Building a Brand That Restores, Elevates, and Leads
Reentry Reimagined
Case Study: Fractional CMO & Strategic Brand Leadership for T.O.N.E. U.P.
Introduction
When Antonio Williams set out to change how Minnesota supports people after incarceration, he didn’t just launch a nonprofit—he sparked a movement. As the Founder & Executive Director of T.O.N.E. U.P., Antonio is building leadership pipelines, shaping policy, and redefining what safety and reentry look like for justice-impacted communities.
I partnered with T.O.N.E. U.P. as their Fractional Chief Marketing Officer to clarify their brand voice, structure their digital presence, and build the systems needed to scale their visibility and impact. This case study outlines how brand strategy, storytelling, and infrastructure aligned to elevate one of the most important community-driven organizations in Minneapolis.
Case Study:
Strategy for a System Disruptor Rebranding Reentry with Antonio Williams and T.O.N.E. U.P.
T.O.N.E. U.P. Case Study
Strategic Marketing and Brand Transformation for a Reentry Nonprofit
Client: T.O.N.E. U.P. (Teaching Ourselves New Examples to Uplift People)
Industry: Nonprofit, Civic Engagement, Reentry Services
Scope: Fractional CMO (Marketing Strategy, Branding, Web, Donor Engagement, Events)
Timeline: 2022 – Present
Website: toneup.org
The Challenge
T.O.N.E. U.P. had a powerful mission and deep community roots—but lacked the marketing structure, brand clarity, and visibility to match. As the organization grew beyond its grassroots beginnings, they needed professional marketing leadership to strengthen fundraising, modernize communications, and increase digital presence.
Leadership knew they needed more than just social media posts—they needed an executive-level strategist to build sustainable systems and bring their message to the forefront.
What I Delivered
As Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, I rebuilt the entire marketing ecosystem from the ground up:
Rebranded the Website: Rewrote all site copy, redesigned page structure, updated SEO metadata, and implemented clear donor pathways to improve navigation and conversions.
Created Content Systems: Developed blog strategy and editorial direction for “The Uplift Journal,” centering fellow stories, civic wins, and educational posts.
Elevated Visual Brand: Updated design assets, color palettes, photo library, and typography to better reflect the brand’s strength, clarity, and community voice.
Launched Strategic Email Marketing: Created donor email workflows, fellow spotlights, and branded campaigns that directly supported fundraising.
Social Media Growth: Developed platform-specific strategies that led to measurable follower increases, improved reach, and engagement—especially through music-forward content.
Developed Fellowship & Impact Messaging: Crafted language frameworks for recruitment, community workshops, and system-involved youth programs.
Built Strategic Infrastructure: Created content calendars, integrated Google Analytics and Meta tracking, and developed grant-aligned metrics reporting.
Five-Year Anniversary & Fundraising Event: Planned and executed a major fundraising celebration in June 2025 to commemorate the organization’s five-year milestone. Delivered full event branding, invitation strategy, press outreach, social media countdowns, and follow-up donor communications.
The Impact
Website traffic more than doubled within 60 days post-launch, with users spending more time on site and more visitors converting into email subscribers and donors.
Social engagement increased by 47%, driven by strategic use of music, storytelling, and community-led posts.
Recurring donations increased after launching donor-specific campaigns, clearer giving options, and stronger calls to action.
Earned media visibility including features in MPR, Star Tribune, and AP News during Clean Slate Act rollout—leveraging timely messaging and digital preparedness.
Fundraising success at the 5-Year Celebration exceeded goal projections, resulting in new corporate sponsorships and first-time major donors.
Why It Works
T.O.N.E. U.P. already had community credibility. My role was to bring the strategic clarity, digital infrastructure, and narrative direction to reflect the power of their work—and to set them up for future scale.
This wasn’t just a brand glow-up—it was marketing leadership aligned with justice-driven impact. The work continues.