Dayton Daily News
VOICES: HIV diagnosis still brings stigma, legal complications.
FeatureCase studies
Results from real client work.
How The MCS Agency helps nonprofits turn growing programs, stories and complex data into one clear picture.
In short
The MCS Agency built a brand system for a Cincinnati clinical lab that has since seen more client intake and referrals, rebuilt the identity of a children’s relief organization whose donations are up 25 percent, unified the brand of a food nonprofit that grew from 3 staff to 10, turned legal data into a map for a statewide health report, and grew Facebook views for Hosea House, a Northern Kentucky soup kitchen, by 139 percent and then another 46.8 percent.
The work
Five clients. Five kinds of work.
Each case study follows the same path: who the client is, what they needed, what we made and what changed. Pick one to jump straight to it.
Brand identity · Healthcare
Wi Care Clinical Labs
A clinical-grade brand system for a Cincinnati diagnostic lab.
Moreclient intake and referrals since the rebrand
Read the case study
Rebrand · Nonprofit
BackPack4Kids
A scalable identity for a children’s relief organization, built from its original sketch.
+25%in donations since the rebrand
Read the case study
Brand and outreach · Nonprofit
AfriThrive
One brand and one voice for a fast-growing food mission.
3 → 10full-time staff
Read the case study
Data visualization · Policy
Ohio Health Modernization Movement
A county-level HIV criminalization map, a full campaign toolkit and coverage across Ohio’s newsrooms.
88Ohio counties mapped
Read the case study
Social media · Nonprofit
Hosea House
Photo-led storytelling for a Northern Kentucky soup kitchen.
260.4KFacebook views in the latest 90 days, up 46.8%
Read the case studyCase study 01 / 05
Wi Care Clinical Labs
A clinical-grade brand system for a Cincinnati diagnostic lab, from logo to waiting room.
Client
The diagnostic laboratory division of Wi Care Health Services, a Cincinnati healthcare company.
What we did
4logo configurations
3approved colorways
1typeface across every touchpoint
↑client intake and referrals since the rebrand
01
The challenge
Wi Care serves patients, physicians, urgent care centers, nursing homes and schools across the Cincinnati area, with fast turnaround, mobile phlebotomy and walk-in access. It needed every touchpoint, from a business card to a website to a phone call, to say the same thing: expert, accessible, fast and rooted in Cincinnati.
02
What we did
We built the brand foundation and wrote it into a guide for designers, vendors, staff and partners: positioning and values, the logo system, color palette, typography, voice and tone, tagline options, audience messaging and a language reference.
03
The outcome
Since the rebrand, Wi Care has seen an increase in client intake and referrals. Everyone who produces materials on its behalf now works from one reference for how the brand looks and sounds.
Before and after
From a smiling heart to a clinical-grade identity.
BEFORE
Earlier materials used a smiling heart with raised hands.
AFTER
A microscope, a W and a beaker form one mark, in stacked and horizontal lockups, an icon and a profile icon.
Inside the brand guidelines
One guide for everyone who touches the brand.
01
A logo built from the story
A microscope silhouette, a W and a beaker form one mark, offered in four configurations and three approved colorways.
02
A focused palette
Cobalt blue (#0124C3) anchors the identity, with a cobalt-to-orchid gradient reserved for the logo and neutrals for readability, at a 4.5 to 1 minimum contrast for body text.
03
One typeface
Montserrat carries every touchpoint, with hierarchy set by weight alone.
04
Voice and messaging
Tone guidance, tagline options and messaging for each audience keep every communication consistent.
Case study 02 / 05
BackPack4Kids
A brand carried by care: a scalable identity for a children’s relief organization, rooted in its original sketch.
Client
A nonprofit that provides emergency backpacks to children affected by crises.
What we did
BEFORE
Early caps, vests, artwork and forms each carried a slightly different mark.
AFTER
One identity for digital, print, merchandise and packaging.
