Your team is doing there best.
Give them something to work from.


Somewhere in your organization, someone is opening Canva right now. They're picking a font that's close enough. Using a blue that looks about right. Writing a caption that sounds roughly like the org.

They're not doing anything wrong. They just don't have a guide.

The Brand Guidelines Package changes that. It gives your team a clear, practical reference for how your organization looks, sounds, and shows up — so they can make good decisions on their own, without calling a designer every time.

This might sound familiar
  • Your logo exists in three different versions across your website, social media, and letterhead. Nobody's sure which one is current.

  • Every new staff member reinvents the wheel. There's nothing written down to hand them on day one.

  • Your communications sound different depending on who wrote them that week. Donor emails. Social posts. Event programs. All slightly off from each other.

  • You've talked about "getting the brand sorted" for two years. It keeps getting pushed for something more urgent.

  • Your organization is doing genuinely important work — and your communications don't reflect that credibility.

Most of this isn't a talent problem. It's a systems problem. Your team needs a source of truth — something clear enough to follow and practical enough to actually use.

What's different about this

Most brand guidelines are built for designers. They cover the rules in detail and assume the reader knows what to do with them. That works great if you have a creative team. It doesn't work at all if you have a program coordinator doing social posts between grant reports.

This package has two layers. The first defines your brand — your foundation, your visual identity, your voice. The second shows your team how to actually use it with the tools they already have. Canva setup. Email templates. What to post and how often. What to check before anything goes out.

It ends with ready-to-use assets — pre-built Canva templates locked to your brand, a sample copy bank written in your voice, and an organized file folder your team can open on their first day and actually navigate.

What's in it
Volume 01
Your brand — what it is

The foundation. Defines who you are, what you stand for, how you sound, and how you look. Built by me, shaped by you.

  • Brand foundation

  • Visual identity standards

  • Voice & tone guide

  • Messaging architecture

  • Logo file pack

  • Color & font reference card

Volume 02
How to use it — the practical guide

The part most guidelines skip. Written for the person who's actually making things — not a designer, not a marketing director.

  • Canva setup guide

  • Social media playbook

  • Email guidelines

  • Photography & image guidance

  • Print basics

  • Pre-publish quick-check list

Volume 03
ready to use assets

Everything your team needs to start making things immediately. Templates locked to your brand, copy written in your voice, and an asset folder organized well enough that a new hire can find what they need on their first day.

  • Canva template pack

  • Organized logo folder

  • Sample copy bank

  • Editable guidelines doc

  • Shared asset folder

how it works

01 - You complete the intake questionnaire

Background on your org, your current brand situation, what's working and what isn't, and what your team actually needs to be able to do on their own. Takes about 25 minutes.

02 - We meet for a brand discovery session

I start with listening. Your positioning, your audiences, your voice, your programs, your history. The things that make your organization distinct. This shapes everything that comes after.

03 - I build the package

The full guidelines document — designed, not just typed — along with your Canva templates, copy bank, and organized asset folder. This is where the heavy lifting happens on my end.

04 - You review and we refine

One or two rounds of revisions depending on your tier. We make sure everything feels right before it goes to your team.

05 - We walk through it together

A delivery session with your team — not just a file drop. We walk through the guidelines, set up Canva, answer questions, and make sure everyone leaves knowing how to use what they have. Included in Tier 02 and Tier 03.

Two starting points

Codify

You have a brand. Let's document it.

A logo exists, colors are somewhere, the voice is familiar if not defined. We capture what's working, fill the gaps, and make it practical for your team. Tiers 01 and 02.

Refresh

Your brand needs real work first.

The brand has drifted, aged, or never quite reflected who you've become. We do the strategic work to get it right — then build the full package on top of it. Tier 03.


Choose Your Scope

These tiers are priced for nonprofit budgets. Not as a courtesy. Because this is the only sector I work in and I built the service around what organizations like yours can actually spend.

Essentials

$990

8-10 business days

Your team will have a clear, practical reference for your brand on day one. No more guessing which logo to use, what font is correct, or whether the caption sounds right. The basics, locked down and usable.

  • Brand foundation & visual standards

  • Voice & tone guide

  • Social media quick guide

  • Quick-check list

  • Color & font reference card

  • Logo file pack

  • 3 Canva templates

  • 60-min discovery session

  • One revision round

Most Popular

Standard

$1,890

12-16 business days

Everything in Essentials, plus the tools your team needs to actually make things without you. The copy bank, Canva setup, and delivery walkthrough exist for one reason, so the ED isn't approving every graphic before it goes out.

