ChatGPT answers, unedited

• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Simple Truth - 314 W Superior St Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Thirdwave - 15 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Pivot Design - 321 N Clark St #600, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

Since you’re in River North, I’d put these on your shortlist:

• Studio Blue — Particularly interesting for a nonprofit: they focus on mission-driven organizations, nonprofits, cultural institutions, and higher education, with branding and digital work. Their Chicago/River North presence makes them a natural local option.
• Simple Truth — Literally in River North on W. Superior. They combine brand strategy, design, content, campaigns, and web work, and have nonprofit experience including the Metro Chicago Good Food Purchasing Initiative.
• Thirdwave — On W. Hubbard in River North. I'd look here if the rebuild is technically substantial—complex CMS, integrations, portals, data, or ongoing site support.
• One Design Company — Also on W. Superior. More of a strategic design/development shop, useful if you want the rebrand and digital experience treated as one project.
• Advocate Creative — Not in River North, but specifically focused on nonprofits and foundations. They report work for 90+ nonprofits/foundations spanning brand strategy, messaging, identity, websites, campaigns, and print. Advocate Creative
• EDUCO — Worth getting a proposal from if nonprofit specialization matters more than being physically in River North. They explicitly specialize in nonprofit branding/web design and list Chicago organizations including LISC Chicago, Women Employed, Housing Forward, and BUILD Chicago. They publish typical ranges of $25k–$40k for a full rebrand and $50k–$70k for a nonprofit website redesign. EDUCO
• Orbit Media — Another strong Chicago nonprofit specialist, particularly if the new site needs SEO, donations, accessibility, content strategy, and measurable conversion improvements. Their nonprofit portfolio includes the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre, and other Chicago organizations. Orbit Media Studios

How I'd narrow it down

For a nonprofit rebrand + complete website rebuild, I'd interview Studio Blue, Simple Truth, Advocate Creative, and Orbit Media. I'd ask each for 2–3 relevant nonprofit case studies and have them break the proposal into brand strategy → identity/messaging → UX/content → development → launch/support.

One important distinction: don't choose solely based on who has the prettiest portfolio. For a nonprofit, I'd specifically ask how they handle donations, accessibility, volunteer/program journeys, CRM/email integrations, SEO migration, and staff-friendly CMS editing.

If you tell me roughly your nonprofit's annual budget/project budget and what your current site is built on (WordPress, Squarespace, etc.), I can narrow this to 3 agencies that fit your situation and pull their relevant case studies/contact info.

• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Highdive - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Cultivate - 917 W 18th St, Fl 5, Ste 501, Chicago, IL 60608
• Mabbly - 640 N La Salle Dr #540, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• JK Marketing Group JKMG - Website Design and Marketing - 448 N La Salle Dr Ste 10-125, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

Since you’re in River North, Chicago, I’d put a few agencies on your shortlist rather than choosing purely on proximity. For a nonprofit rebrand + full website rebuild, these stand out based on their published nonprofit work:

• Studio Blue — River North. Their focus is mission-driven organizations, nonprofits, cultural institutions, and higher education, with branding and digital work. This is particularly relevant if you want a thoughtful institutional brand rather than a marketing-heavy makeover.
• Advocate Creative — Chicago nonprofit/foundation specialist. They explicitly offer brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, logos, website design/development, and campaign work, and cite 90+ nonprofits and foundations they've worked with. Advocate Creative
• Casa Blue — Chicago-based studio specifically centered on social change organizations, with nonprofit rebranding, identity, UX/UI, and website development in its portfolio. They show work for organizations including Hispanics in Philanthropy, Mijente, and Right to the City. Casa Blue
• Advocate Creative — worth considering if your main need is translating your mission into a stronger visual identity and fundraising/impact story. Their nonprofit specialization is unusually explicit. Advocate Creative
• Oak Theory — Chicago studio with a particularly relevant recent case study: it handled both the brand redesign and website redesign for One Million Degrees, a Chicago nonprofit. Oak Theory
• Orbit Media Studios — stronger candidate if the website itself is the biggest priority. They specialize in nonprofit websites and have worked with organizations including the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre, and Illinois Action for Children. Orbit Media Studios

How I'd narrow it down

For your particular brief—“we're a nonprofit, we've moved offices, and we need a rebrand + new site”—I'd interview Studio Blue, Casa Blue, and Advocate Creative first. They have the clearest combination of mission-driven branding and digital work.

I'd ask each for:

1. 2–3 nonprofit rebrand + website examples comparable to your organization.
2. Their proposed discovery/stakeholder process—especially how they handle board, staff, donors, and community input.
3. A fixed project range separating brand strategy, identity, content, UX/design, development, and post-launch support.
4. Who actually does the work day-to-day.
5. How they'll handle donations, accessibility, SEO, analytics, CRM/email integrations, and CMS training.

If you tell me roughly your nonprofit's size/budget and what kind of mission you're in (arts, social services, education, advocacy, etc.), I can narrow this to 3 agencies that are particularly well matched and pull their relevant case studies/contact pages.

• RedShark SEO - 65 W Erie St #1901, Chicago, IL 60654
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613
• 10com Web Development - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606
• SEO Design Chicago | Digital Marketing & Web Design Agency - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
• Affordable Web Design Chicago - 5141 W Altgeld St, Chicago, IL 60639
• DS&P Digital Marketing & PR Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604
• DesignScout - 1801 W Belle Plaine Ave #201, Chicago, IL 60613
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607

Since you’re in River North, Chicago, I’d focus less on “nearby web designers” and more on agencies with demonstrated nonprofit/rebrand work.

A few worth talking to

• RedShark SEO — actually in River North and focused heavily on websites/SEO. Good local option if digital performance is a major part of the rebuild.
• Casa Blue — particularly relevant if your nonprofit is mission-driven/social-impact oriented. They explicitly work with nonprofits and have handled both rebranding and websites, including Hispanics in Philanthropy and Right to the City. casablue.com casablue.com
• Oak Theory — strong fit if you want the rebrand and website treated as one project. They recently did a full brand + website redesign for Chicago nonprofit One Million Degrees, including strategy, development and SEO. Oak Theory oaktheory.co
• Bark Design — Chicago-based, with nearly 30 years working with mission-driven organizations; their portfolio includes Field Museum and After School Matters. barkdesignchicago.com barkdesignchicago.com
• Advocate Creative — specializes specifically in nonprofits and foundations and says it has worked with 90+ of them on branding, websites and campaigns. Advocate Creative advocatecreative.com
• JPD Studio — worth a look if your nonprofit does advocacy/social-justice work. They recently handled a comprehensive rebrand and website for the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness. jpdstudio.com jpdstudio.com

If I were putting together an RFP shortlist, I'd start with Casa Blue, Oak Theory, and Bark Design, then add one smaller/local shop such as RedShark for comparison. That's not a ranking of quality—just a useful mix of nonprofit specialization, branding depth, and local presence.

If you tell me your nonprofit's mission, approximate budget ($20k / $50k / $100k+), and whether you need fundraising/donations integrated into the site, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare their relevant case studies, location, and likely project fit.

• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Simple Truth - 314 W Superior St Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Prosper Strategies - 200 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• JK Marketing Group JKMG - Website Design and Marketing - 448 N La Salle Dr Ste 10-125, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610
• Cybernautic Web Design - 515 N State St #14-126, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States

Assuming you mean River North in Chicago, I’d put these at the top of your shortlist:

• Substance — my first call for a nonprofit rebrand. They’re in River North and are particularly strategy/brand focused, with experience across nonprofits and purpose-driven organizations. Their work emphasizes organizational rebrands rather than just a new logo.
• One Design Company — strongest River North option if you want brand + website under one roof. They’re on W. Superior and combine research, strategy, branding, digital design, and development.
• Studio Blue — worth considering if your nonprofit is in arts, culture, education, or another mission-driven space. Their Chicago studio is in River North and they have a strong mission-driven design orientation.
• Simple Truth — another River North option with relevant nonprofit work; they’ve specifically done a nonprofit/coalition brand identity and website project.
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — good if you want a more design-forward agency with substantial in-house web/UX and development capability.

