Center for the Study of Social Policy
“This work helped us move from strategy on paper to strategy in action. Our North Star is no longer just a framework — it is visible in how we show up, how we communicate, and how we lead. We could never have made this kind of progress without Mission Partners by our side.”
– Leonard Burton (President and CEO of CSSP)
Bringing a Bold Vision to Life for a National Policy Leader
Client: Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP)
Project: Strategic Communications Transformation and Brand Refresh
For more than four decades, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) has advanced policies and practices that support children, families, and communities. In 2025, as CSSP unveiled a bold new North Star and strategic plan, the organization faced a pivotal opportunity: to ensure its vision for the future was clearly articulated, embraced internally and externally.
CSSP engaged Mission Partners as a year-long strategic communications partner to help translate its new strategy into a cohesive public presence–one that would humanize the organization, clarify its role in the field, and cement its position as a trusted national leader.
The Approach:
Align Strategy, Brand, and Executive Voice
From the outset, our shared goals were clear:
Establish shared grounding in CSSP’s North Star, purpose, and strategic priorities across audiences.
Humanize the organization while building a unified voice.
Position CSSP as a trusted, coherent national source — not simply a collection of initiatives.
We began by supporting the public release of CSSP’s North Star and strategic plan, ensuring the vision was communicated with clarity and cohesion.
Our work included:
Message development to articulate the North Star and strategic priorities
Development and publication of a public-facing strategic plan
Staff and Board trainings to align leadership and ambassadors around the strategy
Development of holding statements, key issue positions, and an issues management framework to support disciplined messaging
This foundational work ensured that CSSP’s renewed direction was not simply announced but embedded across the organization.
A Thoughtful Rebrand Rooted in Strategy
With the strategy clarified, we updated the brand identity to reflect CSSP’s bold vision and practical impact. Mission Partners developed a comprehensive brand book, including templates, an updated logo, color palette, typography, and visual system, along with messaging frameworks to support funder and partner conversations. The result was a cohesive, modern visual and verbal identity that enabled CSSP staff to communicate consistently across programs and platforms, strengthening trust and recognition.
Designing and Launching a New Website
To bring CSSP’s impact into sharper focus, we led the strategy, design, and launch of a redesigned website that centered CSSP’s North Star and strategic priorities, elevated impact stories and improved user experience, navigation, and accessibility.
The website shifted CSSP’s digital presence from project-based silos to a unified narrative of systems-level impact and racial equity leadership.
Bringing the Mission to Life Through Video
To further humanize the organization and explain how CSSP works, Mission Partners developed an animated mission video translating complex systems-change work into a compelling, accessible story. The video now serves as a cornerstone brand asset, helping audiences quickly understand CSSP’s purpose and approach.
Sustained Communications and Thought Leadership
Our partnership also included ongoing strategic communications to reinforce CSSP’s credibility and national voice. Key initiatives included:
Monthly newsletters with a consistent distribution cadence
Social media strategy development and platform management
Placement of commentaries and media interviews
Development of a printed Impact at a Glance for funder and partner engagement
The Results:
A Unified Brand and a Stronger National Presence
Together, these efforts ensured that CSSP could communicate more consistently and show up strategically in key moments. By the close of 2025, CSSP was no longer presenting as a collection of initiatives, but as one coherent organization — grounded in its North Star, confident in its voice, and positioned as a trusted leader advancing racial equity and justice nationwide.
Dive Deeper:
Interested in hearing more about our work with CSSP? Listen to Carrie Fox’s conversation with Leonard Burton, President and CEO of CSSP, on the Mission Forward podcast.