+25%in donations since the rebrand
“Her team listened closely, helped us articulate what we had been struggling to say and shaped a brand story that finally sounded like us.”
CEO, BackPack4Kids
01
The challenge
The early logo placed two children inside a blue oval flanked by aviation-style golden wings. It was meaningful and recognizable, but hard to use across materials. BackPack4Kids needed a brand that reflected where it was going, professional and recognizable, while still centering the children.
02
What we did
The MCS Agency took on the full transformation, from brand identity to marketing ecosystem: logo, website, brochures, one-pagers, presentations, a fundraising pitch deck, social templates and a messaging strategy. Every piece stayed true to the original sketch and the story behind it.
03
The outcome
Donations are up 25 percent since the rebrand. The identity now works across digital, print, merchandise and packaging, the story is easier to tell, and every platform says the same thing: this backpack was packed with care, and you are not forgotten.
The story behind the brand
It started with children who had nothing of their own.
While stationed in Germany, Bill Vaughn watched refugee children arrive with no supplies and no bags, only the clothes they wore. His idea was simple: give each child a backpack filled with hygiene items, books, clothing and a quiet message, you matter.
Stacey helped turn that instinct into an operating model, recruiting pilot volunteers and coordinating delivery. One early volunteer drew two children walking hand in hand, backpacks on their shoulders. That drawing became the visual heart of the organization.
“What stuck with me were the kids. The kids who had nothing of their own. It felt wrong. I couldn’t shake it.”
CEO, BackPack4Kids
The new identity
An evolution, not a departure.
01
The children
Always hand in hand, as in the original sketch. They stand for dignity, companionship and forward motion.
02
The backpack silhouette
The children now appear inside the outline of a backpack, the central tool of the mission.
03
Structured golden wings
Refined aviation symbolism that honors the program’s origin among volunteer pilots.
04
Typography and tagline
A clear, modern typeface paired with the tagline Small Act. BIG IMPACT.
Case study 03 / 05
AfriThrive
One brand and one voice for a food mission that grew from a parking lot to a building of its own.
Client
A nonprofit strengthening African immigrant families through food, economic opportunity and culturally rooted programs.
What we did
3 → 10full-time staff
1 → 3trucks in the fleet
57.5Korganic LinkedIn views in 2025
+183%3-second video views on LinkedIn
01
The challenge
As AfriThrive grew to include multi-county food distributions, urban farming and integration programs, it ran several initiatives with limited communications capacity. Its messaging was fragmented, its visual identity varied from piece to piece, and digital engagement was low.
02
What we did
- Clearer messaging. Consistent language for how AfriThrive describes its work.
- A refreshed identity. One look and feel across programs and channels.
- Aligned outreach. Every initiative speaks in the same voice to funders, families and partners.
03
The outcome
AfriThrive grew from 3 staff and a single truck distributing food in a parking lot to 10 full-time staff, a federal grant, a fleet of three trucks, cold storage and plans to break ground on its own building. Its brand now presents that growth in one consistent voice.
Then and now
From a parking lot to a building of its own.
WHEN WE STARTED
- One truck
- Food distributed from a parking lot
- A staff of 3
TODAY
- 10 full-time staff
- A federal grant
- A fleet of 3 trucks and cold storage
- Breaking ground on its own building
LinkedIn figures: AfriThrive’s LinkedIn analytics, 2025, all organic. The top post, an International Women’s Day feature on real women from the community, drew 3.0K views.
Case study 04 / 05
Ohio Health Modernization Movement
A statewide campaign to modernize Ohio’s HIV laws: a county-level map people can read, a full set of campaign materials and a message that carried into newsrooms across the state.
Client
A statewide initiative working to modernize Ohio’s HIV laws, whose final report examined HIV criminalization across the state.
What we did
From the final report
88 counties. Three colors. One clear picture.
Every Ohio county was sorted into one of three categories, so readers can see at a glance where HIV-related criminal cases were recorded.
