For nearly a decade now I have been writing the copy for the Brandywine Health Foundation’s annual community report. The 2014 report focuses on the non-profit’s role as an incubator of programs that benefit the Coatesville community in Chester County.

Story highlights include the launch of the foundation’s Coatesville Youth Initiative—after five years of careful nurturing by the foundation—as a separate non-profit organization; a quick $1.2 million fundraising campaign designed to put the CYI on firm financial footing, endow a scholarship fund and launch a youth-directed community philanthropy program; and the merger of two of the foundation’s main grantees: ChesPenn (medical services) and Community Dental.

Beginning with a brainstorming meeting with the foundation staff in the summer, I and my longtime design partner on the project, Amy Pollack of Twistn’Shout Design, are intimately involved in every aspect of the report. Our involvement ranges from helping create each report’s theme to making sure that the relatively concise text—essentially three main stories that flow as one—completely synch up with the photos.

My responsibilities include interviewing a wide range of story subjects, including foundation officials, donors, grantees and the end-users who benefit from the services the foundation supports, such as dental patients and Coatesville high school students.

Finally, to help BHF maximize the value of the stories, I also expand on each of the report’s  highlights by creating separate stories that the foundation also features on its website.

Click here to see a full PDF of the Brandywine Health Foundation’s 2014 community report.

Click here to link to the website stories.