Meadowlane Pool has been a summer staple in Lincoln, NE for over 60 years, a place where families connect, kids learn to swim, and the community comes together. After decades of wear, the facility needed major renovations to continue serving its neighborhood and the community's needs. With plans underway to restore and reimagine the space, the nonprofit launched a capital campaign designed to secure its future for generations to come, including support for low-income families, individuals with special needs, and women and children impacted by domestic violence. To tell that story with clarity and excitement, they partnered with Abstract Union to create a cohesive set of materials that bring the campaign's message to life and invited people to join in.
To bring the "Big Splash" campaign to life, our team focused on making every design element feel as inviting and energetic as a day at the pool. We drew inspiration from Meadowlane's legacy of inclusion, play, and neighborhood pride, crafting a visual experience that matches the emotional weight of the project. Just as the pool serves a wide range of people, we designed the campaign materials to resonate with a broad audience of potential donors, including families, seniors, recovery advocates, and community-minded individuals. Each choice was made to help every supporter feel seen, welcomed, and invested.
Our creative approach was shaped by three core principles, each aimed at reinforcing the campaign's emotional and visual impact:
- Celebrate community stories by using real-life imagery and messaging that reflects the everyday experiences and joyful memories people associate with the pool.
- Stay true to the campaign's identity by designing materials that feel like a natural extension of Meadowlane's established look and feel.
- Capture the excitement of a summer swim by creating visual movement with organic shapes that echo splashing water and the energy of a day at the pool.
We chose a palette of water blues, turquoise, and lime green to signal vibrancy and hope, while reinforcing Meadowlane's community-first spirit. Our use of two sans-serif fonts — one bold for headlines and another clean and approachable for body text — ensured that every story and detail conveyed clarity and warmth.
A Campaign Logo That Captures Summer Fun
A campaign theme logo does more than introduce a name; it sets the tone. It gives the initiative a distinct identity, ties all materials together, and helps supporters instantly recognize and connect with the message. We wanted Meadowlane's logo to convey a sense of instant joy, boldness, playfulness, and motion. A youthful, rounded typeface reflects the childlike joy of being in the pool, while water-like shapes ripple upward as if the words themselves made a splash. While simple in form, it helped establish the look and feel that guided the rest of the campaign's design.
Make a Splash with a Booklet
For a capital campaign like Meadowlane's, telling the story behind the need is just as important as showing the vision for what's next. The case statement booklet became the piece that held those two sides together, designed to both explain and inspire. We incorporated curved, flowing shapes throughout the layout to evoke the sensation of water in motion. At the same time, color blocking helped guide the reader's attention and make key details easy to digest. Images of aging infrastructure underscored the campaign's urgency, while renderings of proposed improvements offered a glimpse into what could be possible. Every design choice reflected the dual nature of the campaign: the absolute need for repair, and the exciting potential for growth.
A Yard Sign to Showcase Community Spirit
The pride and commitment people feel for their neighborhood is something special, and Meadowlane wanted a way to honor that. Each person who donates to the campaign receives a custom-designed yard sign — a small but powerful show of support. Our goal was to create a design that would stand out in a neighborhood setting while carrying the full energy of the campaign. We leaned into the "Big Splash" visual system, using rounded, water-inspired shapes that flow right off the edges. The phrase "We Love Meadowlane Pool" takes center stage, set in the same bold, joyful typeface as the campaign logo. To encourage real-time action, we included a prominently placed QR code for digital giving, highlighted with a lime green shape to draw the eye. More than just a campaign tool, these signs became a symbol of shared investment, demonstrating the extent to which many people care about creating a safe, vibrant, and lasting space for their community.
Become a Campaign Ambassador with a T-Shirt
Some campaign materials spark conversations just by being worn. For Meadowlane's capital campaign, we designed two t-shirt options that provided donors with a visible, wearable way to show their support for the pool. Each shirt uses the organization's brand colors and campaign graphics to create instant recognition, even from a distance. We offered two designs to give people a choice in style, reinforcing the idea that community support should feel personal. Whether worn out in the neighborhood or during community events, the shirts turn wearers into walking advocates, making it easy to spread the word and bring others into the story.
Working with Meadowlane Pool was especially meaningful for our team — not only because of the campaign’s purpose, but because it’s part of our community. Helping revitalize a space that holds generations of memories (and future possibilities) reminded us why this work matters.
This campaign was a perfect example of how custom design can amplify a mission. Every material was created to reflect the excitement of the initiative and the people it serves. When visuals are specially built for the story being told, they do more than communicate — they connect, inspire, and invite people to take part.
If you’re exploring other examples of non-profit capital campaigns, check out our post on the work we created for another Nebraska nonprofit: On-Brand Capital Campaign Materials for NLOM's Outdoor Camp Ministry. Their campaign goals were to expand their facilities to allow families to experience nature year-round, as well as to preserve the land for future generations to enjoy. We stayed closely aligned with NLOM's brand by using a familiar color palette and worked with their team to create materials that reflected the vibrancy of their mission while capturing the natural beauty of their sacred spaces.
Planning a capital campaign of your own? We'd love to help bring your goals to life through custom-designed materials that connect with your audience and build lasting support. Reach out to start a conversation.
