The Rashi School
The Rashi School
Reimagining a unique school’s brand to advance enrollment and fundraising
The Rashi School in Boston, a Jewish independent PK-8 school, has a unique approach to learning and a profound impact on its students and community. But Rashi needed to do a better job defining what it called its “secret sauce” in order to boost enrollment and run a successful fundraising campaign.
We worked with Rashi to evolve a compelling, differentiated vision and verbal and visual brand. We developed messaging that brings forward the School’s distinctive integration of secular academics with Jewish studies and their signature social justice curriculum. Rashi’s new, vibrant, unexpected visual system embodies the multidimensional nature of the student experience. Together, these foundational elements informed the development of comprehensive admissions and fundraising materials.
To help Rashi stand out in a challenging environment for independent schools—especially those with religious affiliations—we created a trio of admissions viewbooks: a School overview complemented by more focused books for the Lower School and Middle School. These books are used independently, or as a set of two or three, depending on families’ interests and needs. Further emphasizing Rashi’s multidimensional aspect, the books are stepped in size, with a translucent band wrapped around the set that brings forward the School’s brand promise.
Working with our core group of leadership, staff, and board, we developed the name and theme for the School’s fundraising campaign: RISE: Reach_Innovate_Sustain_Envision. This was supported by a campaign identity that built on, and reinforced, Rashi’s primary identifier. We collaborated with CCS Fundraising on a digital case for giving, and developed both a concise “speaker support” version and a more expansive, story-rich version. We also wrote and designed a Philanthropy Report—and developed a campaign microsite. By creating campaign materials in three formats, we ensured that board and staff could have materials that supported their personal approaches to fundraising—and helped them to make the most of any and all opportunities to engage current and prospective donors.
We then devised a multichannel plan mapping admissions and development communications—so the School can continue to advance its brand and realize its vision well beyond our collaboration. We unveiled the new vision, tagline, visual brand, and new communications at Rashi’s annual fundraising dinner to enthusiastic applause.
Objectives
- Evolve a compelling brand to support enrollment and encourage fundraising
- Define and build internal and external clarity around the School’s vision
- Develop persuasive messaging to bring forward Rashi’s competitive advantages
- Create an engaging visual system to project the School’s core positive attributes
- Write and design communications to support admissions and development staff
- Enable parents and board members to be effective Rashi ambassadors
- Develop an effective plan for rolling out the new brand and communications
Collaboration
- Conducted a comprehensive research phase: internal and external stakeholders
- Audited both Rashi’s communications and those of its peers / competitors
- Evolved brand attributes and differentiated positioning to guide messaging and design
- Collaborated with leadership and board to develop an authentic, compelling vision
- Developed a vibrant, unexpected visual system that projects Rashi’s multidimensional education
- Devised an in-depth communications plan, integrating admissions and advancement
- Conceived a name, theme, and identity for their comprehensive campaign
- Wrote, designed, and produced an impactful, portable digital campaign case presentation in two formats
- Created unique, focused admissions materials to connect with diverse prospective families
- Integrated the School’s evolved brand across its new website
- Developed a story-rich Philanthropy Report to engage donors
- Wrote, designed, and developed an inspiring campaign microsite
Scope
- Qualitative research
- Internal and competitive communication audits
- Attributes / storylines / messaging framework
- Vision workshop + statement
- Visual system
- Communications plan
- Admissions viewbook trio + search piece
- Digital campaign case
- Integration of design and messaging into new website
- Philanthropy Report
- Campaign microsite
- Brand documentation and training
Evolving an authentic vision
We engaged Rashi’s leadership and board in a hands-on workshop and subsequent set of presentations and meetings to develop a vision statement that authentically and persuasively communicates the School’s identity, differentiated value, goals, and the difference the School makes in students’ lives.
Rashi envisions a future of transformative education and meaningful impact
The Rashi School will provide life-changing educational opportunities that inspire students to be empowered and dedicated learners, embrace their Jewish identities, and grow up to be leaders who make our community—and our world—a better place.
