The Issue:

In the early 20th century, Detroit was a booming city with streets lined with big, beautiful elm trees that created graceful canopies throughout neighborhoods. Sadly, starting in the 1950’s, Dutch Elm disease destroyed roughly half a million trees in the city limits. In combination with the race riots of 1967 and the subsequent migration of mostly white residents to surrounding suburbs, Detroit struggled to maintain and invest in the beautification of the city.

 

In 1989, a nonprofit called The Greening of Detroit was founded in response to the Dutch Elm crisis and began planting trees across the city. In collaboration with residents of Detroit, the organization has planted over 135,000 trees and built beautiful green spaces throughout the city. However, over the years, the organization expanded its programs beyond beautification, such as urban farming, workforce development and youth education. All dedicated to building a more sustainable Detroit. The Greening needed a new identity that accentuated its impact on bringing Detroit back to the vibrant city it once was.

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Lens of Empathy:

To create an authentic identity for The Greening of Detroit, we needed to dig deep into the heart and soul of the organization and the community it serves. We held open, candid conversations with dozens of internal staff members as well as Detroit residents. We learned what The Greening is at its best and at its worst. We uncovered real insights into what the community needed and wanted from The Greening.

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Our Impact:

We set out to exemplify the impact The Greening of Detroit is having on communities of Detroit. To prove it is a thriving, well-established nonprofit with a strong future trajectory. By listening and empathizing with constituents, the strategy and design work we created has helped shape how Detroit residents, donors, funders, volunteers and employees perceive The Greening and contributed to a growth in revenue following the rebrand. The Greening’s aspirational identity continues to inspire more to get involved with its mission.