SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Michael Patrick Partners announced today that it has teamed up with Minds Matter Bay Area (MMBay) to help high-achieving, low-income students realize their dream to attend the nation’s most acclaimed colleges and universities.
The San Francisco design studio routinely offers its services at a reduced rate to organizations that focus on child and family advocacy. Comprehensive, multiple-year marketing relationships have been extended to Easterseals, Rebuilding Together, Ronald McDonald House and, most recently, Minds Matter Bay Area.
Minds Matter Bay Area is a nonprofit that provides outstanding, disadvantaged high school students with mentors, resources, and confidence to gain admission to high-profile, four-year institutions.
Graduating from a selective college or university is key to ensuring that this demographic has access to competitive careers, escapes poverty and are on course to pursue their dreams. Yet, only 3% graduate from the nation’s most selective universities.
But change is underway—one hundred percent of learners enrolled in Minds Matter Bay Area programs have been accepted to and graduated from prestigious schools such as Boston College, Harvard University, Northwestern University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, the University of Chicago, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, and Yale University.
To assist Minds Matter Bay Area heighten its market presence, a refreshed brand identity and fundraising campaign format were directed by the studio team of Keith Pacoma and Sam Burks. It’s an ongoing endeavor to grow enrollment, increase monetary gifts, and build long-term brand value. Within the overarching assignment, the team provided a brand communications strategy and copywriting. It also designed a new website, organic social media, literature suite, and additional marketing tactics.
Minds Matter Bay Area CEO Irene Shih stated, "Michael Patrick Partners has helped MMBay sharpen the language and visual identity to communicate our unique brand and how it impacts the lives of underserved students. This creative collaboration has given MMBay a confident voice that distinguishes our organization's mission within the Bay Area's competitive nonprofit landscape.”
Studio Co-Creative Director Robert Maidens added: “We devoted quite a bit of time auditing marketing environments in use by the nation’s most revered nonprofit brands. The goal was to understand how cultures and brand personalities guided brand differentiators. We then applied that research to inform our creative recommendations. Minds Matter Bay Area now looks and sounds like a market leader. Enrollment has climbed, and donations are on a steady upward curve.”
Minds Matter Bay Area is one of 14 national Minds Matter chapters that work to resolve issues related to college undermatching: the underrepresentation of high-achieving, low-income students at selective colleges. Founded in 2010, the Bay Area chapter has advanced more than 200 alumni: Of that group, 100% were accepted to four-year colleges and universities, 78% attended the most selective institutions in the country, and 100% went on to graduate in four years.
Its weekly program is free for all enrollees and includes a powerful network of volunteers who mentor, teach, and accompany the young scholars throughout their journey.
Michael Patrick Partners has received 500+ awards from the nation’s most sought-after creative organizations and possesses a body of work that spans banking to beer, education to energy, hard seltzer to health care, and technology to transportation—startups to the Fortune 1000 and the Fortune 500.
About Minds Matter
Minds Matter is a comprehensive and highly successful three-year program that empowers young people from low-income families to achieve college readiness and success. The organization was founded in New York City in 1991 by six Wall Street professionals who understood that the gap in low-income student achievement was not one of intelligence but resources. Minds Matter has developed a successful program incorporating tutoring, mentoring and enrichment experiences that prepare students for bright futures. Visit mindsmatterbay.org to learn more.
Media Contact
Will Maidens, Michael Patrick Partners, 727.655.8833, will@michaelpatrickpartners.com