- More than 5 casesSeven counties, led by the urban centers of Cuyahoga, Franklin and Hamilton, plus Lucas, Montgomery, Warren and Allen.
- 1 to 5 casesA large band of counties, including Lorain, Summit, Stark, Butler and much of southern Ohio.
- No recorded casesMany counties, mostly rural, across the northwest, center and east of the state.
Aggregate counts only, so no individual can be identified. Reporting practices vary from county to county.
88Ohio counties mapped
7counties with more than five recorded cases
11news outlets that covered the campaign
14op-eds, features and broadcast stories
01
The challenge
The Ohio Health Modernization Movement needed to show where HIV-related criminal cases were recorded across Ohio’s counties, and to make the case for reform to lawmakers, the press and the public in plain language.
02
What we did
We gathered case counts for each county from public records and legal databases, sorted every county into one of three categories and overlaid the results on a GIS map, showing aggregate counts only. Then we built one identity across the toolkit, fact sheet, rack card, media protocol and social posts.
03
The outcome
The map became an exhibit in the movement’s final report for public health officials, legal advocates and community organizations. Doctors, advocates and people living with HIV carried the message into newspapers, public radio and TV across Ohio.
OHMM news coverage
The campaign in the news.
Modernizing HIV laws together
Op-eds and features in Ohio newspapers
Columbus Dispatch
Doctors Carlos Malvestutto and Michael Para say anti-science Ohio laws perpetuate fear, sending innocent people with HIV to jail.
Op-ed
Cincinnati Enquirer
For the good of all of us, it is time we modernize HIV laws, writes infectious disease expert Dr. Carl Fichtenbaum.
Op-ed
The Courier
Let’s end the HIV epidemic, urges Dr. Yasmin Bradley. The present looks far better than the past.
Op-ed
Akron Beacon Journal
Kent woman Kimberley Gantz, living with HIV for 18 years, urges updates to Ohio laws.
Op-ed
Columbus Dispatch
Ohio law codifies fear and discrimination for people living with HIV/AIDS, argues Graig Cote, an advocate for more than 30 years.
Op-ed
Cleveland.com
Ohio HIV laws must catch up with science and society, say Drs. Barbara Gripshover and Ann Avery, infectious disease specialists in Cleveland.
Op-edCleveland Plain Dealer
Medical advances can make people with HIV nontransmissible if they know their status and seek treatment, writes the editorial board of Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.
Editorial
Spectrum News
Naimah O’Neal has lived with HIV for 30 years, since her diagnosis in 1992 at the age of 29.
FeatureOn air and online
Radio, video and podcast coverage
- A group of doctors and advocates are pushing to change Ohio’s laws around HIVCincinnati Public RadioListen
- Doctors: Anti-science Ohio laws perpetuate fear, sending innocent people with HIV to jailThe Columbus DispatchWatch
- Stopping HIV criminalizationDisruptNow Podcast: Rob Richardson talks with Dr. Carl Fichtenbaum about how fear drives Ohio’s HIV laws.Watch
- VOICES: HIV diagnosis still brings stigma, legal complicationsDayton Daily NewsWatch
- Advocates push for changes to Ohio’s HIV-related laws as COVID-19 changes policiesStatehouse News BureauListen
Campaign materials
One identity across every piece of the campaign.
Case study 05 / 05
Hosea House
Photo-led storytelling that turned a Northern Kentucky soup kitchen’s Facebook page into the place neighbors, volunteers and donors show up every evening.
Client
Henry Hosea House, a community meal program on York Street in Newport, Kentucky, serving a hot dinner to neighbors in need every evening.
What we did
Posts from the Hosea House Facebook page: real neighbors, volunteers and kitchen moments, in a consistent black-and-gold frame. See a wider view of the feed
Latest 90 days
July 16 to October 13, 2026, compared with the previous 90 days
260.4Kviews, up 46.8%
68.7Kpeople reached, up 41%
4.8Kcontent interactions, up 37.7%
208link clicks, up 45.5%
01
The challenge
Hosea House wanted its Facebook page to show the people and community moments behind every dinner it serves, and to reach neighbors, volunteers and donors beyond the people who already followed it.
