Guiding a loving, compassionate way forward in a very hard moment
Almost five years ago, just at the moment when the World Health Organization announced a worldwide pandemic, we launched The Ross Collective website and brand with a note, “In Support of Our Community.”
To be honest, we felt somewhat ridiculous launching something as trivial as a website as the world was shutting down and reeling from the effects of COVID-19.
In that email, we mentioned visibility. About putting our values of “ a deep commitment to honoring and seeing every person in the room…designing and facilitating inclusive, participatory processes that honor and value each person, build investment, and move groups to thoughtful plans…and deepening our commitment to racial and social equity.”
That note received an amazing response! So many of you responded in that time of uncertainty, the values that we hold, and the processes we lead are more needed than ever. Clearly, we remain undeterred in those values and remain steadfast in upholding them, especially in these trying times.
In terms of our work and commitments, we have kept our promise. We continue to hold the image of a society in which all people thrive. And we know that the way towards communities and organizations in which people thrive is to give each of us a voice in our shared future, to name inequities, and to work on them together.
Since 2020, we’ve worked with hundreds of nonprofit leaders to support you to lead inclusive strategic planning and board governance processes. We’ve given leaders tools to confront the “hard stuff” in the room -- including inequities - to work through them and build more just organizations and communities.
Over time, the original visual language of our brand - the colors, shapes, and fonts - felt misaligned with our messaging. We have been thinking about refreshing The Ross Collective brand to more accurately express our work and brand personality.
Well, we have exciting news to share with you all! We have just completed a refresh of our website as well as a new logo and visual style for our brand assets going forward. Thank you Brand Your Light for the stunning work!
Making our values more visible than ever
And here we are again, launching a brand refresh at a painfully difficult moment for our nation.
We’re going to be honest and say that once again, it feels trivial to do a brand refresh at a moment when our world seems to be coming apart.
AND even more than ever, in a moment when it feels as if these values are being trampled on, we feel the importance of expanding the visibility of our values of:
Connection and Relationship
Justice and Equity
Creativity, Imagination, and Courage
Learning, Curiosity, and Growth
Sustainability and Abundance
What we have heard in terms of the response we get to these values is that we’re not alone. There are so many of you out there that hold these values also and want to live them.
Being a beacon in a very hard moment
So our hope is that this brand refresh will help The Ross Collective be a beacon -- a guiding light -- in the difficult moment we’re in.
Here are some updates in the brand refresh:
Our new brand is as colorful and diverse as the many voices, races, and perspectives of those who participate in and lead our planning and governance processes.
The logo shows the power of a circle of individuals coming together – and a wayfinding compass to help nonprofit leaders find a path forward.
The color scheme is a warmer and earthier expression of our enthusiastic, connected, and down-to-earth style.
The illustration style was updated with more tactile, organic textures .. like something made by human hands for human hearts.
The words on our website have not changed -- because our services, work, values, and commitments remain constant.
Lovers in a Dangerous Time
So to summarize, we love the beauty of the new visual language that we are sharing with you.
And we are also heartbroken and anxious at the moment we are in - so hardly feel like having a celebration. The song Lovers in a Dangerous Time comes to mind:
“Don’t the hours grow shorter as the days go by?
We never get to stop and open our eyes.
One minute you’re waiting for the sky to fall.
Next you’re dazzled by the beauty of it all…..
When you’re lovers in a dangerous time,
Sometimes you’re made to feel as if your love’s a crime,
But nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight,
Got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight.”
Friends, colleagues, community members, we are each lovers at a dangerous time right now. We’ll keep kicking at the darkness till it bleeds daylight and find strength kicking at the darkness alongside each of you.