It’s been a busy few months here at Mezz – along with 'business as usual' we released our annual $10k Project Grant in April that saw over 100 projects submitted. We were inspired by the diversity of applications that came through and are still on a high. Whether they’re a not-for-profit, social enterprise, for-profit business or organisation, a common vision to make a difference and contribute something positive to our world unites us. With many of our clients now clear on their purpose, they are ready to take conscious action towards their potential as a business. But to grow sustainably, they needed guidance to focus on their short-term goals and long-term impact, which is where we came in, especially over the past few months.
Scroll down to take a look at some of the exciting projects we’ve been working on.
Impact Report for Paul Ramsay Foundation
The Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) builds and invests in partnerships with a common vision and shared commitment to break cycles of disadvantage in Australia and achieve lasting change. We were approached to create their new ‘Impact in Progress’ report, which presents snapshots of their initiatives and reflective updates on their path towards transformative impact. Pausing to recognise progress as an individual and collective is crucial to sustaining motivation and accelerating change, so we admire their dedication in creating this report and using it to prompt reflection and inspire curiosity within their internal team. We have loved collaborating on this project and look forward to working with them on many more.
Launch collateral for the inaugural Young Board Director Awards
Future Directors Institute were the deserving winners of our $10k Project Grant. They’re “changing the face of the boardroom” by accelerating diversity, inclusion and innovation in the boardroom and providing a pathway for conscious leaders to create greater impact. Boards have tremendous influence but without value-aligned people, and the right knowledge, they’re unable to play their part in positive change.
With their inaugural Young Director Awards coming up, we’ll be working with Paul and the team to successfully launch the awards and not only boost nominations through campaign collateral but amplify their voice afterwards. The awards celebrate and empower next-gen directors, giving them a platform to tell their stories and inspire others. It’ll be a gateway into bigger conversations and advocacy about the role of boards and who should be in the room – note: diversity is key.
Partnering with Surfing the Spectrum
This year saw more for-purpose project applications than any other year so picking just one winner for our $10k Project Grant was quite a difficult task. After much to-ing and fro-ing between the team, we decided to select a runner-up to partner with and donate our time and expertise.
Surfing the Spectrum is an incredible Newcastle-based not-for-profit that provides surf therapy initiatives for children with Autism. Amiee, Tahlia and the team are passionate about making the ocean accessible to everyone and have a big mission to make communities more inclusive for people with a disability. With the help of volunteers, they run free learn-to-surf events in a safe environment, building self-belief, ocean awareness and water safety for those who participate. We can’t wait to help such a great organisation and watch their impact grow.
Digital marketing activation for Jenny’s Place
After launching a new website for Jenny’s Place late last year, designed to better meet the needs of both the organisation and its visitors, we transitioned to the next phase of their digital transformation. This phase focuses on developing a customer relationship management (CRM) system, a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, and a campaign to support their fundraising goals.
Our primary objective is to help Jenny’s Place increase donations to fund their Domestic Violence Resource Centre—a vital service supporting women in the Hunter region experiencing domestic violence and homelessness. The CRM system was carefully tailored to record and manage donor relationships, incorporate sales functionality, and integrate seamlessly with their digital marketing efforts.
We’re also crafting a 12-month digital marketing strategy and content plan to activate across social media, email campaigns, and referral marketing channels. This integrated approach ensures their message reaches and resonates with the right audiences, amplifying their impact. It’s a privilege to support Jenny’s Place as they grow their donor community and continue their incredible work in supporting women in need.
Creating seamless online experiences for Leah Jay
Building on the brand strategy, experience, and expression work we’ve done with Newcastle and Hunter-based property management specialists Leah Jay, we’ve now shifted focus to their online presence. After working closely with their team to articulate their brand purpose and refine its expression across all touchpoints, we turned our attention to their digital experience. Following the launch of their new website last year, designed to reflect their future vision, we’ve been working to optimise and elevate their online presence in line with their strategic goals.
The goal has been to create a seamless, automated lead-nurture system that aligns with their refined brand strategy. This system allows the Leah Jay team to focus more on connecting with clients and nurturing qualified leads, reducing the time spent managing digital platforms manually.
Our work includes implementing lead-generation funnels tailored to new website visitors. Using journey mapping, we’ve carefully mapped out user interactions, from their first touchpoint on the website to email capture. Personalised, automated email sequences are then triggered based on user actions, ensuring every user is guided through an engaging and efficient experience.
We developed brand-aligned social media templates to further support them to streamline content creation and enhance local brand awareness. Integrating these elements with their existing CRM and building a clear reporting system provides Leah Jay with actionable insights into their digital marketing performance. This cohesive approach ensures their digital tools not only align with their brand but also empower their team to deliver an exceptional experience for clients.
In addition:
- We ran a ‘Brand Priorities’ workshop for purpose-driven startups who applied for our $10K Project Grant
- Took part in a panel discussion for Hunter Innovation Festival. Catch a recap of the event or watch the full video here
- Launched our $10K Project Grant. Read about the finalists, including the winner, Future Directors Institute, here
- Celebrated Nikki’s 16-year Mezza-versary
- Jess finally got married after postponing a year due to COVID
- Michelle flew back home to NZ for the first time in over a year – little Maddie finally got to meet her grandparents in person.
- Luke and Jess started a ‘Branding for Social Change’ course.