Our
work

At Saltwater Stories, we help organizations leverage the art of storytelling to connect with their audience, inspire action, and create positive change.

featured projects
Crafting impactful narratives & strategic marketing solutions
empowering non-profits
implementing mission-critical projects

Saltwater Stories offers comprehensive non-profit and impact consulting services to impact startups, government agencies, and non-profits. Our expertise spans project feasibility analysis; community research, engagement, and capacity building; project planning and implementation; value chain addition analysis; marketing and communications; fundraising; brand identity; web design and online strategy; and much more.

We have a strong focus on vulnerable populations and natural resource management, bridging the gap between crisis intervention and environmental sustainability for lasting impact.

nonpr
fit

Seva Mandir

Our work with Seva Mandir over two years focused on holistic rural development. Firstly, we promoted village-level water management through repairs and maintenance of water harvesting structures, raising public awareness, and documenting indigenous knowledge. Secondly, we sought to enhance farmers' income by introducing water-efficient agricultural practices, expanding interventions with value-addition methods, and establishing more profitable market linkages.

nVest advisors

We conducted a comprehensive overhaul for nVest, modernizing their brand identity with inspiration from Colorado Springs' mountains and building a fully-compliant, SEO-rich WordPress website. Additionally, we implemented a clear marketing strategy, including email campaigns and social media tactics, to drive lead generation, upselling, cross-selling, and secure nVest's continued success.

Khatamla Women's Cluster

Our transformative efforts in rural Rajasthan empowered tribal women and farmers to establish a sustainable essential oil and tea social enterprise, Khatamla Women's Cluster (KWC). We facilitated the entire supply chain, from introducing crops to farmers and installing a distillation unit to providing capacity-building and training, culminating in the creation of a brand and e-commerce website to distribute the end products, fostering economic growth and self-reliance in the community.

A Child For All

We constructed a new website for A Child For All and streamlined their online fundraising tactics, resulting in an optimized platform for effective communication strategies. This endeavor significantly enhanced their impact, ensuring they reach and engage a broader audience while efficiently raising funds for their vital initiatives.

Art for Palestine

We harnessed the founder's Palestinian heritage and creative + bold artistic vision to craft a meaningful brand identity and establish a compelling online presence for Art for Palestine. Through this journey, we not only celebrated art but also helped raise funds to support refugees from Gaza, making a meaningful impact on their lives.

The Rain Catchers Collective

Working with three known and trusted non-profits , we supported the formation of a coalition for watershed management in southeast Michigan. Our comprehensive services encompassed naming, branding, messaging, marketing, and promotional strategy, all guided by a deep understanding of the community's water management needs and priorities. This collaboration resulted in a well-defined 1-3 year plan, empowering the coalition to launch and start achieving their goals effectively.

our approach

impact methodology

Our methodology at Saltwater Stories combines rigorous research, empathetic community engagement, and strategic capacity building to create sustainable impact solutions.

We aspire to connect and move.

Community

Community over all else.

We thrive on building bridges and co-creating solutions. We do this by forging strong & kind relationships with our clients and the communities they work with, knowing that transformative change comes from the grassroots level.

In addition, we foster strong community within Saltwater, paying ethical rates to our subcontractors, providing pro bono services to those in need, and contributing profits to marginalized communities around the world.

Collaboration & Transparency

We believe in the long term.

We see collaboration as the key to success and achieving transformative outcomes for our clients and the causes they champion. We view our clients as partners, and we actively seek their input and ideas throughout every stage of a project.

We believe in the power of radical transparency, which means that we share every detail of our processes, strategies, and insights with our clients.

Clients are active participants and through collective wisdom, we achieve lasting success.

Empathy & Equity

We are nothing, if not kind.

To truly create meaningful change, we approach every project with a deep sense of empathy, understanding the diverse needs and challenges that our clients and communities face.

This empathy extends to our choice of clients - we only work with clients whose values align with our commitment to equity and social impact.

Customization & Intentionality

Good things take time.

We tailor our solutions to meet the specific needs and goals of each client. We invest extensive time scoping out a project before we even start, researching, strategizing, and planning how to best reach your goals.

We do not accept any rush projects. Our clients are with us for the long-haul and believe in intentionality behind strategy. We take the time to thoroughly understand your missions, values, goals, and communities you serve, allowing us to create strategies and designs that resonate deeply - this process simply cannot be rushed without compromising the quality and authenticity of the final product.

bold, clean, and fresh websites
transforming online presence with engaging web design

We create visually stunning and highly functional websites, each tailored to meet the unique needs and aesthetics of our clients, reflecting our commitment to innovative and user-centric design in the digital realm.

