DONOR WALL SIGNAGE: At the Heart of the matter in this new Ronald McDonald House that is 100% donor-funded.
It takes a village to raise a child. But when children are sick, that village shows up in extraordinary ways. In Peoria, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois built a new facility for families to stay while their child receives medical care. Their programs directly improve the health and well-being of children.
To fund this new facility, the community rallied around the Ronald McDonald House. Receiving unparalleled support made thoughtful donor recognition sign design a matter of utmost importance to the new building’s architectural signage package.
The design-build process with Latitude was a remarkable experience that took place over several months. Their team truly had their work cut out for them due to the varying needs we had as a nonprofit, including our goals of improving our visibility in the community on the exterior while providing a welcoming environment to our families on the interior, all while creatively recognizing the numerous businesses, individuals and organizations in the community who helped to make this project possible.
DONOR RECOGNITION SIGNAGE: From Donor Wall Ideas to Install
In a building that serves as a resting place, a refuge, for weary parents and family members, its modern interior decor had to be uplifting and inspirational. Our design team got to work bringing fun, beauty, and functionality together in this design-build sign project.
We begin with a cascading rainbow of colors in a donor wall that welcomes guests in the front atrium. “The entry is a tall, narrow space with lots of windows,” says Tom Wilcoxen, Central Illinois Sign Expert. “Latitude Signage Latimer Group designed the donor wall to be bold and impactful. You can see the bright colors from outside before you even enter the building.”
This striking sign design sets a playful tone for the entire House and serves to honor the donors who have made such a tremendous impact on the lives of the families who use this space. The spectrum of colors was created with a series of acrylic panels. “We applied the donor names using vinyl, this is a dynamic way to stay flexible with future donor additions and keep with the design intent,” said Andrej Steinbergs, the Environmental Graphic Designer on this project.
Because the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois partnered with many businesses and donors there are several donor walls. Construction partners who donated labor and products helped keep costs in check. These adopt-the-house partnerships are highlighted on a donor wall that looks like a scatter plot of acrylic panels around the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois logo.
When you’re serving children with critical medical conditions and their families, no gift is too big or too small. During the Summer of HOPE campaign, individuals who donated to the charity could add their name or a short message to the HOPE donor wall.
Our expert sign designers configured all the messages from the Hope Campaign to fill the “O” in an oversized sign that spells HOPE. This creative donor wall offers encouragement and a backdrop for family photos and frequent selfies. This donor wall was strategically planned to expand adding letters as future fundraising campaigns conclude.
CUSTOM OUTDOOR SIGNS: Big Signs Make A Big Impact
Before you even step foot into the Ronald McDonald House, bold exterior signage serves as a beacon of hope. Giant illuminated logo signs were manufactured with Flex Face, a signage material that’s stretched over a frame. Flex Face creates a seamless design that looks great day or night and is incredibly durable.
The vision for the exterior signage was to emphasize the charity’s presence. But as a non-profit, they also wanted to keep the project on budget. To meet this goal, our team recommended only illuminating the logo sign and using aluminum letters below the logo. This strategy saved on production costs and electrical installation, and it allows the logo to shine bright as the focal point at night.
EXPERIENTIAL SIGN DESIGN: Thoughtful Impacts for a Warm User Experience
Throughout the Ronald McDonald House, experiential sign designs create a welcoming ambiance. Right away, guests see a heart-shaped word cloud sign that reads “Welcome” in a variety of languages.
Playful Pac-Man characters top the lounge area inside the Game Room. Silly messages in vinyl lettering bring a smile to those who visit the laundry room. In addition to directional and ADA signage, the signage design in the Ronald McDonald House is intended to surprise and delight its guests.
PROUD SIGN PARTNERS
Staying at the Ronald McDonald House is a club that no parent wants to join, but those who experience it are forever grateful. Witnessing the impact this place makes on the lives of children and their families makes everyone here proud to have played a small role in being the village serving these families in their time of need.
👉🏻If you have questions or want to learn more about design-build and donor signage reach out to one of our sign experts today!
The sign team worked tirelessly to meet our deadlines and expectations! We are incredibly appreciative and grateful for their team's efforts in helping our Peoria Ronald McDonald House come to life through the colorful, warm and creative signage displayed throughout our program.
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