The New York Community Trust

A refreshed brand identity to mark 100 years as a through line improving the lives of New Yorkers.

Service

Capabilities

Background

The New York Community Trust is a grantmaking organization that helps improve quality of life for all New Yorkers. The Trust is the community foundation for New York, serving the eight-county region of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island.

A collage with six images: group of people with rainbow flags, a musician playing the saxophone, people in kitchen uniforms preparing food, a person writing on paper with children, a person wearing a flowing outfit standing on a rooftop, and a person in a blue shirt and jeans.

A horizontally tiled image showing a snow-covered basketball court, a snowy road flanked by trees, the Statue of Liberty, a yellow taxi on a city street, autumn trees with colorful leaves, a calm river at sunset, and a lighthouse by the sea.

The challenge

As their centennial approached, The New York Community Trust saw the opportunity to re-energize their donors and attract new ones with a refreshed brand identity that celebrates all they’ve accomplished in 100 years.

A person wearing a hooded sweatshirt and sneakers is dancing against an orange background. Large text on the left reads "$3 Million," and smaller text on the right states, "In grants to 300 U.S. Performing artists impacted by Covid-19." The Instagram handle "thenytrust" is at the top.

An Instagram post by @thenytrust featuring a woman holding a megaphone. The text reads: "The Trust is funding WCJA to advocate for closing the women’s jail on Rikers, which has been the site of repeated human rights violations.

A woman in a hijab sings into a microphone while wearing headphones. Text on the image reads "Strengthen The Arts." The Instagram post is from the account "@thenytrust" and has a bright pink background with a red squiggly line connecting the microphone and headphones.

The opportunity

The Trust had the opportunity to embrace a fresher, more modern brand identity. A rebrand could show all New Yorkers that The Trust is here to help build healthy, vibrant, and equitable communities throughout Greater New York today and forever.

A strong brand idea

The Trust’s new identity captures the unique role they’ve played for nearly 100 years. Through New York’s greatest triumphs and challenges, The Trust has been there, and will continue to be there; a through-line from past to future, and a beating heart for a beloved region forever.

A series of four banners each features a black and white portrait of an individual with a colorful block of text below them. The banners include names and brief descriptions of Huyler Clark Held, Brooke Astor, Jadin Wong Chichester, Bonnie Cashin, and Sheila Kaufman.

Scattered business cards for Marsha Corchado, Manager of Fund Administration at The New York Community Trust. Cards feature contact information and a green backdrop with the organization's name in yellow.

A set of branded stationary including a business card, brochure, letterhead, and envelope for "The New York Community Trust". The color scheme consists of green and white with yellow accents and elegant typography.

A sharper verbal identity

To reflect this sharper brand idea, we refreshed their brand values, mission and vision: creating clearer, more distinct language to tell their story.

A set of round stickers with the phrases "In the New York Community We Trust" in various colors and fonts. The stickers feature black, white, yellow, and shades of green backgrounds and are arranged in a crisscross pattern on a light gray surface.

A person in a black shirt and beige pants carries a green tote bag with "The New York Community Trust" written in white and yellow text. The tote bag features a simple, stylish design with yellow cursive lines.

A simpler architecture

With multiple affiliates and various programs in play, The Trust needed a simpler way forward. To create a more flexible logo system, we leveraged a hybrid model with a short-hand: building equity in their shorter-form name, “The Trust,” that was already much-loved by staff and other stakeholders.

An identity with a through line

The Trust’s brand represents continuity, resilience, and impact. It symbolizes their enduring commitment to the region and its people with an ever present, continuous line that organically responds to its environment. It is a visual reminder that The Trust exists to shape a better future for New Yorkers.

An elderly couple dressed warmly in hats and coats share a cheerful moment while eating pizza outdoors. The woman is leaning into the man, both smiling and holding slices of pizza. The background shows a storefront with a large window, and an orange line design is overlaid.

A lively group of diverse adults is gathered in a room, smiling and laughing. Two women in the front are playfully entangled in yellow string, creating a joyful and lighthearted atmosphere. Some people are seated, while others engage with the activity in the background.

A man with short curly hair and a beard smiles while standing on a rooftop with a city skyline, including the Empire State Building, in the background. He is wearing a light blue button-up shirt. The sky is clear, and a red squiggly line is drawn on the image.

New York Community trust posters mocked up on a graffiti filled brick wall.

“We are thrilled to share this refreshed brand that infuses new energy into the organization and makes The Trust accessible to every New Yorker.”

Amy Freitag

President, The New York Community Trust

A dynamic logo

The Trust’s new logo captures this through-line concept: the placement of the serif type acts as “bookends” for the handwritten script which serves as a through-line between them.

A unified brand

The new visual identity resolves the tension of having separately branded branches for the Long Island Community Foundation and the Westchester Community Foundation. Our brand strategy process revealed there was more strength in bringing everything together under one unified brand.

A 100 year celebration

To properly mark The Trust’s centennial, we created celebration assets, including a celebratory logo – reflecting how they have been a throughline for New York for 100 years.