Our websites are equipped with cutting-edge AI-powered SEO tools and embrace mobile-first design principles, all while showcasing creative and unique elements that set them apart in the digital landscape.

Online presence

ASTHA
Delhi-based non-profit
case study
Inteligencia
Latinx news and media
KiiNNECT
Creative community in San Francisco
A Child For All
Holistic development non-profit for orphans in Mali
Bloomington Friends Meeting
Quaker religious community
nVest Advisors
Wealth management firm
case study
BigFly
Amazon agency
The Wisery LA
Network for entrepreneurs
case study
Vacant Spaces
Art decor
Anker Advisory Group
Real estate consulting
The Kookie Box Co.
Artisan cookie company
case study
Amrūtha & Co.
Ethical goods boutique
Linde-Griffith
Construction company
Khatamla Women's Cluster
Tribal-women-made goods
case study
Art for Palestine
Charity for Gazan refugees
case study
Home-Cost
Home-estimating software
case study
Ashwin Lakshmi Narayan
Filmmaker
Sumana Palle
Young professional
Maggie Rose
Wildlife photographer
Dominique Luster
Black history archivist
Scott Rank, PhD
Historian and author
Dr. Sarah T. Roberts
Professor and leading Internet scholar
Bridget Barnett
Freelancer and creative consultant
Do you have any question?
FAQ

Q: What services does your web design agency offer?

Our web design agency provides web development, UX design, SEO strategies, and e-commerce solutions to meet your digital needs. We tailor our services to align with your brand and business goals, delivering high-quality solutions that elevate your online presence and drive growth.

Q: Do you have any free resources we can use?

As you start your entrepreneurial journey, you may not be ready to invest in a new logo suite, website, marketing strategy, etc. - we understand and appreciate that. Here are some free resources we recommend:

Looka: AI-powered business name generator that also searches for available domains & creates templated logos

Canva: Logo, presentation, and marketing material templates

Gamma: AI-powered presentation tool

These resources provide templates for free and are not a substitute for intentional, well thought-out, and customized branding. But they do the trick just fine as you figure things out in the first few steps of your journey.

Q: What tools do you use for SEO?

We use Semrush, the industry gold-standard, as our go-to SEO tool. Semrush offers exceptional insights and advantages due to its comprehensive keyword research, competitor analysis, and site auditing capabilities. It empowers clients with valuable data to optimize their online presence, enhance rankings, and make informed decisions to stay ahead in the competitive digital landscape. In addition to our work, our clients are set up with their own dashboard view so that they can also track progress on their end.

In addition, we use Byword, powered by Chat-GPT, to create SEO rich blogs to drive traffic to your website. We also use Google Analytics, Yoast SEO, and other platform-dependent tools to provide our clients with Advanced SEO options.

With the above tools, we create on-site (clean, crawlable site architecture; mobile-responsive or mobile-first designs, SEO-rich content) and off-site strategies (backlinking, online marketing strategy, etc.) to ensure our clients’ websites are as competitive as possible.

Q: Why Saltwater Stories?

Saltwater Stories fuses imagination and strategy, offering end-to-end marketing and community-oriented solutions that bring your vision to life, seamlessly guiding you from inception to realization.

We specialize in crafting holistic marketing and communications strategies that ensure your message resonates with authenticity. Our expertise extends beyond creativity and vision – we excel in project management and offer insightful consulting across the digital marketing and nonprofit landscape, ensuring your endeavors are impactful and strategically guided. We provide a seamless journey from concept to execution to create a compelling narrative that leaves a lasting impact in today's dynamic and interconnected world.

Q: Do you offer social media management and content creation?

We can create social media templates and content that align with your messaging and branding. We do not offer any social media management or engagement services.

Q: Which platform should I choose to host my website?

The choice of web hosting platform depends on your specific needs and goals, as well as factors such design preferences, website goals, budget, scalability requirements, and ongoing maintenance workload. Here are our recommendations:

Webflow or Wordpress if you want great design and functionality

Squarespace if you want something easy to use and maintain

Shopify for e-commerce

Here's a quick overview of some popular options, in order of our preference.

Webflow: Offers a balance between design flexibility and ease of use. It's suitable for those who want more customization and control over their website's design and layout. Great for everyone looking to wow their audience with innovative and trendy features.

