BRANDING
Colorado Clean Energy Fund
Colorado Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) is a nonprofit, mission-based investment fund dedicated to building systemic change in the finance industry by expanding access to capital to underserved and vulnerable communities. Their model of finance prioritizes people and planet over profit, pursues Colorado’s climate goals, and influences economic and environmental justice.
At the beginning of our partnership, CCEF was using a preliminary brand on an informational website and other communications documents, but it didn’t reflect their values or speak to why they do what they do. After a robust discovery phase, Linden helped CCEF create a brand that looks, feels and establishes them as the go-to source for clean energy project funding, and as a resource for education and action for a sustainable future.
Keywords
Laying out the tone of their brand, Colorado Clean Energy Fund needed to feel:
- approachable
- accessible
- transparent
- knowledgeable
- kind
- empathetic
Key Feelings
Their brand also needed to show how they are:
conscious
focused on people and focused on the planet
invested
health and economic benefits of clean energy
And the brand needed to look:
crisp – clean – clear
While also communicating energy – for clean energy, of course, but also for action and positive progress.
“It’s circular. It’s all connected. And so are we.”
The logo and brand update we landed on with Colorado Clean Energy Fund connects their values and services to their mission to save the world.
Their logo mark – a representation of the North Star – can be used on its own, with the full logo or the abbreviated logo, leading CCEF’s broad audiences where they need to go.
And with the flexibility to use their logo in a variety of ways, the CCEF brand remains approachable in every communication style, which allows them to seamlessly connect with borrowers, lenders, partners and advocates.
A Path to Change
To design and develop the new Colorado Clean Energy Fund website, we focused on keeping things clear and simple – but not simplistic. The site is intended to lead visitors through intentional paths, while also engaging them with CCEF’s purpose: to create a sustainable future for people and the planet using clean energy adoption as a catalyst.