02
What we did
We manage the page with content built around real people. We plan and publish posts about dinner service, volunteers and guests, frame each post in the Hosea House black and gold, pair donation asks with clear price points, and use the results to shape the next round of posts.
03
The outcome
The page grew two quarters in a row. Views rose 139 percent in our first 90 days, then rose another 46.8 percent on top of that to 260.4K, with more people reached, more interactions and more clicks through to the website.
Growth that compounds
Two quarters, two jumps in reach.
April 22 to July 20, 2026
177,657views, up 139%- +175% engagement: 8,870 reactions, comments and shares
- 78% of views from people not yet following
- 88% of views from photo posts
- 3,051 followers, a net gain of 180
July 16 to October 13, 2026
260.4Kviews, up another 46.8%- 68.7K people reached, up 41%
- 4.8K content interactions, up 37.7%
- 208 link clicks, up 45.5%
- Peak day passed 40K views in mid-August
What we post
Four kinds of posts, one recognizable look.
The proof
Straight from the dashboard.
The figures on this page come from the Hosea House Facebook professional dashboard. Views peaked in mid-August, when posts traveled well past the page’s usual audience, and the page has held a steady baseline of views and interactions since.
For a meal program, reach matters in practical ways. Every post is a chance to recruit a volunteer, ask for a needed item or remind a neighbor that dinner is served at 4:00.
Source: the Hosea House Facebook professional dashboard, April 22 to July 20, 2026, and July 16 to October 13, 2026, all organic. Percent changes compare each period with the 90 days before it.
Back to all case studiesQuestions
Questions about our work.
What does The MCS Agency do for nonprofits?
The MCS Agency builds brands, websites, communications strategy and social media programs for nonprofits, and it turns complex information into clear visuals. These case studies show that work for AfriThrive, BackPack4Kids and the Ohio Health Modernization Movement.
How did the BackPack4Kids rebrand come together?
We redesigned the logo, built the website, produced brochures, one-pagers and presentation materials, created a fundraising pitch deck, and delivered social media templates and a messaging strategy, all anchored in the organization’s origin story. Donations are up 25 percent since the rebrand.
How has AfriThrive grown since working with The MCS Agency?
AfriThrive grew from a staff of 3 and one truck distributing food in a parking lot to 10 full-time staff, a federal grant, a fleet of three trucks, cold storage and plans to break ground on its own building. Its brand now presents that growth in one consistent voice.
What did The MCS Agency do for AfriThrive?
We refined AfriThrive’s messaging, refreshed its visual identity and aligned its outreach across all programs, so funders, families and partners see one consistent brand.
What was the Ohio HIV criminalization map?
It was a county-level map showing where HIV-related criminal cases were recorded across Ohio, built from public records and used as an exhibit in the final report for the Ohio Health Modernization Movement. It shows aggregate counts only and identifies no individuals.
How did the Hosea House Facebook page perform?
In our first 90 days in 2026, views on the Hosea House Facebook page rose 139 percent to 177,657 and engagement rose 175 percent, with 78 percent of views coming from people who did not yet follow the page. In the next 90 days, July 16 to October 13, views rose another 46.8 percent to 260.4K, people reached rose 41 percent and link clicks rose 45.5 percent.
Which brand elements did Wi Care receive?
We built the brand foundation for the Cincinnati lab and wrote it into a guide: positioning and values, a logo system, color palette, typography, voice and tone, taglines and audience messaging. Client intake and referrals have increased since the rebrand.
Can I see work for an organization like mine?
Yes. Start a conversation and tell us about your organization, and we will share the examples that fit.
Want results like these?
Tell us about your organization and the team you have today.
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