Key Facts
Organization: Strongward, founded in 2006 as The St. Bernard Project and renamed SBP in 2016.
Scope: Stakeholder research, competitive messaging analysis, brand strategy, naming, messaging, visual identity and website development.
Outcome: A new brand reflecting the nonprofit’s national reach and long-term disaster recovery work.
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Bureau of Small Projects helped disaster recovery nonprofit SBP become Strongward by creating a new name and brand reflecting the organization’s national reach and expanded role in helping communities prepare for and recover from disasters. The strategy addressed the years of recovery that continue after immediate relief efforts end and public attention fades.
The project included stakeholder research, competitive messaging analysis, brand strategy, naming, messaging, visual identity and website development. The work reflects the Bureau’s approach to bringing Fortune 500 and Big Brand expertise to nonprofits, startups and small businesses.
Why Did SBP Need a New Brand
Founded in 2006 as The St. Bernard Project, the organization took its name from the Louisiana parish where its rebuilding work began. It became SBP in 2016 as its reach expanded, but the acronym did not clearly communicate its work.
According to Chief Executive Officer Carol Markowitz, inconsistent branding and a fragmented narrative also made the mission less clear. The Bureau’s mandate was to develop a name and brand that reflected a national organization while preserving its connection to that history.
By the time of the Strongward rebrand, the nonprofit had grown to generate more than $30 million in annual revenue, Markowitz said. Its services included direct support for disaster survivors and advisory work for nonprofit and government partners. The new brand was required to reflect that scale and scope.
“We recognized that reaching our next level of impact and growth required a bold new brand and name,” said Carol Markowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Strongward. “The Bureau of Small Projects helped us differentiate ourselves, define a clear value proposition and build a cohesive narrative around it. Their work gave us a powerful way to communicate our vision for the future and our reason for being.”
How Did Research Shape the Strategy
The Bureau interviewed donors, stakeholders, and partners and analyzed how other disaster recovery organizations described their work. According to Paul Taylor, who led the Bureau’s positioning, naming and messaging work, some donors assumed recovery needs had been met once news coverage subsided.
The Bureau applied those findings, together with messaging consultation and competitive analysis, to define the brand strategy. Taylor led the positioning, naming, and messaging work through workshops with the organization.
What Does Strongward Communicate
The strategy positioned resilience as the capacity to emerge from recovery “stronger than before.” Strongward gives that direction a name by combining the intended outcome with a sense of motion and stewardship. It communicates a national mission while carrying forward the spirit of the work that began in St. Bernard Parish.
“The same discipline that builds a Fortune 500 brand works for a nonprofit: understand the audience and define what sets the organization apart,” said Paul Taylor. “For Strongward, research pointed to long-term recovery as the focus. That insight shaped the name and messaging, then guided the visual identity and website.”
The messaging pairs “Stronger Than Before” with “Beyond Response, Beyond Relief, Beyond Resilience” to explain the organization’s commitment to the long recovery process. An institutional seal bearing a Latin reference to emerging with strength was also created for the organization.
How Did the Bureau Bring the Brand to Life
The Bureau developed the visual identity and website to translate the strategy into public-facing communications. The website integrates information for homeowners, donors and partners, with clear pathways to get help, understand the work and support the organization.
The completed work gives Strongward a name, messaging system, visual identity and website that consistently communicate its mission to homeowners, donors and partners.
Explore the project: https://www.smallprojectsbureau.com/case-studies/strongward/
Frequently Asked Questions
How Does the Bureau Approach a Rebrand
The Bureau starts by understanding the organization, its audiences and its competitive landscape. For Strongward, research informed the positioning, name and messaging, which then guided the visual identity and website.
Can the Bureau Help an Organization That Has Outgrown Its Name or Messaging
Yes. An organization’s work can grow beyond what its original name communicates. The Bureau helps identify what should stay the same and what needs to change. For Strongward, that meant expressing a national disaster recovery mission while preserving the organization’s founding history.
Does the Bureau Offer Branding and Website Development Together
Yes. The Bureau works across research, strategy, naming, messaging, visual identity and website development, applying the brand strategy to the website and tailoring the work to the client’s needs.
Who Does the Bureau Work With
The Bureau puts Fortune 500 and Big Brand experience to work for nonprofits, startups and small businesses launching a business, reaching new audiences or bringing their brand and website into line with how their work has grown.
About The Bureau of Small Projects
The Bureau of Small Projects puts Fortune 500 and Big Brand experience to work for nonprofits, startups and small businesses through brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, website development and marketing. https://www.smallprojectsbureau.com/
About Strongward
Strongward, formerly SBP, helps communities prepare for and recover from disaster, emerging stronger than before. Founded in 2006 following Hurricane Katrina, the nonprofit provides direct recovery services and advisory support. https://wearestrongward.org/
Media Contact
Andre Lawless
Director of Marketing, The Bureau of Small Projects
andre.lawless@smallprojectsbureau.com