Brand promise + tagline
Rashi’s vision statement communicates the school’s competitive advantage and the benefits of a Rashi education. Distilled, it becomes the School’s brand promise statement, or tagline, and is used across all communications.
Life-changing education
______
World-changing students
A distinctive visual system
We developed a visual system that integrates a bold, friendly color palette; welcoming yet refined typefaces; and a signature gesture that illustrates the multidimensional nature of a Rashi education.
Messaging: storylines
We developed storylines to be used in concert with the brand promise and vision: they concisely articulate the School’s core strengths. They’re a palette that staff draw upon as appropriate to meet different constituents where they are and to optimize different opportunities. Based on these key messaging concepts, we developed a high-level message and constituent-specific messages.
- Integrated secular and Jewish studies provide depth, perspective, and context
- Jewish values and traditions reinforce excellent academics
- Distinctive, proven social justice focus imbues students with a lifelong sense of caring for others
- Rashi lays the groundwork for student success
- Superb faculty ensure every child is known and valued, challenged and supported
- Inquiry-based approach engenders thoughtful, respectful debate and promotes critical thinking
- Cultivating each student’s strengths, voice, and sense of agency helps develop leadership skills
- A well-rounded, whole-child education helps develop multiple intelligences
- A warm, nurturing environment means students love going to school—and families thrive
- Interdisciplinary and experiential learning builds connections and makes learning memorable
- Rashi provides a powerful, engaging STEAM education
- Beautiful 162-acre campus enhances learning and fosters community
A multidimensional approach to admissions materials
A trio of viewbooks—an overview that can either stand alone or be combined with books that focus on the Lower School and Middle School—enables Rashi to meet parents with different needs (and children of different ages) where they are. The books are stepped in size, again speaking to Rashi as “multidimensional,” and feature the school’s brand promise on a band wrapped around the set.
At a time of transition for our school, Sametz Blackstone helped us redefine and promote Rashi's differentiated value. They collaborated with stakeholders across our organization to build consensus, address challenging issues, and craft a compelling vision statement, messaging framework, and visual system. Our evolved brand truly embodies who we are, and our new viewbooks have helped us stand out in a crowded landscape and attract new families.”
Ilyssa Greene Frey
Director of Admissions, The Rashi School
A flexible, persuasive digital campaign case
In collaboration with CCS Fundraising, we developed a campaign theme and name and wrote and designed a flexible, digital campaign case that enables development staff and board to engage donors where their interests and passions lie. There are two versions: one specifically configured to be speaker support; a second version with more text, images, quotes, and statistics can stand on its own. Across both, Rashi’s institutional voice is integrated with first-person testimonials from students, families, and alumni.
Our new brand resonates strongly with our families and supporters, and our new fundraising materials have been significant assets in our successful campaign. The Sametz team has been a valuable collaborative resource, and we now have the tools to communicate more effectively—and our dedicated board and parent community have become even more powerful ambassadors for Rashi.”
Kim Stone
Director of Development, The Rashi School
A refreshed website
We collaborated with the Rashi team to incorporate the new brand into their existing website—including their signature colors, typefaces, gradients, gestures—as well as their core messaging.
Campaign microsite
Based on the campaign case and the portable digital campaign presentations, we planned, wrote, designed, and developed a microsite for Rashi’s RISE campaign. It provides a user-friendly, interactive way for donors to learn more about Rashi, the progress of the campaign, and the impact their support is having.
A story-rich Philanthropy Report
We researched, wrote, and designed a report that highlights the past year at Rashi to demonstrate to donors the transformational impact of their gifts.
Sametz Blackstone ran an inclusive, collaborative process which was certainly a key to the work’s success. The Sametz team has played a critical role in Rashi’s evolution—helping us excite, engage, and grow our community so that we can continue to provide our students with an education that changes their lives and gives them the foundation to make the world a better place."
David Grossman
Board President, The Rashi School