that hadn’t changed in nearly as many years.
In 2018, I took a leadership role at an organization that served as the research funding mechanism of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Despite decades of impact in funding research and launching dozens of scientific careers, the Foundation for Physical Therapy’s outdated logo and name no longer communicated the organization’s relevance or its future. I led the charge to bring the brand into the present. Building on existing stakeholder research, I guided the rebranding effort from strategy to execution. I located a designer within budget, designed every creative deliverable, and oversaw a complete overhaul of the website, publications, and event displays in under two months. This included personally redesigning the main site at foundation4pt.org and the student-facing site marquettechallenge.com.
This transformation was both visual and political. The foundation’s board was uncertain and attached to the legacy identity. Change required building trust. I worked individually with key board members, presented options with clarity and empathy, and ultimately brought the group to consensus on updating the brand identity along with the new name, the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research. This shift made the organization’s purpose unmistakable. The new identity debuted on time at APTA’s national meeting alongside a full suite of new materials.
The transformation would not be complete without communicating the change to supporters. I created a commemorative booklet for our annual gala and presented each of our major donors with a lapel pin to encourage ownership of the new identity.
Guiding an Event-Driven Nonprofit Through COVID
Shortly after the debut of FPTR’s new identity, the organization faced another challenge —COVID-19. With in-person engagement no longer possible, I played a key leadership role in rapidly transitioning to a virtual strategy, organizing, executing, and marketing 10 successful online events in just 8 months. These events sustained grassroots fundraising and awareness by engaging audiences ranging from student fundraisers to major donors and emerging scientists.