WordPress: Highly versatile and customizable, WordPress is great for various types of websites. It's particularly well-suited for bloggers, larger businesses and organizations, and e-commerce sites.

Squarespace: Ideal for those looking for a user-friendly, all-in-one platform that offers beautifully designed templates and ease of use. It's great for portfolios, blogs, and small business websites.

Shopify: Designed specifically for e-commerce, Shopify provides an all-in-one solution for setting up and managing an online store. It's suitable for businesses of all sizes looking to sell products online.

Wix: Known for its drag-and-drop functionality, Wix is beginner-friendly and offers a wide range of templates. It's suitable for small businesses, portfolios, and simple online stores.

While we’re also proficient in other platforms like Square, GoDaddy, ShowIt, etc., we generally don’t recommend those platforms because of SEO challenges and limited customization options.

unique identities for unique businesses
Building strong brands through storytelling

Our brand identity and brand strategy services are designed to help businesses define their unique identity and purpose while crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with their target audience. Through meticulous research and creative expertise, we guide clients in developing a cohesive and impactful brand presence that sets them apart in the market.

We work closely with clients to create distinctive logos, color palettes, typography, and other key brand elements that convey their values, personality, and mission, ensuring a strong and consistent brand identity across all touchpoints.

#006026
https://www.sevamandir.org/
Text Link
https://saltwaterstories-v2.webflow.io/case-studies/seva-mandir

nVest Advisors is a financial services provider that revolutionizes investment accessibility for individuals across income brackets by offering top-notch services at affordable rates. To support its expanding business and ambitious reach objectives, nVest’s founder + CEO, Jeremy, recognized the importance of an effective, holistic marketing plan, which included total rebranding, custom web design, and sales funnel planning.

2022
Brand Identity, Website Design, Marketing Strategy, Sales Funnel
The logo we built for nVest Advisors centers growth and accomplishment. We were inspired by the mountains that dot Colorado, where nVest is based, and bring in the majestic colors of the sunrise.
Castro Capital
#c94c43, #5c6770, #011d24, #f2e085, #023b47
https://nvestadvisors.com/
Text Link

https://assets-global.website-files.com/643e483e3267b7cacf492677/64baa06c51dc375f9b8e6bc2_guy-jumping-up-e1660587612742-1200x834.png,

https://assets-global.website-files.com/643e483e3267b7cacf492677/64baa06c9c5c9b1b6c24df06_woman-growing-money-e1660587474169-1200x867.png,

https://assets-global.website-files.com/643e483e3267b7cacf492677/64baa06c6dfe6aafad44753d_saving-e1660588089311-1200x737.png,

https://assets-global.website-files.com/643e483e3267b7cacf492677/64baa06c149f9df1dfa35d06_startup-investments-e1660588932907-1200x692.png,

/case-studies/nvest-advisor

The kookie box co is a premier packaging design company based in Chicago. We specialize in creating innovative and eye-catching packaging solutions that grab attention and leave a lasting impression on consumers. Partner with us to enhance your product's shelf appeal.

2022
Marketing Strategy
Round as a Kookie
Square
#f3da1a, #0295f5, #28387d, #ff5a6e
https://www.thekookieboxco.com/
Text Link

https://assets-global.website-files.com/643e483e3267b7cacf492677/6524a48bafcbac4f5a4b7362_64a2c941e75aa9232768c127_IMG_2047.png,

https://assets-global.website-files.com/643e483e3267b7cacf492677/6524a48c87d106314a2063b5_64a2c96950589fb4c58e9c77_IMG_2049.png,

https://assets-global.website-files.com/643e483e3267b7cacf492677/6524a48c60697f8ca2a04a7c_64a2cbc32f087872c86fbb50_trip-layer-cheese-01.png,

https://assets-global.website-files.com/643e483e3267b7cacf492677/6524a48c7a60b9e1099399a9_64a2c98ce99be54e911fac2a_IMG_2048.png

Brand Identity

Logo
nVest logo
Saltwater Stories is a creative and storytelling agency for grassroots nonprofits and unique small businesses. We work with select clients who align with our values of community, equity, and justice to plan and implement critical projects and tell their stories in a digital age.
color palette
Custom Illustrations
view our work
our team
we collaborate with some of the most creative problem solvers around.

All casestudies

Logo
nVest logo
Saltwater Stories is a creative and storytelling agency for grassroots nonprofits and unique small businesses. We work with select clients who align with our values of community, equity, and justice to plan and implement critical projects and tell their stories in a digital age.
color palette
Custom Illustrations
view our work