If nonprofit expertise matters more than being next door

I’d also interview orbitmedia.com. They have a substantial Chicago nonprofit portfolio—including Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre, and other nonprofits—and explicitly specialize in nonprofit website strategy, UX, SEO, accessibility, donations, and CMS implementation. Orbit Media Studios

For a true brand + website transformation, lsvdesign.com is another particularly interesting Chicago choice: the studio has focused on nonprofits, associations, and educational institutions for 25+ years. Lidia Varesco Design

My shortlist would be Substance, One Design Company, and Orbit. I'd ask all three for proposals and specifically require: brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, website UX/content strategy, development, accessibility, donation integration, SEO migration, and post-launch support.

If you tell me your nonprofit's mission, approximate budget, and whether you want a small boutique agency or a larger shop, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 and compare them.

• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Simple Truth - 314 W Superior St Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Prosper Strategies - 200 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Melcher & Tucker Consultants - 333 North Michigan, 333 N Michigan Ave #606, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Cybernautic Web Design - 515 N State St #14-126, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• ePageCity Inc. - 111 N Wabash Ave Ste 3023, Chicago, IL 60602, United States

Since you’re in River North, Chicago, I’d shortlist agencies with actual nonprofit experience rather than a generic web shop.

My top 3

• Substance — Best fit if the rebrand is the priority. They’re actually in River North and specialize in brand strategy, messaging, and visual identity, with substantial nonprofit/mission-driven experience. Their positioning is especially relevant if you need to rethink who you are and how you communicate, not just get a prettier logo.
• Simple Truth — Best nearby all-around option. Also in River North, and they combine branding, strategy, content, campaigns, and web. They specifically cite a nonprofit brand identity + website project, which makes them a good candidate for doing the rebrand and rebuild as one integrated project.
• Advocate Creative — Best nonprofit specialist. Their entire practice is oriented toward nonprofits and foundations, with 90+ nonprofit clients and services spanning brand strategy, identity, messaging, websites, campaigns, and communications. Advocate Creative

One more I'd seriously consider

Studio Blue is particularly interesting if you're an arts, cultural, educational, or institutionally oriented nonprofit. They're a mission-driven Chicago design firm with a River North studio and experience with organizations such as the University of Chicago and UIC.

If the website itself is the bigger problem, I'd also talk to Orbit Media Studios—actually a web agency rather than a restaurant; their nonprofit practice is unusually deep, with work for organizations including the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre, and Illinois Action for Children. They emphasize strategy, accessibility, SEO, donations, and easy content management. Orbit Media Studios

My pick: Start with Substance, Simple Truth, and Advocate Creative and give all three the same brief. You'll quickly see who understands your mission versus who is just selling a visual makeover.

If you tell me your nonprofit's mission, approximate budget, and whether you want a major repositioning or mostly a visual refresh, I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies and tell you exactly why.

• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Simple Truth - 314 W Superior St Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• That's So Creative, LLC - 3636 S Iron St Ste C-350, Chicago, IL 60609, United States

If you mean River North in Chicago, I’d put these at the top of your shortlist:

• Substance — Probably my first call if the rebrand itself is the centerpiece. They’re in River North on W. Superior and focus on brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, and web development. They also report having led 75+ organizations through rebrands.
• Studio Blue — A particularly interesting fit for a nonprofit because they specialize in mission-driven organizations, nonprofits, cultural institutions, and higher ed. Their River North studio is on Hubbard.
• Advocate Creative — Strong nonprofit/foundation specialization: branding strategy, messaging, identity, websites and campaigns. Their site says they've worked with 90+ nonprofits and foundations. Advocate Creative
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — A good choice if you want a more strategy-heavy partner. They're Chicago-based and explicitly focused on branding, messaging and digital experiences for nonprofits and purpose-driven organizations.
• Simple Truth — Conveniently right in River North, and they have directly done nonprofit brand + website work, including the Metro Chicago Good Food Purchasing Initiative.
• What A Great Website — Worth considering if you're a smaller nonprofit and want a boutique, more hands-on WordPress rebuild rather than a large agency engagement.

My top 3 for your particular brief: Substance, Studio Blue, and Advocate Creative. I'd ask all three for proposals, but make them respond to the same brief so you're comparing apples to apples.

One other agency I'd investigate is orbitmedia.com. They're Chicago-based and have a substantial nonprofit portfolio, including the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre and Off the Street Club. orbitmedia.com

If you tell me roughly your nonprofit's size/budget and what you want the new brand/site to accomplish (fundraising, advocacy, membership, programs, etc.), I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually interview and give you a rough idea of which is likely to fit your budget.

Assuming you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist agencies that understand nonprofit storytelling, donor/user journeys, and a full rebrand + website rebuild (not just a visual refresh). A few good fits:

• That’s So Creative — Probably the closest match if your priority is mission-driven branding. They specifically position themselves around nonprofits, institutions, and purpose-driven organizations, with brand strategy, messaging, design, and web work. That's So Creative
• EDUCO — A strong option if your new site needs to drive donations, volunteer signups, community engagement, or program participation. They focus specifically on nonprofit branding and websites. Educo Web Design
• Orbit Media Studios — Worth talking to if the rebuild is a major digital project. They have a long nonprofit website practice and focus on strategy, usability, accessibility, SEO, and conversion paths. Orbit Media Studios
• Advocate Creative — A good fit if you need a broader communications partner: identity, campaigns, websites, annual reports, and fundraising materials. Advocate Creative
• ArtVersion — More design-forward; they’ve worked across sectors including nonprofit and are located downtown, which may be convenient from River North. ArtVersion

For a nonprofit office move, I’d probably start with That’s So Creative, Orbit Media, and EDUCO and ask each for:

• 3 nonprofit website examples launched in the last 2–3 years
• their approach to donor conversion and accessibility
• whether messaging/brand strategy is included or billed separately
• CMS recommendation (WordPress, Webflow, Drupal, etc.)
• post-launch support pricing

If you tell me your nonprofit’s size, mission area (arts, education, social services, advocacy, etc.), budget range, and whether you’re staying in Chicago/River North, I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies that are most likely to fit.

Assuming you mean River North in Chicago, I’d look for a partner that understands nonprofits (donor journeys, accessibility, storytelling, grants/funders) rather than a general “make it pretty” web shop. A few strong options:

Best fits for a nonprofit rebrand + website

• Constructive — Probably the closest match to your brief. They specialize in nonprofit brand strategy, digital strategy, UX, and web design, with a portfolio centered on mission-driven organizations. Constructive

Good for: a full strategic rebrand, messaging overhaul, and new site architecture.

• Go Do Good — A purpose-driven agency focused specifically on nonprofits and social-impact organizations, covering brand strategy, identity, campaigns, and websites. GO DO GOOD agency

Good for: organizations that need help clarifying their story for donors, partners, and the public.

• Push10 — A nonprofit-focused branding and web agency with services spanning research, identity systems, UX, development, accessibility, and ongoing support. Push10

Good for: a polished, larger-scale nonprofit website rebuild.

If you want a Chicago/River North–adjacent creative partner

• Design in Chicago — A Chicago digital agency focused on branding, web design, and development. Design In Chicago

Good for: a local relationship and a more general brand/digital partner (I’d confirm nonprofit experience in the first call).

