01 / Logo
The full-color mark, designed from a tax ID and a mission.
Hopeful, capable, and grounded. The mark holds up in print, on the website, and on the merch the program puts in front of foster youth, donors, and partners.
02 / Color Palette
Bright, hopeful, and grounded. Built to feel like opportunity, not pity.
The palette pairs an optimistic blue with a warm orange and an energetic pink, anchored by deep navy and cream. Every color earns its place: blue for trust and stability, orange for action, pink for community, navy for authority, cream for warmth.
03 / Typography
Plus Jakarta Sans for headlines, DM Sans for body. Confident and human.
Plus Jakarta Sans gives the brand a modern, geometric feel with personality in the rounder letterforms. DM Sans handles long reading with quiet warmth. The pairing reads polished without ever feeling corporate or cold.
04 / Buttons & UI
Pill-shaped, color-coded by action.
Orange buttons drive primary actions like Donate and Get Involved. Blue outlines handle secondary navigation. Pink reserved for high-stakes campaign moments and event registrations. All buttons use Plus Jakarta Sans Semibold and a fully rounded pill radius for warmth.
05 / Brand Voice
Warm, capable, and outcome-focused. Lead with what's possible.
ACF speaks with hope and competence. Center the youth, their potential, and the path forward, not the trauma they came from. The voice should feel like a trusted neighbor, not a charity ad. Specific outcomes always beat vague pleas.
Do
"This year, eight young adults moved into safe housing with a real shot at independence. Your gift is what makes that possible."
Do
"Help a youth get their first apartment, their first job, and their first stable year as an adult."
Don't
"These poor kids have been through so much trauma and they need your help."
Don't
"Without your donation, foster youth will end up homeless. Are you really going to let that happen?"
06 / Photography
Real youth, real moments, real Sacramento.
Photography should show foster youth as the capable young adults they are. Favor candid moments of work, study, friendship, and everyday life over posed studio shots or anything that reads as "before and after." Warm natural light, no filters, no clichés.
When stock is necessary, choose images that feel local and contemporary. No stock photos of children's hands holding adult hands. No black-and-white tearjerker portraits. The brand stands for opportunity, and the imagery has to back that up.