Case Study: Fauquier Education Foundation (FEF)

Client: Fauquier Education Foundation

Client Contact: Nancy Griffin-Bonnaire, Executive Director

Services Provided: Strategic Rebrand

The Challenge

The Foundation had existed for four decades with minimal success at community awareness/engagement. It lacked a recognizable brand and its website was practically non-functional.

The Approach

FEF sought an organization with a strong reputation of how branding works and how to create the necessary deliverables (logo, website, storytelling and other strategies, etc.). After interviewing four potential clients, POUNCE stood out as the clear choice thanks to their overall approach as well as their experience in guiding another education foundation to unparalleled success.

The Work

The organization officially transitioned its name from the “Fauquier Excellence in Education Foundation” to the more concise Fauquier Education Foundation. POUNCE developed a fresh, modern logo to reflect this streamlined identity, aimed at making the brand more recognizable and professional.

• Redesigned Website:

  • POUNCE launched a new, user-friendly website that serves as a central hub for the foundation’s mission. It highlights core programs like educator professional development grants and My First Book Club.

  • The site was designed to clearly communicate the foundation’s impact, such as the $500,000+ in grant funds distributed since 1984.

• Storytelling & Video Content:

  • A significant part of the rebranding involved humanizing the foundation’s work through multimedia.

  • POUNCE produced a video interview with FCPS Superintendent Dr. Major Warner, who serves on the Board, to discuss the unique partnership between the foundation and the school division.

• Strategic Campaign Integration:

  • The rebrand paved the way for the foundation’s inaugural fundraising campaign: Your $180: Fueling a Year of Educational Excellence. This campaign utilized the new branding to encourage accessible, monthly donations ($15/month) from the community, directly supporting foundation initiatives.

The Impact

The rebranding has successfully positioned the Foundation as a modern, transparent, and essential partner to Fauquier County Public Schools. It has provided a professional platform for new initiatives, such as the Taylor Legacy Commission project, as well as their recent partnership to address student meal debt, which was announced shortly after the brand refresh.

Why POUNCE

"Working with POUNCE Solutions was more than a simple vendor transaction; it was a strategic rebirth for our foundation. For decades, we had operated with a complex name and a fragmented visual identity that didn't fully reflect the energy of our mission. POUNCE didn’t just give us a new logo; they gave us a voice and a platform to tell our story in the digital age.

From the first meeting, the team at POUNCE demonstrated a deep understanding of the unique challenges nonprofits face. They navigated the complexities of our rebranding with precision—simplifying our name, modernizing our website, and humanizing our impact through high-quality storytelling videos.

POUNCE didn’t just deliver marketing materials; they delivered clarity and confidence. We now stand as a more professional, recognizable, and sustainable partner to the Fauquier County Public Schools system, ready to fuel educational excellence for years to come.

POUNCE Solutions didn’t just refresh our brand; they captured our soul. They transformed our history into a modern narrative that resonates with donors and empowers our educators.” - Nancy Griffin-Bonnaire, Executive Director, Fauquier Education Foundation