What I’d ask before hiring anyone

For a nonprofit rebrand, I’d ask each agency:

1. “Can you show 3 nonprofit projects where you changed the brand and rebuilt the website?”
2. “How do you handle board/stakeholder input without the process becoming endless?”
3. “Will you help with donor journeys, giving flows, volunteer paths, and accessibility—not just visuals?”
4. “Who owns the website, design files, CMS, and brand assets after launch?”
5. “What’s your approach to preserving existing donor trust during a rebrand?”

If you tell me:

• your nonprofit’s size (staff/budget),
• whether you’re in River North Chicago (or another River North),
• your rough website budget ($10k, $25k, $50k+),
• and whether this is a full identity change or a refresh,

I can narrow this to a short list of 2–3 agencies that fit.

• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Bark Design - 3115 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• That's So Creative, LLC - 3636 S Iron St Ste C-350, Chicago, IL 60609, United States

Assuming you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist these three:

• Substance — my first call for a true rebrand. They’re on W. Superior in River North and specialize in brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, and web development. They also report having led 75+ organizations through rebrands, including nonprofits. Rawcut Creative Company
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Strong choice if your nonprofit needs brand + messaging + digital experience, with a particularly mission-driven/nonprofit focus. Their work includes nonprofit branding and digital projects.
• Advocate Creative — Worth a conversation if nonprofit expertise is the priority. They say they've worked with 90+ nonprofits and foundations, covering brand strategy, identity, websites, campaigns, and communications. Advocate Creative

One more I'd seriously consider

Oak Theory isn't right in River North, but its nonprofit work is unusually relevant: it handled both brand redesign and website redesign for One Million Degrees, a Chicago nonprofit, and reports a 236% increase in donation sessions after launch. Oak Theory

If I were hiring for your situation, I'd get proposals from Substance, LimeRed, and Oak Theory and make them all quote the same scope: brand strategy → visual identity → messaging → new website → migration/SEO → staff training.

If you tell me your approximate budget (e.g. <$25k, $25–50k, $50k+) and what your nonprofit does, I can narrow this to the 2 best fits and compare their relevant work.

• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Cushing & Co - 213 W Institute Pl Ste 200, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• Mabbly - 640 N La Salle Dr #540, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

Since you’re in River North and this is a nonprofit rebrand + website rebuild, I’d prioritize agencies with real nonprofit experience over a generic Chicago web shop.

My shortlist

• Substance — my first call for a serious rebrand.

They’re actually in River North (314 W Superior) and specialize in organizational rebrands, including nonprofits and purpose-driven organizations. Their capabilities cover brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, and website design/development. Toimi

• Studio Blue — especially good for mission-driven/cultural organizations.

They have a River North presence and focus heavily on nonprofits, cultural institutions, and higher education. I'd consider them if you want a sophisticated brand identity without losing the mission-oriented feel.

• Advocate Creative — strongest nonprofit-specific option.

Their practice is explicitly built around nonprofits and foundations, with 90+ nonprofit/foundation clients and services spanning strategy, messaging, identity, websites, campaigns, and reports. Advocate Creative

• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — best if the website experience is the bigger priority.

They combine branding, UX/UI, and in-house web development, and specifically cite nonprofit work and projects serving organizations around River North. ArtVersion

• One Design Company — worth a look because they’re right in River North.

Their office is at 230 W Superior, and they combine strategy, communication, design, and technology, including responsive website design.

One wildcard I’d seriously consider

That’s So Creative isn't necessarily the closest geographically, but their positioning is almost tailor-made for your situation: they explicitly work with nonprofits and mission-driven organizations on branding and web, and cite nonprofit clients including Anixter Center and major Chicago institutions. That's So Creative

If it were my nonprofit, I'd get proposals from Substance, Advocate Creative, and That’s So Creative. That gives you three different strengths: deep rebranding, nonprofit specialization, and mission-driven brand + web.

If you tell me roughly your nonprofit's size/budget (e.g. <$25k, $25–50k, $50k+) and what kind of nonprofit you are, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 agencies and compare their likely fit, portfolio, location, and pricing level.

• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Bark Design - 3115 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States

If you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist these three:

1. One Design Company — my first call for a River North-based partner. They’re actually in River North and combine brand strategy, identity, UX, website design/development, and SEO, so you can keep the rebrand and rebuild under one roof.
2. Studio Blue — strongest nonprofit/mission-driven fit nearby. Their work centers on nonprofits, cultural institutions, and education, with a River North studio and experience spanning identity and digital work.
3. Substance — worth considering for a deeper organizational rebrand. They position themselves as a brand-strategy-first firm and have experience with nonprofit, education, and purpose-driven organizations, including messaging and website development.

Two non-River-North firms I'd also put on the RFP

• Advocate Creative — very nonprofit-specific: they say they've worked with 90+ nonprofits and foundations on branding, websites, campaigns, and communications. Advocate Creative
• Orbit Media Studios — particularly strong if the new site needs to increase donations, volunteer engagement, SEO, and conversions, rather than simply look better. They have a substantial nonprofit portfolio and documented nonprofit results. Orbit Media Studios

My pick: I'd start with One Design Company, Studio Blue, and Advocate Creative and give all three the same brief. That should tell you quickly whether you need a brand-first agency or a website/performance-first agency.

If you tell me your nonprofit's size, approximate budget (e.g. $15–30k vs. $50k+), and what the current site is built on, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 and tell you what I’d ask each one for in the proposal.

• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• That's So Creative, LLC - 3636 S Iron St Ste C-350, Chicago, IL 60609, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610
• Bigmouth Creative LLC - 4430 N Clifton Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Bark Design - 3115 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

If by River North you mean Chicago, I’d shortlist agencies based less on proximity and more on nonprofit rebrand + website experience.

My top picks

1. Substance — best fit for a true rebrand

• They’re at 314 W Superior St, right in River North.
• Strong emphasis on brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, and website development, rather than treating the project as just a new logo and website.
• Their work is particularly relevant if your nonprofit needs to clarify its positioning before redesigning the site.
• Studio Blue — great for mission-driven organizations

• They have a River North presence and specialize in design for nonprofits, cultural organizations, and academic institutions.
• Good choice if you want a sophisticated identity and communications system, not just a prettier website.
• Oak Theory — strongest nonprofit-specific web/rebrand case study

• They recently redesigned One Million Degrees, a Chicago nonprofit, including its brand, website, messaging/strategy, and SEO. The organization reported a 236% increase in donation sessions after launch. Oak Theory
• I’d put them high on the RFP list if fundraising/conversions are a major goal.
• Advocate Creative — nonprofit specialist

• Their entire positioning is around nonprofits and foundations; they've worked with 90+ nonprofit organizations.
• Services span brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, websites, campaigns, and collateral. Advocate Creative
• Orbit Media Studios — best if the website is the centerpiece

• They have a deep Chicago nonprofit portfolio and explicitly specialize in nonprofit websites, SEO, conversion strategy, and easy-to-manage CMSs.
• Their nonprofit work includes Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre, Illinois Action for Children, and others. Orbit Media Studios

If it were my nonprofit

I'd invite Substance, Oak Theory, and Advocate Creative to pitch.

That gives you three different strengths:

• Substance: strategic rebrand + identity
• Oak Theory: nonprofit brand + website + measurable fundraising outcomes
• Advocate: deep nonprofit-sector expertise

One other interesting option is That's So Creative, LLC. They explicitly focus on nonprofits and mission-driven organizations and offer both branding and website development. Their positioning is especially worth considering if you're a smaller organization that wants a more hands-on partner. That's So Creative

If you tell me roughly your nonprofit's size/budget (e.g. $25k, $50k, $100k+) and what kind of nonprofit you are, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually contact and explain why.

• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Taylor Bruce Design Partnership - 730 N Franklin St #310, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Liska & Associates Inc - 610 N Fairbanks Ct, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Artversion - 205 N Michigan Ave 8th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

If you mean River North in Chicago, I’d put nonprofit experience ahead of simply being physically nearby. For a rebrand and full website rebuild, these are the strongest fits I found:

• Substance — my first call. They’re actually in River North (314 W Superior St) and specialize in brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, and web development. Their positioning is especially strong for organizations going through a substantive rebrand rather than just getting a prettier logo/site.
• Advocate Creative — excellent nonprofit/foundation fit. They explicitly offer branding strategy, messaging, visual identity, website design/development, and campaigns, and say they've worked with 90+ nonprofits and foundations. Advocate Creative
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — worth interviewing if your nonprofit is mission-driven/social-impact focused. Their work combines brand strategy, messaging and digital experiences, with nonprofit examples including Chicago Teachers Union.
• Studio Blue — a particularly interesting option for cultural, educational, academic, or community organizations. They have a River North presence and focus heavily on mission-driven organizations.
• Taylor Bruce Design Partnership — another nearby option if you need the brand carried consistently across your website, reports, fundraising materials and other communications.

One specialist I'd also put on the shortlist despite not being in River North is EDUCO. They explicitly specialize in nonprofit branding/web design and cite Chicago nonprofits including LISC Chicago, Women Employed, Housing Forward and BUILD Chicago. Educo Web Design

My shortlist

1. Substance — best combination of River North + serious rebrand + web.
2. Advocate Creative — strongest demonstrated nonprofit specialization.
3. LimeRed — strongest mission/social-impact orientation.

I'd get proposals from those three rather than blasting the project out to ten agencies.

For a nonprofit, I'd also make sure the proposal explicitly covers donor conversion, accessibility, content strategy, SEO, integrations with your donation/CRM system, and staff-friendly CMS editing—not just visual design.

If you tell me your approximate budget (e.g. <$25k, $25–50k, $50k+) and what kind of nonprofit you are, I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies and compare their likely fit.

• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613
• DS&P Digital Marketing & PR Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604
• Affordable Web Design Chicago - 5141 W Altgeld St, Chicago, IL 60639
• RedShark SEO - 65 W Erie St #1901, Chicago, IL 60654
• Next/Now - 1200 W Lake St #2, Chicago, IL 60607
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607
• Caliber Brand Strategy + Content Marketing - 320 W Oakdale Ave Apt 401, Chicago, IL 60657

If you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist these rather than hiring a generic web shop:

• Orbit Media Studios — my first call. They specialize in nonprofit websites and have substantial Chicago nonprofit experience, including the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Goodman Theatre. Their work covers strategy, UX, content, SEO, and development—not just visual design. Orbit Media Studios
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — a strong option if the rebrand itself is the centerpiece. They're downtown at 211 W Wacker and explicitly work across branding, UX, web design, and nonprofits. ArtVersion
• Oak Theory — worth talking to if you want a more boutique, brand-first partner. They recently did a full brand redesign + website redesign/development for Chicago nonprofit One Million Degrees, with reported improvements in donation engagement. Oak Theory
• Advocate Creative — particularly interesting if you're a foundation/nonprofit and need more than a website: they've worked with 90+ nonprofits and foundations on branding, websites, campaigns, annual reports, and related communications. Advocate Creative
• That’s So Creative — another mission-focused option; they specifically position themselves around nonprofits, institutions, and purpose-driven organizations, covering strategy, brand identity, and digital work. That's So Creative

Who I'd contact first

I'd get 3 proposals: Orbit Media, Oak Theory, and Advocate Creative. They give you three pretty different approaches:

1. Orbit → strongest nonprofit/digital expertise.
2. Oak Theory → boutique brand + website transformation.
3. Advocate → nonprofit communications/brand ecosystem.

For a nonprofit, I'd make the RFP explicitly cover brand strategy, visual identity, messaging, donor/volunteer journeys, accessibility, CMS ownership, SEO, analytics, and post-launch support—otherwise agencies can give you a gorgeous rebrand that doesn't actually improve fundraising or engagement.

If you tell me your nonprofit's mission, approximate budget, and whether you want a full rebrand or just a refresh, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually interview.

• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Pivot Design - 321 N Clark St #600, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Doejo - 444 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Kara Creatives - 1 E Erie St Ste 525-5283, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• JB Chicago - 435 N LaSalle St, Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60654
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Cultivate Brands - 111 N Wabash Ave Ste 100-1066, Chicago, IL 60602, United States

Since you’re in River North, I’d shortlist agencies based less on proximity and more on actual nonprofit rebrand + website experience. My top picks:

• One Design Company — Best overall fit if you want one partner for the whole transformation. They’re right in River North and combine brand strategy, identity, digital design, and development. Good choice if you want the new brand and website to feel like one coherent project.
• Advocate Creative — Best nonprofit specialist. They explicitly focus on nonprofits and foundations and have done 90+ nonprofit/foundation projects, including branding, websites, campaigns, and communications. Advocate Creative
• Dialogue Theory — Best for a more complex/mission-driven digital project. They specialize in nonprofits and civic organizations and combine strategy, UX, design, and development.
• Studio Blue — Best if the brand itself is the priority. They work heavily with nonprofits, cultural organizations, and academic institutions, so they’re worth considering if you need a sophisticated identity rather than just a visual refresh.
• Substance — Best for organizational rebranding. They position themselves as a brand-strategy-first firm and have experience taking organizations through substantial rebrands, including messaging and website work.

One I'd definitely interview

Oak Theory is worth adding even though it's not in River North. They recently documented a nonprofit rebrand + website project for One Million Degrees, including strategy, brand redesign, website development, and SEO. Their reported result was a 236% increase in donation sessions after launch. Oak Theory

If I were running your RFP, I'd invite One Design Company, Advocate Creative, and Oak Theory to pitch. That gives you three pretty different approaches: local integrated design, deep nonprofit specialization, and a results-oriented nonprofit digital/brand shop.

If you tell me your nonprofit's mission, approximate budget (e.g. $25k / $50k / $100k+), and whether you need a full rebrand or just a refresh, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually contact and pull their relevant nonprofit work.

• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Point B Communications Inc - 600 W Fulton St #710, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• ColorJar - 1000 W Fulton Market #213, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

If you’re in River North, Chicago, I’d shortlist agencies based more on nonprofit experience + ability to handle both the rebrand and the rebuild than simply proximity.

My top 3

• Advocate Creative — best nonprofit-specialist choice. They’ve worked with 90+ nonprofits and foundations and offer the full range you’re describing: brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, websites, campaigns, and impact communications. Advocate Creative

advocatecreative.com

• Dialogue Theory — best if the website itself is complicated. They focus on mission-driven organizations and combine digital strategy, UX/UI, and development, so I’d look here if you have things like program directories, resource hubs, integrations, or multiple audiences.
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — best for a polished, brand-forward rebrand. They’re Chicago-based and combine branding, UX, web design and development, with nonprofit experience including work for TEDxChicago and other sectors. ArtVersion

artversion.com

One more I'd seriously consider

EDUCO is particularly compelling if you want a nonprofit-first web partner rather than a general creative agency. They say they have 20+ years of nonprofit web/branding experience and cite Chicago organizations including LISC Chicago, Women Employed, Housing Forward, and BUILD Chicago. Educo Web Design

If it were my nonprofit, I'd take three discovery calls: Advocate Creative, Dialogue Theory, and EDUCO. I'd ask each for a recent nonprofit rebrand + website example, a ballpark budget, who actually does the work, and how they handle board/stakeholder approvals.

