IMPACT
An Initiative Supporting Local Small Businesses.
Good Businesses deserve to get noticed
There are businesses doing incredible work in their communities that don't always have the time, resources, or creative support to make their brand reflect it.
We'd like to change that—one business at a time.
The Impact Grant is a quarterly initiative created to give one deserving small business access to professional brand strategy and a fresh perspective on what's working, what's getting in the way, and what could make the biggest difference next.
small Businesses. BIG Impact.
Small businesses do a lot more than sell products and services. They create jobs. Give neighborhoods support. Sponsor Little League teams. Remember customers by name. Turn empty storefronts into places people actually want to gather and commune.
And behind most of them is a business owner wearing approximately 47 hats at once.
Brand strategist usually isn't one of them.
The Impact Grant exists to give one local business each quarter the opportunity to step away from the day-to-day and see their business through a different lens. We'll look at where your brand stands today, where you want to take it, and what could help close the gap between the two.
What You'll Receive
The selected business will receive a complimentary brand strategy session in the form of a Brand Audit.
We'll take a strategic look across your brand to understand how customers experience your business—from your visual identity and messaging to your website and overall presence.
You'll walk away knowing what's working, what's creating friction, and where your biggest opportunities may be hiding.
Your audit will include:
1. Brand Performance Scorecard
A clear snapshot of how your brand is currently performing across key areas.
2. In-Depth Brand Audit
A strategic review of your brand identity, messaging, digital presence, consistency, and customer experience.
3. Opportunities + Recommendations
Clear, practical recommendations based specifically on what we uncover—not a generic checklist.
4. Your Next 90 Days
A prioritized roadmap so you know what deserves your attention first and what can wait.
Then what?
Take the recommendations. Run with them. Implement them internally. They're yours.
If the audit uncovers opportunities where branding, web design, packaging, or another Draft One service could help—and you'd like us to handle the implementation—we can talk about that too, but that's entirely your call.
The bottom line is that the Brand Audit will leave you with a clear path forward.
How It Works:
1. Apply
Tell us about your business, what you do, the people you serve, and why you think a Brand Audit could make a difference.
2. We Review
We'll review applications with an eye toward impact, opportunity, and where our expertise could genuinely help.
3. One Business is Selected
One recipient will be chosen for a complimentary Brand Audit.
4. We Dig In
We'll learn about your business, evaluate your brand, uncover opportunities, and build a roadmap on how you can achieve a stronger strategy for your brand.
5. Get The Roadmap
You'll leave with a 90-day roadmap, a clearer picture of your brand today, and a prioritized plan for making it stronger tomorrow.
Who Should Apply?
We're looking for independently owned businesses that care deeply about what they do, contribute something meaningful to the people around them, and have a vision for where they'd like to go next. Maybe you've built an incredible local following but your branding hasn't kept up. Maybe you're preparing to grow. Maybe you're doing everything yourself and know there are opportunities you're too close to the business to see. Or maybe this is simply the first time professional brand strategy has felt within reach.
If your business has somewhere to go, we want to hear about it.
Keeping the impact local
The Impact Grant alternates each quarter between businesses in California's Central Valley, Central Coast, and the Heartland, allowing us to invest our creative skills back into the communities and small businesses that make these regions worth calling home.
CENTRAL VALLEY
Kern · Tulare · Kings · Fresno Counties
CENTRAL COAST
San Luis Obispo · Monterey Counties
KANSAS CITY METRO
Leavenworth · Wyandotte · Johnson · Douglas · Miami Counties
Platte · Clay · Jackson · Cass · Lafayette · Ray · Johnson · Bates · Vernon Counties
Each application period will clearly identify which region is currently eligible.
think your business should be next?
TELL US WHY. You don't need the perfect brand, that's sort of the point. You don't need marketing jargon, a five-year strategic plan, or an elaborate pitch either. We want to hear about the business you've built, the community you serve, where you're trying to take it, and what having access to professional brand strategy could mean for what's next.
Bring us your story. We'll take it from there.