  • Everything in Essentials

  • Messaging architecture

  • Canva setup guide

  • Email guidelines

  • Photography & image guide

  • 6 Canva templates

  • Sample copy bank — 12 blocks

  • Editable guidelines doc

  • 60-min team delivery walkthrough

  • 30-day follow-up call

Strategic

$3,390

4-5 weeks

For organizations whose brand has drifted or never quite caught up to who they've become. We do the strategic work first, get the brand right, then build the full package on top of it. You'll finish with a brand your team can use and your leadership can stand behind.

  • Brand strategy refresh

  • Visual identity alignment

  • Voice & messaging development

  • Everything in Full Package

  • 6 Canva templates

  • Sample copy bank — 12 blocks

  • 90-min leadership delivery session

  • 60-day follow-up call

This is for you if

You're onboarding someone new to communications

Nothing exposes a lack of brand infrastructure faster than a new hire asking "where do I find the logo?" Having a complete, organized package to hand them on day one changes everything about how they start.

You want your team to be able to make things without you

If you're the ED and you're still approving every graphic before it goes out — that's not a brand problem, that's a systems problem. The guidelines give your team enough context to make good decisions independently.

You're heading into a campaign or high-visibility moment

A gala, a capital campaign, an awareness month — anything where you'll be producing a lot of materials fast. Having your brand locked down before that crunch means consistent execution when it counts.

Your brand has drifted and you know it

New leadership, a program shift, years of patch-and-go design decisions. The brand on your website doesn't feel like the organization you've become. That's what the Refresh tier is built for.

A few things people ask

We already have brand guidelines. Do we still need this?
Depends on what's in them. If your current guidelines don't include a Canva setup guide, practical how-to instructions, or ready-to-use templates — your team is probably still winging it. The Essentials tier is a good fit for an org that has something but needs it made practical and complete.

How involved does our team need to be?

More than you might expect — and intentionally so. Guidelines only work if they reflect how your organization actually sounds and what your team can realistically do. I need your input to build something useful, not something generic. That said, the time commitment is manageable: a discovery session, a mid-point check-in, and a delivery walkthrough. I do the heavy lifting in between.

What if our logo needs work too?

The Refresh tier includes visual identity alignment — we address what's not working and establish updated standards. If you need a full logo redesign from scratch, that's a conversation about a brand identity engagement, which can happen before or alongside the guidelines work.

Will our team actually use this?

That's the question I built this around. The Canva templates, the quick-check list, the copy bank — they're all in here because the goal isn't a beautiful PDF that lives on a shelf. It's a team that can show up consistently without asking for help every time something needs to be made. If it isn't usable, it isn't useful.

How does this connect to your other services?
The Brand Ecosystem Audit tells you what's working and what needs attention. The Brand Guidelines Package gives your team the tools to act on it. If you're also building a communications plan, the 90-Day Blueprint layers on top of the guidelines naturally. Most clients find a clear path through more than one of these — usually in that order.

How this fits in with other services

Not sure where to start? The Brand Ecosystem Audit is a good first step if you want an honest picture of where your brand stands before investing in guidelines. If you already know what needs work, you can go straight to the package. And if you're ready to build a full communications strategy on top of a solid brand foundation, the 90-Day Blueprint is the natural next move after the guidelines are in place.

Ready to give your team a real foundation?

Most engagements start with a short conversation. Tell me where your brand is and I'll tell you which tier makes sense.

Book your discovery session ↗

Get to know Michael on LinkedIn

I’m working on a balance between the things that make me happy: family, giving back, and creative strategy. Like most people I only have 24 hours a day, that doesn’t leave time for everything, sorry Facebook.

Michael Ward ➤ Brand Strategist ➤ Creative Director ➤ Ethical AI Advocate ➤ Designer ➤ Design Thinker ➤ Branding Consultant ➤ Accessibility Specialist ➤ Renaissance Man ➤ Currently in Lakeville, NY ➤
Michael Ward ➤ Brand Strategist ➤ Creative Director ➤ Ethical AI Advocate ➤ Designer ➤ Design Thinker ➤ Branding Consultant ➤ Accessibility Specialist ➤ Renaissance Man ➤ Currently in Lakeville, NY ➤

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