If you tell me your rough budget (e.g. $15k, $30k, $50k+) and what your nonprofit does, I can narrow this to the 2 best fits and compare them.

Assuming you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist these rather than choosing a generic web shop:

• thatssocreative.com — my first call for a nonprofit rebrand + website. They specifically focus on nonprofits, institutions, and mission-driven organizations, and handle brand strategy, messaging, identity, and digital. Their work includes Anixter Center and other mission-driven organizations. That's So Creative
• orbitmedia.com — strongest if the website is the bigger priority. They're Chicago-based and have extensive nonprofit experience, including Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre, and Off the Street Club. They emphasize strategy, accessibility, SEO, donations, and easy-to-manage CMSs. Orbit Media Studios
• advocatecreative.com — worth a serious look if you want a mission-centered branding partner. They say they've worked with 90+ nonprofits and foundations and cover branding strategy, messaging, visual identity, websites, campaigns, and communications. Advocate Creative
• artversion.com — a good option if you're after a more polished/brand-forward visual identity. They're Chicago-based and specifically cite nonprofit work and projects in the Loop/River North area. ArtVersion
• soliddigital.com — a good middle ground if you need brand strategy + serious WordPress/web development + ongoing digital support. They have nonprofit redesign experience and cover SEO and ongoing optimization. Solid Digital

My pick

For a nonprofit that's actually rebranding, I'd start with That’s So Creative, Orbit, and Advocate and ask all three for proposals. The distinction I'd make is:

That’s So Creative → best brand/mission fit
Orbit → best website/strategy/SEO depth
Advocate → best integrated nonprofit communications

And don't let the fact that you're now in River North overly constrain you—the better Chicago nonprofit agencies may not have a River North office themselves.

If you tell me your nonprofit's size/budget (e.g. $15k, $30k, $75k+) and what kind of nonprofit you are, I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies that are genuinely appropriate, including likely project cost and examples of comparable organizations.

• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Taylor Bruce Design Partnership - 730 N Franklin St #310, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Statement - 1033 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Bark Design - 3115 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
• Lipman-Hearne - 200 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60604
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Bigmouth Creative LLC - 4430 N Clifton Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• EDUCO Web Design - 128 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Paul Gregory Media - 200 E 5th Ave, Ste 105, Naperville, IL 60563
• Beth Interactive - 4657 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60640

Since you’re in River North, I’d prioritize agencies that understand nonprofits—not just generic Chicago web shops.

My shortlist

• Substance — best local fit for a serious rebrand. They’re actually in River North at 314 W Superior St and focus heavily on brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, and websites. Their work spans nonprofits and purpose-driven organizations, and they’ve reportedly led 75+ organizations through rebrands.
• Taylor Bruce Design Partnership — best if you want a boutique, collaborative feel. They’re right in River North on Franklin Street and do branding, web development, and digital content, with nonprofit/cultural clients including Northern Illinois Food Bank and the Field Museum.
• Advocate Creative — best nonprofit specialist. Their entire positioning is around nonprofits and foundations, with branding, messaging, websites, campaigns, annual reports, and fundraising communications. They've worked with organizations including United Way of Metro Chicago and the Chicago History Museum. Advocate Creative
• Dialogue Theory — best for a complex, modern website. They specialize in mission-driven organizations and combine digital strategy, UX, design, and development rather than treating the website as an afterthought.
• Sandstorm Design — best for accessibility/UX-heavy work. They're a Chicago digital experience agency with nonprofit, healthcare, higher-ed, and association experience, including accessibility and governance.

One more I'd seriously consider: Studio Blue is actually in River North and has a strong mission-driven/cultural-institution orientation.

If it were my nonprofit, I'd get proposals from Substance, Advocate Creative, and Taylor Bruce first. That gives you three meaningfully different approaches: strategic rebrand, nonprofit-specialist communications, and boutique design.

For comparison, Orbit Media is also worth a look if the website is the bigger priority: they explicitly specialize in nonprofit sites and cite work for organizations such as the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre, and Illinois Action for Children. Orbit Media Studios

If you tell me your nonprofit's mission, approximate budget (e.g. $15k / $30k / $75k+), and whether you need just the brand + site or ongoing marketing too, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually call.

Assuming you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist agencies that understand nonprofits (donors, volunteers, accessibility, storytelling, board approvals) rather than a general “make it pretty” web shop. A few I’d talk to:

Best fits for a nonprofit rebrand + website rebuild

• Orbit Media Studios — Probably the strongest fit if the website is the centerpiece. They specialize in nonprofit websites, strategy, UX, content structure, SEO, and donation/supporter journeys. Orbit Media Studios

Good for: established nonprofits needing a strategic redesign, not just a new theme.

• Substance — A River North branding specialist with a reputation for organizational rebrands, including mission-driven organizations. Toimi

Good for: a true identity overhaul (positioning, messaging, visual system, brand guidelines) before rebuilding the site.

• EDUCO — Focuses heavily on nonprofits and community organizations, with experience around mission storytelling, engagement, and fundraising-oriented sites. Educo Web Design

Good for: nonprofits that need a site staff can maintain after launch.

• That’s So Creative — A purpose-driven branding studio working with nonprofits and institutions on brand strategy, identity, and digital experiences. That's So Creative

Good for: a smaller, more collaborative branding partner.

• Aten Design Group — Not Chicago-based, but worth considering if your project is complex (accessibility, integrations, large content systems). They specialize in mission-driven organizations and digital platforms.

Good for: larger nonprofits with complicated needs.

My pick by situation

• You need a full rebrand + new website: Substance or That’s So Creative. Toimi That's So Creative
• You need more donors, volunteers, and clearer impact storytelling: Orbit Media. Orbit Media Studios
• You have a small internal team and need an easy-to-manage CMS: EDUCO. Educo Web Design

Before signing, I’d ask each agency:

1. “Show me 3 nonprofit websites you launched and what improved afterward.”
2. “Who owns the design files, code, hosting accounts, and analytics?”
3. “How do you handle accessibility (WCAG), donation flows, and CRM integrations?”
4. “What part of the process do you need our staff and board involved in?”

If you tell me your nonprofit size, budget range (e.g., under $15k / $15–50k / $50k+), and whether you need a rebrand or mostly a website rebuild, I can narrow this to 2–3 strongest choices.

Since you’re in River North, Chicago, I’d prioritize agencies with real nonprofit experience rather than simply the closest web shop. I found three especially worth talking to:

• thatssocreative.com — my first call. They specifically focus on nonprofits, institutions, and mission-driven organizations, and handle strategy, messaging, visual identity, and websites together. Their founder came from the nonprofit world, and they’ve worked with organizations including Cook County and the Art Institute of Chicago. That's So Creative
• educowebdesign.com — strongest nonprofit-specialist option. They say nonprofit branding/web is a core specialty and cite Chicago clients including LISC, Women Employed, Housing Forward, and BUILD Chicago. They also explicitly cover positioning, messaging, identity, accessibility, and the website build. Educo Web Design
• artversion.com — strongest design-forward option. They’re Chicago-based and combine branding, UX/UI, web development, and digital marketing, with experience in the nonprofit sector. Their studio is at 211 W. Wacker, so they’re very close to River North. ArtVersion
• cybernauticdesign.com — worth a quote if the rebuild is technically complex. They’re actually at 515 N. State St. and have extensive experience building sites for organizations and nonprofits, including Habitat for Humanity. Cybernautic Website Design

If it were my nonprofit

I'd get 3 proposals: That’s So Creative, EDUCO, and ArtVersion. Ask all three for the same scope: brand strategy → messaging → visual identity → website UX/content architecture → design → development → accessibility → launch/training.

