Noah Livingston

Building a new nonprofit institution from the ground up—brand identity, fundraising communications, legal formation, and operational infrastructure.

• Designed and launched the organization's complete brand identity and website (commongoodannarbor.org)—visual identity system, information architecture, and all copy.
• Researched and wrote the donor-facing prospectus and case for support: demographic and market analysis, phased launch strategy, and a three-year operating budget.
• Drafted the organization's bylaws and governance framework as a Michigan ecclesiastical corporation, including financial controls and conflict-of-interest policy.

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Led all communications for a 300+ member organization through a multi-year denominational disaffiliation—one of the most consequential decisions in the institution's 75-year history. Directed a 37-person team of musicians, production staff, and contractors—largely volunteers, led through influence and relationship rather than positional authority.

Content & Creative Production

• Led the communications function across newsletters, email campaigns, website, and social media—setting strategy and creative direction while directing a Communications Coordinator responsible for day-to-day execution and distribution.
• Designed multi-format brand campaigns (including the Belhar Confession series), print and digital materials, and all campaign creative assets in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Produced 4K documentary and short-form video (Final Cut Pro X and Motion), institutional photography, and original music composition for video.
• Led the redesign and migration of the organization's website (WordPress to Squarespace), managing information architecture, visual design, and content strategy.
• Wrote in the voice of the institution's leadership—drafting leadership statements, organizational letters, and public-facing messaging signed by three principals with distinct voices during a period of significant organizational change.

Strategy & Executive Counsel

• Served as primary communications counsel to a 16-member governing board through a politically charged institutional decision—advising on message sequencing, stakeholder framing, and leadership voice across a multi-year period of sustained uncertainty.
• Authored the Three Futures / Five Futures framework—a strategic analysis that equipped the governing board to navigate the organization's denominational future, translating complex research into clear, decision-ready materials.
• Co-designed and led a three-part community engagement series in partnership with organizational leadership; built research instruments, gathered data from 103 participants, and authored summary reports that structured community feedback into actionable findings for senior leadership.
• Drafted time-sensitive communications on organizational changes and reputational matters—coordinating messaging with legal counsel, senior leadership, and the governing board under high-pressure conditions.

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Operational and visionary lead for a 175-member organization with a staff of six, an in-house preschool, and a 150-year institutional history. Served as board president, communications director, and primary creative producer.

• Served as president of the governing board—setting organizational direction, stewarding institutional resources, and leading a cross-functional staff team through scheduling, performance management, and organizational development.
• Directed a communications manager and oversaw all organizational communications: brand identity, print materials, digital presence, and community-facing messaging.
• Designed the organization's logo and full visual brand identity from the ground up—typographic system, color palette, and graphic language used throughout tenure.
• Authored and produced a regular print newsletter, maintaining a consistent editorial voice and publication cadence across a multi-year run.
• Led weekly public programming—each a fully produced, multi-element event requiring scripting, musician coordination, production oversight, and real-time execution.

• Website redesigns and communications projects for Western Theological Seminary (full site redesign: information architecture, visual design, photography, copywriting), the Hope College Music Department, and the Veritas Forum at Hope College.