Winnipeg Foundation has unveiled its first new brand identity in three decades, reflecting what the organization describes as the city’s enduring generosity and its own role in supporting the community.
Established in 1921, the endowment-based organization pools gifts from Winnipeggers into a permanent fund whose returns support the city year after year.
Agency partner Brandish helped uncover and articulate that story through the new brand platform, “Generosity Forever,” which honours the lasting legacy of existing donors while inviting future generations to contribute.
The partnership included the development of the brand platform and messaging, a complete visual identity and a comprehensive suite of brand assets. Brandish also supported content strategy and copywriting for Winnipeg Foundation’s new website, collaborating with Mangrove on the digital experience and partnering with Enjoy Creative to produce the launch film, “Love Letter to Winnipeg.”
As part of the rebrand, the organization is dropping “The” from its public-facing name and will now be known as Winnipeg Foundation. Its legal charitable name remains unchanged, but the updated public-facing name is intended to create a “warmer, more inclusive identity.”
According to Jon Manning, creative director at Brandish, the work was created by people who love Winnipeg for people who love Winnipeg and that’s why it feels like a love letter to the city… because it is.
“This work reflects the generosity that flows through the city and the years of collaboration it took to bring that truth forward,” Manning says. “The new brand is ready for its next chapter without losing sight of the ones that came before.” 
“Growing up in Winnipeg, I’ve seen firsthand how the Foundation touches the people, organizations, and places that make this city what it is,” says Derek Elliott, managing director at Brandish. “We hope the organizations it supports, and the donors whose generosity makes that work possible, see this new brand as a celebration of their contribution and a renewed commitment to a flourishing, hopeful Winnipeg for generations to come.”
The new identity will be introduced across Winnipeg Foundation’s communications, digital platforms, and community initiatives in the coming months.
The launch includes owned media, direct outreach and content and visual storytelling. Winnipeg Foundation has relaunched its website and placed a letter to the community in the Winnipeg Free Press, accompanied by a direct mail piece that combines the reach of print with a more personal touchpoint.
A new library of original photography, shot at what the organization calls “sites of impact,” will also spotlight the community organizations supported by Winnipeg Foundation.