That will make the proposals much easier to compare—and will prevent you from hiring a great logo designer who isn't equipped to rebuild the actual site.

If you tell me your nonprofit's approximate budget (e.g. $20–40k, $40–75k, $75k+) and what you dislike about the current site, I can narrow this to the 2 agencies I'd actually interview and give you a shortlist of questions to ask them.

• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Taylor Bruce Design Partnership - 730 N Franklin St #310, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Artversion - 205 N Michigan Ave 8th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Blue Daring - 162 W Hubbard St Ste 400, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Liska & Associates Inc - 610 N Fairbanks Ct, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• The Loop Marketing Inc - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610

Assuming you mean River North, Chicago, you’re in a good spot — there are several agencies nearby that understand nonprofit branding, donor audiences, and mission-driven websites. I’d shortlist these:

Best fits for a nonprofit rebrand + website rebuild

• Substance — Probably the first call I’d make for a true organizational rebrand. They focus heavily on brand strategy, messaging, identity systems, and web/digital rollouts, and have nonprofit experience. Toimi

Best for: “We’ve outgrown our old identity and need to clarify who we are.”

• Advocate Creative — A strong nonprofit/foundation specialist. They do brand strategy, logos, websites, campaigns, and communications for mission-driven organizations. Advocate Creative

Best for: nonprofits where fundraising, storytelling, and community impact are central.

• Taylor Bruce Design Partnership — Located in the River North area and experienced with nonprofit, education, healthcare, and institutional clients.

Best for: a polished institutional brand with a strong visual system.

• One Design Company — A River North design/development shop that combines branding, UX, and web builds.

Best for: if the website rebuild is as important as the rebrand (CMS, integrations, usability).

• Artversion — A downtown Chicago creative agency with branding, UX, and web development capabilities. ArtVersion

Best for: a more design-forward digital transformation.

Also worth considering

• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Purpose-driven digital agency with nonprofit experience, including accessibility, UX, content strategy, and WordPress development.
• Studio Blue — Strong mission-driven design background, especially for cultural, academic, and nonprofit organizations.
• Blue Daring — River North branding firm with strategy and identity expertise.

For a nonprofit moving offices and refreshing its presence, I’d probably start with Substance, Advocate Creative, and One Design Company and ask each for:

• 2–3 nonprofit rebrand examples
• their approach to stakeholder interviews/board input
• website CMS recommendation (WordPress, Webflow, etc.)
• accessibility approach (WCAG)
• expected budget range and timeline

If you tell me your nonprofit’s size (staff/budget), mission area, and whether you need mostly fundraising, advocacy, membership, or service delivery, I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies.

• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Taylor Bruce Design Partnership - 730 N Franklin St #310, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Ham Designs - 551 Cherry St, Macon, GA 31201, United States
• Green Gate Marketing - 235 Ponce De Leon Pl, Decatur, GA 30030, United States
• Third Wave Digital - 165 1st St, Macon, GA 31201, United States
• M&R Marketing - 331 3rd St, Macon, GA 31201, United States
• Elizabeth Schorr & Co. - 1083 Washington St, Macon, GA 31204, United States
• Constructive - 82 Nassau St, New York, NY 10038, United States
• Southern Digital Consulting - 804 Cherry St Ste C, Macon, GA 31201, United States
• The Park Group - 153 Gateway Dr, Macon, GA 31210, United States
• Najera Design, Inc. - 401 Cherry St #300, Macon, GA 31201, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States

Assuming you mean River North in Chicago, I’d put these at the top of your shortlist:

1. Advocate Creative — my first call for a nonprofit. They specialize in nonprofits and foundations, and their work covers brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, websites, campaigns, and print. They say they’ve worked with 90+ nonprofits/foundations. Advocate Creative
2. Taylor Bruce Design Partnership — strongest nearby option. They’re in the River North area and combine branding, content, and web development, with nonprofit/cultural work including Northern Illinois Food Bank and the Field Museum.
3. Studio Blue — worth considering if you're a cultural/arts/education nonprofit. Their specialty leans heavily toward mission-driven institutions and nonprofits, with both identity and digital experience work.
4. ArtVersion — a good alternative if the website itself is a major priority. They explicitly cite nonprofit web work and have experience across branding, UX, web design and development; their studio is just west of River North. ArtVersion
5. EDUCO — particularly interesting if you want a nonprofit-specialist rather than simply a Chicago creative agency. They specifically combine nonprofit branding + web design and list Chicago nonprofits such as LISC Chicago, Women Employed, Housing Forward and BUILD Chicago among their work. Educo Web Design

If it were my nonprofit

I'd request proposals from Advocate Creative, Taylor Bruce, and EDUCO. That gives you three different flavors: nonprofit-specialist creative, a conveniently located Chicago studio, and a strategy-heavy nonprofit web/branding shop.

I'd also make the RFP explicitly ask for brand strategy → messaging → visual identity → website UX/content architecture → development, rather than treating the rebrand and website as two unrelated projects. That's where agencies like Advocate and EDUCO seem particularly well aligned. Advocate Creative Educo Web Design

If you tell me your nonprofit's mission, approximate annual budget, and rough website/rebrand budget, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually interview and give you the questions I'd ask each one.

Assuming you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist agencies that actually understand nonprofits rather than picking a generic River North web shop.

My top 4

• Advocate Creative — Probably my first call. They’ve worked with 90+ nonprofits and foundations and offer the full package: brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, website design/development, and campaigns. Their client list includes United Way of Metro Chicago and the Environmental Law & Policy Center. Advocate Creative
• EDUCO — Particularly strong if the website is as important as the rebrand. They explicitly specialize in nonprofits and have worked with organizations including LISC Chicago, Women Employed, Housing Forward, and BUILD Chicago. EDUCO
• Casa Blue — I'd look here if your nonprofit has a strong social-justice/community-facing mission. They combine brand strategy, identity, UX, accessibility, and website development, with a portfolio centered on social-change organizations. Casa Blue
• That's So Creative — A good option if you want a more contemporary, culturally aware brand. They're woman- and minority-owned, explicitly serve nonprofits and institutions, and have worked with organizations including Cook County and the Art Institute of Chicago. That's So Creative

If I were spending the nonprofit's money, I'd start with Advocate Creative and EDUCO, then add Casa Blue as the more mission/identity-driven alternative.

One important distinction: if this is a true organizational rebrand rather than “make our logo and website look nicer,” make sure the agency can facilitate stakeholder research, positioning/messaging, visual identity, and website architecture—not just design. That's where nonprofit rebrands tend to succeed or fail.

If you tell me your nonprofit's mission, approximate annual budget, and rough website/rebrand budget (even ranges like <$25k, $25–50k, $50k+), I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies and tell you which one I'd pick.

Since you’re in River North, Chicago, I’d shortlist agencies based on nonprofit experience rather than just proximity. A few stand out:

1. Advocate Creative — my first call.

They specialize specifically in nonprofits and foundations, covering brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, websites, campaigns, and collateral. They’ve worked with 90+ nonprofits/foundations, including United Way of Metro Chicago and the Environmental Law & Policy Center. advocatecreative.com

2. Substance — strongest if the rebrand itself is the priority.

They describe themselves as a brand-strategy-first firm and have experience leading organizational rebrands for nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations, including messaging and website development.

3. Dialogue Theory — strongest for a sophisticated website.

They're particularly focused on mission-driven organizations and combine UX research, digital strategy, design, and full-stack web development. Good choice if your site needs to actually improve donor/user journeys rather than simply look newer.

