Lidia Varesco Design

06/01/2026

If you are a Chicago-based nonprofit, don't miss this Nonprofit Resource Fair next week, hosted by Givenkindorg and Forefront. It's the perfect opportunity to connect with organizations that provide services and support to the nonprofit sector. I will be representing The Association of Consultants to Nonprofits at our booth, so stop by and say hello!

Nonprofit Resource Fair Join us on Tuesday, June 9, from 12:00–2:00 p.m. at The Hatchery Chicago at 135 North Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612 for a Nonprofit Resource Fair hosted by Forefront and GiveNKind.This event offers nonprofit professionals the opportunity to connect with organizations tha...

05/27/2026

When you’re a newbie and a solo attendee, conference buddies make all the difference.

My friend Lexie Markarian from Street Level Studio and I know each other through AMA Chicago, and we realized we were both attending two nonprofit conferences in two weeks: Collaborative in Chicago earlier this month and in St. Louis last week.

So of course we had to find time to hang out between our respective sessions and sponsor duties at . She was also kind enough to take photos during my session (because speakers hardly ever get to see photos of ourselves).

Then, on the bus to the GiveCon social event at City Museum, St Louis, MO, I met Michele Hayes of Edmond History Museum. We discovered our flights were leaving at the same time, so we made a plan to carpool to the airport. Bonus: she and my 10-year-old both love the OKC Thunder, so we’ve been texting during the games this week.

I go to conferences to learn, get inspired, and bring back new ideas for my work. But often, it’s the social connections, hallway conversations, and small unexpected moments (Jenga!) that make the experience memorable.

05/26/2026

CauseCamp 2026 is coming to Chicago in October and I'm thrilled to be one of the workshop speakers!

Stay tuned for the full schedule. Early bird registration is now available. Linked in the comments!

05/22/2026

Day 3 of was packed with thoughtful conversations about storytelling, generosity, and donor connection. A few standout sessions and speakers:

1) Reframing the stories we tell
Keynote speaker Muhammad Lila from Goodable shared a powerful perspective on the content we consume every day. After years in traditional news, he realized the headline and story should be about the good, not the bad.

One line that stayed with me: “You have no idea what one single act of kindness can lead to.”

He also referenced research from neuroscientist Paul J. Zak showing that charitable acts trigger oxytocin, strengthening trust, connection, and generosity

2) Fundraising from a place of abundance
Steven Screen of The Better Fundraising Company challenged common fundraising fears—donor fatigue, unsubscribes, asking too often—and encouraged organizations to “assume abundance.”

He recommended creating offers to make giving more tangible and accessible, while using urgency helps donors answer the question: “Should I give right now?”

3) Building connection between campaigns
And in what was my most valuable session, Kimber Wiggs from Bloomerang shared practical ways to keep donor engagement going after the big event or campaign ends.

Some of her suggestions included:
- Thank you emails and personalized videos (I agree with her advice to create templates)
- Automated journey emails for anniversaries, birthdays, yearly check-ins
- Mini-events and appreciation gatherings
- Peer-to-peer events and donor-hosted gatherings
- Coffee chats, community-building moments, and fun!

It was a great reminder that donor relationships are built in the everyday touchpoints, not just the major fundraising moments.

So many thoughtful, practical, and encouraging ideas to take away from Day 3—plus a quick visit to the Museum Under the Gateway Arch (a hidden gem).

What was your fave takeaway this week?

05/22/2026

I was thrilled to be a speaker on Day 2 of in St. Louis this week—and with a 10 am time slot, no less (speakers know the danger of the post-lunch or pre-happy hour session!) I have presented webinars for Bloomerang, but this was my first in-person event.

With the rise of Canva use in nonprofits and the fact that most fundraising professionals are not trained designers, I was excited to share my talk, “Quick Design Fixes That Boost Donor Engagement,” with tips for using design effectively in donor communications.

I shared examples of design pitfalls in 5 key areas: color, typography, layout, imagery, and call to action. I showed “bad examples” (I finally found a good use for AI image generation) along with actual client examples of how to do it well.

The bottom line is that good donor design should communicate emotion, convey trust, and most importantly, encourage action. Thank you, Bloomerang, for inviting me to speak!

If you attended my session, what design change do you plan to make?

p.s. If you missed it, comment below for a copy of my "5-Minute Design Checklist for Nonprofit Communications."

05/22/2026

I missed Day 1 of Bloomerang's thanks to weather-related travel delays in both Chicago and St. Louis, but Day 2 made up for it with so many strong reminders about what truly drives engagement and giving. A few standout takeaways:

1) Engagement over perfection.
Julia Campbell’s session on social media reinforced the power of authentic storytelling (everyone loves to see people/faces), conversational content, and short-form video with strong hooks and branding.

2) People give because they want to:
- Be part of something
- Be known
- Make a difference
Samantha Swaim’s session on designing events referenced a book I enjoyed (Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering) and spoke about the importance of conveying community and connection in events ("How do we want people to feel when gathering?")

3) “What inspires giving is an emotional spark.”
Melaina Chromy of Bloomerang and Julia Campbell presented and discussed fundraising data and donor behavior (from Bloomerang's most recent report), showing the importance of clarity, belonging, and helping donors see their impact (“What happens because of me?”)

4) “Storytelling is the most underrated skill.”
Stephanie Hubbard, CFRE and Tony Spearman-Leach’s session on manifesting major gifts focused on the power of the story—donors will act when they see a vision of what they help create.

So many practical ideas to bring back to my client work, workshops and webinars, and fundraising conversations.

Did you have a standout takeaway or soundbite from ?

05/20/2026

Many authors think branding starts and ends with visuals, but a strong author brand is really about strategy, positioning, and connection.

On July 9, I’ll be joining Conspire Creative's Power Hour for Authors to lead a conversation on Author Branding as Business Strategy. During this free 60-minute Zoom session, we’ll explore how intentional branding can help you reach the right audience, grow your influence, and create meaningful opportunities for your author career.

Come with your branding questions and leave with practical insights, direction, and a stronger understanding of how to build a brand that truly supports your work.

Reserve your spot at the link in the comments!

05/19/2026

Have nonprofit branding questions? Join me every third Wednesday of the month for a live 30-minute online session where we’ll talk about branding strategy, messaging, audience personas, logos, and more.

Drawing from 25+ years of nonprofit branding experience, along with ongoing research into AI and productivity tools, I’ll share practical insights and actionable ideas you can start using immediately.

Each session is limited to just 15 participants to keep the conversation focused and interactive. The next session takes place on Wednesday, June 17. Registration link is in the comments.

05/15/2026

Any fellow graphic designer still think “Adobe Illustrator” when you hear the word “AI?”

Adobe launched Illustrator in 1987, so it’s been a big part of many of our lives—especially those who have been using it for decades like myself. The vector files generated in Illustrator have a .ai extension so we commonly call them “Ai files.”

I use Illustrator for social media graphics and animations, charts, infographics, and other purposes that require illustration and/or vector art—especially logos and brand elements. Designer-generated logos and other branding elements—as opposed to the other “AI” kind—assure that your identity is original and copyrightable. (And allow me to remind you to always have a vector version of your logo—please don’t try to print with a PNG file.)

Now excuse me, while I go create “Ai artwork”—the human kind.

05/15/2026

I was honored to be featured in a recent Business.com article discussing the marketing challenges nonprofits are facing today, a topic I care deeply about. In the piece, I share insights on why building a consistent nonprofit brand matters and how organizations can strengthen their branding over time.

You can find the full article linked in the comments.

What marketing obstacle do you struggle with the most today?

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