Justice Outside: Crafting an Impactful Narrative

"Working with Helia gave us exactly what we needed - not just a compelling proposal, but multiple ways to articulate our impact that we will continue to use in multiple facets.  In a shifting political landscape, they helped us ground in our mission while finding language that resonates across diverse audiences.”

- Robert Sindelar, Chief Development Officer, Justice Outside

The Challenge

Justice Outside needed to develop a compelling grant proposal for a significant funding opportunity while:

• Articulating their unique impact as a field catalyst in the environmental movement

• Navigating a shifting political landscape around equity and racial justice

• Translating their intersectional work into clear, measurable outcomes

Our Approach

• Started with deep discovery sessions to understand their unique positioning

• Developed multiple narrative frameworks to explore different strategic approaches

• Created prospective impact metrics tied to each potential framing

• Facilitated collaborative decision-making around the most authentic and strategic direction

• Crafted three nearly final drafts to choose from that maintained their values while maximizing appeal

• Built reusable messaging frameworks for communicating impact beyond this single opportunity

The Impact

• A compelling, submission-ready LOI with clear articulation of impact

• Three distinct narrative approaches that could be adapted for different audiences

• Comprehensive set of prospective impact metrics aligned with our theory of change

• Greater clarity on how to position their work in the current funding landscape