4. Taylor Bruce Design Partnership — worth considering because they're actually in River North.

They're at 730 N Franklin and do branding plus website design/development, with nonprofit/cultural work including Northern Illinois Food Bank and the Field Museum.

5. Concentric Design — good smaller-studio option.

They have particularly relevant nonprofit experience, including Rebuilding Exchange and VOCEL, covering identity, web, and ongoing design support.

If it were my nonprofit, I'd request proposals from Advocate Creative, Dialogue Theory, and Substance. That gives you three meaningfully different options: nonprofit-specialist, digital/UX specialist, and brand-strategy specialist.

One other agency worth knowing is EDUCO Web Design; they explicitly specialize in nonprofit branding/web work and have partnered with organizations including LISC Chicago, Women Employed, Housing Forward, and BUILD Chicago. www.educowebdesign.com

If you tell me your nonprofit's mission, approximate budget (e.g. $20–50k vs. $50–100k+), and whether you want WordPress/Webflow/Drupal or don't care, I can narrow this to the 2–3 best fits and compare their portfolios, nonprofit clients, likely price tier, and location.

If you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist agencies that understand nonprofits rather than picking purely on proximity.

My top 4

1. Blue Daring — best if the rebrand is the priority.

They’re actually in River North (162 W Hubbard St) and focus on brand strategy, naming, identity systems, and brand guidelines. Their positioning also looks well suited to nonprofits/foundations and stakeholder-heavy organizations.

2. Advocate Creative — best nonprofit specialist.

This would be my first call if you want an agency that really gets nonprofit organizations. They say they've worked with 90+ nonprofits and foundations and offer both branding and website design/development. advocatecreative.com

3. Substance — best for a serious strategic rebrand.

They're a Chicago brand-strategy firm that emphasizes research, positioning, messaging, and visual identity rather than just making a new logo. Their office is on Superior Street, very close to River North.

4. ArtVersion® Creative Agency — best if the website is equally important.

They combine branding, UX/UI, web design and development, and specifically cite nonprofit work among their Chicago clients. artversion.com

One other agency I'd put on the RFP list: Plan B - The Agency Alternative for the AI Economy®. They're literally in River North at 10 W Hubbard and offer branding, positioning, web development and broader marketing.

If it were my nonprofit

I'd invite Blue Daring, Advocate Creative, and ArtVersion to pitch. That's a useful spread:

• Blue Daring: strongest brand/strategy fit
• Advocate: deepest nonprofit-specific experience
• ArtVersion: strongest brand + digital/web combination

I'd make them quote the whole project as one engagement—research/positioning → messaging → visual identity → website UX → copy → development → launch—rather than hiring a branding firm and then finding a separate web shop.

If you tell me your nonprofit's size, rough budget (e.g. $25k / $50k / $100k+), and what you do, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually contact and compare their relevant nonprofit work.

Yes. Since you’re in River North, I’d prioritize nonprofit experience + true rebrand capability + website strategy/build, rather than a generic web shop.

My shortlist

1. Advocate Creative — my first call
   • Specifically focused on nonprofits and foundations.
   • Does the whole chain: brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, websites, campaigns and collateral.
   • Their portfolio includes organizations such as United Way of Metro Chicago, Environmental Law & Policy Center and Chicago History Museum. advocatecreative.com
   • Located at 320 N Damen, so very close to River North.

2. Concentric Design — excellent if the rebrand is the centerpiece
   • Strong Chicago branding/design studio with nonprofit work, including Rebuilding Exchange and VOCEL.
   • Particularly appealing if you want a thoughtful identity system that then carries through into the website, rather than simply getting a new logo. www.concentric.design
   • Their Chicago studio is nearby in Wicker Park.

3. Taylor Bruce Design Partnership — worth an RFP
   • Actually in River North, at 730 N Franklin.
   • Does branding, design, web development and digital content, with nonprofit/cultural work including Northern Illinois Food Bank and the Field Museum.
   • I'd consider them if you want a more design-led, boutique relationship.

4. EDUCO Web Design — strongest nonprofit/web specialist
   • Their nonprofit practice is unusually explicit: branding, messaging, identity and website design/build.
   • They cite work with LISC Chicago, Women Employed, Housing Forward and BUILD Chicago. www.educowebdesign.com
   • Not River North—they're in Oak Park—but I'd still include them in the competitive process.

5. Dialogue Theory — if the website is complicated
   • Mission-driven digital design/development studio with nonprofit and civic experience.
   • I'd look at them if your rebuild involves complicated information architecture, integrations, interactive experiences or a substantial CMS.

One I'd especially consider: Orbit Media

Orbit Media Studios is not in River North, but they're one of the stronger Chicago choices if the website is as important as the rebrand. They've been doing nonprofit sites since 2001 and show work for Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre, Illinois Action for Children and others. They also emphasize SEO, accessibility, content strategy and conversion—not just visual design. www.orbitmedia.com

If it were my nonprofit, I'd invite 3 firms to pitch: Advocate Creative, Concentric, and Orbit Media. That gives you three meaningfully different approaches rather than three versions of the same agency.

One important thing: don't ask them merely for a "new logo and website." Give them your mission, audiences, fundraising goals, current-site problems, desired launch date, and approximate budget and ask how they'd approach the brand + digital strategy together. That will make the proposals much easier to compare.

If you tell me roughly your nonprofit's size/budget and what you do, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually hire, including estimated project ranges and relevant Chicago nonprofit work.

• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Plan B - The Agency Alternative for the AI Economy® - 10 W Hubbard St #5w, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• The Motion Agency - 325 N La Salle Dr Ste 550, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Adcetera Chicago - 750 N State St Fl 7, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Brand Signal - 209 W Jackson Blvd Ste 903, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Concentric Design - 1212 N Ashland Ave, Fl 2, Chicago, IL 60622
• Point B Communications Inc - 600 W Fulton St #710, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Lakeshore Branding - 506 N Clark St Ste 200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Taylor Bruce Design Partnership - 730 N Franklin St #310, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

Since you’re a nonprofit in River North, I’d prioritize agencies that understand mission-driven storytelling, donors/supporters, accessibility, and stakeholder-heavy approvals—not just a pretty redesign. A few Chicago-area options I’d put on your shortlist:

Best fits for a nonprofit rebrand + website rebuild

• Substance — Strong choice if this is a true organizational rebrand (new positioning, messaging, identity system, then website). They’re a Chicago branding firm with experience in nonprofit and purpose-driven organizations. Toimi
• Advocate Creative — Very nonprofit-focused. Good fit if you need brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, web design, and fundraising/impact communications together. Advocate Creative
• One Design Company — Conveniently in River North and positioned around strategy, branding, and digital products. Worth considering if you want one partner for identity + website rather than coordinating multiple vendors.
• Dialogue Theory — A good fit if your site needs to be more than a brochure (complex audiences, UX, integrations, content management). They work with mission-driven organizations and nonprofits.
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Purpose-driven studio with nonprofit experience; worth a look if accessibility, inclusive design, and content strategy are priorities.

If the website is the biggest priority

• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — Downtown Chicago option with branding, UX, and web capabilities; they’ve worked across sectors including nonprofits. ArtVersion
• Orbit Media Studios — Particularly strong if your goals are donor conversion, content strategy, SEO, and making the site easier for staff to maintain. Orbit Media Studios

My shortlist for a first round of calls

1. Substance — if this is a major rebrand/repositioning.
2. Advocate Creative — if nonprofit experience is the top filter.
3. One Design Company — if you want a River North partner handling brand + digital.
4. Orbit Media — if the website’s performance and fundraising goals matter most.

