PROBLEM

IRCO (Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization) identified a gap in affordable clothing access for low-income families in Eastern Oregon, especially among immigrant and refugee communities. They needed a compelling plan to support their grant application and launch a new clothing access initiative.

INSIGHT

Families weren’t just lacking clothing — they lacked dignified, consistent access to essentials. Community trust, word-of-mouth outreach, and local partnerships would be key to creating a long-term impact.

STRATEGY

Build trust and drive community support for IRCO by:

• Crafting messaging that centers dignity, empowerment, and cultural respect

• Strengthening outreach by partnering with trusted local organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and donation centers

• Expanding accessibility by creating multilingual social content, flyers, and resource materials

• Generating emotional and financial buy-in by using storytelling techniques in the grant proposal

MY ROLE

I helped lead strategy and messaging development, collaborated with our team on research, and helped deliver the final presentation to IRCO’s leadership and supporters.
Completed as part of a service-based marketing course at the University of Oregon.

PROCESS

• Interviewed community members and stakeholders to identify barriers and needs
• Conducted landscape analysis of existing programs
• Developed campaign themes and outreach timelines
• Created mockups for flyers, social graphics, and info packets
• Presented final plan to IRCO for potential use in real grant proposals

RESULTS

IRCO responded with strong interest in adapting our campaign for future use. The storytelling approach and localized outreach earned praise for being both respectful and actionable.

WHAT I LEARNED

This project taught me how to think through communication from the perspective of trust and lived experience — and how strategy can be both creative and deeply human.

Click below to see the Results!