Project Overview

Margaret’s Village—founded by civil rights activist Sister Margaret Traxler—is a pillar in Chicago’s South Side, providing transitional housing and support for women, children, families, and seniors experiencing homelessness. To support its next phase of fundraising and corporate engagement, I developed a dynamic Case for Support in the form of a visually compelling and strategically crafted corporate pitch deck.

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Objectives

• Tell a powerful origin story rooted in racial and gender equity

• Present the organization’s programs, outcomes, and human impact clearly and persuasively

• Demonstrate urgent community needs and Margaret’s Village’s capacity to respond

• Invite corporate donors and funders into a values-aligned philanthropic partnership

• Drive investment toward capital improvements, case management, and mental health services

 

Deliverables

• 15-slide branded corporate pitch deck (PDF & presentation-ready formats)

• Fully designed layouts with visual hierarchy to support verbal storytelling

• Integration of data visualizations, impact metrics, and success stories

• Call-to-action framing with donation levels and tangible outcomes

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Design & Messaging Approach

The pitch deck visually balances hope and urgency—highlighting systemic housing inequities in Chicago while amplifying real stories of transformation made possible through Margaret’s Village programs like Maria Shelter and Vincennes Senior Center.

Design elements include:

• A warm, grounded color palette representing safety, stability, and community

• Clear typographic hierarchy for skimmability during live presentations

• Imagery of clients, volunteers, and housing spaces to build trust and relatability

• Data-informed slides showcasing outcomes: 29,000+ shelter nights, 105,000+ meals, and 2,300+ case management contacts annually

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Results

This case for support has equipped Margaret’s Village leadership and development staff with a high-impact tool for engaging institutional partners, securing multi-year gifts, and rallying support for essential program needs such as:

• Building renovations

• Mental health and trauma-informed care expansion

• Additional case workers and education/training resources

 

With this pitch deck, Margaret’s Village is able to inspire donors not just to give, but to join a movement—"Marching with Sister Margaret"—in service of housing justice and human dignity.