When you reach out, I’d ask each agency for:

• 3 nonprofit rebrand examples
• who will actually lead strategy (not just sales)
• CMS recommendation (WordPress, Webflow, Drupal, etc.)
• accessibility approach (WCAG)
• experience with donations, CRM integrations, newsletters, events, and volunteer flows

If you tell me your nonprofit’s size, budget range, and whether this is a full identity overhaul vs. mostly a website refresh, I can narrow this to 2–3 best matches.

Assuming you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist agencies that understand mission-driven organizations, not just businesses that need a prettier website. For a nonprofit rebrand + rebuild, you want strategy, messaging, donor journeys, accessibility, and CMS skills—not only visual design.

A few I’d put on your call list:

Strong nonprofit / mission-driven fits

• Substance — A River North–area branding firm known for organizational rebrands, brand strategy, identity systems, and work with institutions/nonprofits. A good fit if the biggest need is “who are we now?” before rebuilding the site. toimi.pro

• Orbit Media Studios — Particularly strong for nonprofit websites: UX, content strategy, accessibility, SEO, and donation/conversion-focused redesigns. Their nonprofit work includes redesigning sites around clearer navigation and supporter journeys. www.orbitmedia.com

• Fuzzy Math — Good choice if your site has complex audiences (clients, donors, volunteers, partners, government, etc.) and needs research-driven UX. They have nonprofit redesign experience, including work focused on engagement and donations. fuzzymath.com

• That’s So Creative — A smaller purpose-driven branding partner that specifically works with nonprofits and mission-led organizations on brand strategy, messaging, and digital experiences. thatssocreative.com

If you want a smaller, hands-on creative partner

• Brand Therapy — Worth a conversation if you need positioning, messaging, and a website refresh tied together. They’ve done association/nonprofit-style work involving strategy and website redesign. www.brandtherapy.us

My suggested shortlist for an RFP

I’d probably invite 3–4 agencies to pitch:

1. Substance — if the rebrand is the centerpiece
2. Orbit Media — if the website/donations are the centerpiece
3. Fuzzy Math — if UX and multiple audiences are the challenge
4. That’s So Creative — if you want a boutique mission-aligned partner

When you talk to them, ask:

• “Can you show 3 nonprofit sites you rebuilt from strategy through launch?”
• “How do you improve donor conversion?”
• “Who owns the brand strategy vs. the website build?”
• “Will our staff be able to update the site without a developer?”
• “How do you handle accessibility (WCAG) and content migration?”

If you mean River North in another city (not Chicago), tell me the city and I’ll adjust the list.

If you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist these rather than just picking a generic local web shop:

1. EDUCO — my first call for a nonprofit. They specialize specifically in nonprofit branding + web design and cite work with organizations including LISC Chicago, Women Employed, Housing Forward, and BUILD Chicago. They handle strategy, messaging, visual identity, accessibility, and the website under one roof. www.educowebdesign.com

EDUCO

2. ArtVersion — strongest if design quality is a big priority. They're Chicago-based, work with nonprofits, and specifically mention projects from the Loop through River North, combining branding, UX, and web development. artversion.com

ArtVersion

3. Cybernautic — worth considering for a more development-heavy rebuild. They're actually at 515 N. State St. in River North and explicitly work with nonprofits, offering custom web design, development, SEO, and integrations. www.cybernauticdesign.com

Cybernautic

4. Advocate Creative — particularly interesting if your nonprofit has a substantial communications/fundraising operation. They've worked with 90+ nonprofits and foundations and cover branding strategy, messaging, websites, campaigns, annual reports, and other collateral. advocatecreative.com

Advocate Creative

My pick: I'd start with EDUCO, ArtVersion, and Advocate Creative and ask all three for proposals. For a nonprofit rebrand, I'd prioritize nonprofit experience + messaging/positioning + accessibility + donor UX over simply finding the agency with the nicest portfolio.

One important note: the location signal available to me puts you around Las Vegas rather than Chicago, while “River North” strongly suggests Chicago. If you meant River North Chicago, the list above is the one I'd use; if you meant a different River North, tell me the city and I'll narrow it to agencies genuinely near your office.

If you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist these rather than hiring a generic web shop:

1. One Design Company — my first call. They’re actually in River North (230 W Superior), and their sweet spot is brand strategy + identity + website design/development under one roof. Their process is research-driven, which is particularly useful for a nonprofit with lots of stakeholders.

2. Substance — best if the rebrand is the bigger challenge. They specialize in organizational rebranding and have nonprofit experience; a verified client review describes them taking a nonprofit through a name, identity, and brand-guidelines overhaul. clutch.co

3. EDUCO — strongest nonprofit-specific option. They explicitly specialize in nonprofit branding and websites and have worked with organizations including LISC Chicago, Housing Forward, Women Employed, and BUILD Chicago. They publish a typical range of $25k–$40k for a full rebrand and $50k–$70k for a nonprofit website rebuild, which is useful for initial budgeting. www.educowebdesign.com

4. Prosper Strategies — worth considering if you need organizational/stakeholder strategy first. They're nonprofit-focused and do brand strategy/rebranding, with a strong emphasis on stakeholder research and facilitation. I'd pair them with a web/design firm if the site rebuild is substantial.

5. Orbit Media — particularly compelling if the website is the main priority. They have a substantial nonprofit portfolio and specialize in strategy, UX, SEO, and fundraising/supporter-oriented websites. www.orbitmedia.com

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd send an RFP/brief to One Design, Substance, and EDUCO. That gives you three meaningfully different options:

• One Design: integrated, local, brand + digital
• Substance: sophisticated organizational rebrand
• EDUCO: deepest nonprofit specialization

For a nonprofit, I wouldn't select purely on the prettiest portfolio. Ask each agency specifically how they'll handle board/staff/community input, accessibility, donation flows, CRM integrations, content migration, SEO redirects, and post-launch ownership.

If you tell me roughly your nonprofit's size/budget, what you do, and whether you're thinking $25k, $50k, $100k+, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually interview and pull together their relevant nonprofit case studies.

Since you’re in River North, I’d shortlist agencies that understand both nonprofit communications and a full brand + website engagement—not just a pretty website.

My top 3

1. Substance — best for a serious organizational rebrand
   • They’re actually in River North, at 314 W Superior.
   • Their specialty is organizational brand strategy and visual communications, with 75+ branding projects.
   • I’d pick them if the nonprofit needs to rethink its positioning, messaging, identity, and brand architecture—not merely refresh the logo. toimi.pro

2. Blue Daring — best River North creative/strategy option
   • Located at 162 W Hubbard.
   • Strong fit if you want a distinctive identity system plus strategy, and their positioning specifically includes foundations/nonprofits.
   • They do brand strategy, naming, identity systems and guidelines.

3. Advocate Creative — best nonprofit specialist
   • This is probably the most directly relevant nonprofit experience of the bunch: they say they've worked with 90+ nonprofits and foundations and offer branding, messaging, websites and digital campaigns. advocatecreative.com
   • They're just west of River North in Fulton Market/West Loop, so still very local.

One more I'd seriously consider

Prosper Strategies is worth talking to if the rebrand involves a lot of stakeholder alignment, messaging, fundraising strategy or organizational repositioning. They're explicitly nonprofit-focused and do rebranding/messaging as part of a broader strategy practice.

For the actual website rebuild, Orbit Media is another Chicago standout. They have deep nonprofit experience, including the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre and Nourishing Hope, and their work emphasizes donations, SEO, accessibility and conversion—not just aesthetics. www.orbitmedia.com

If it were my shortlist: Substance + Blue Daring + Advocate Creative. I'd ask all three for proposals, but give Advocate extra weight if your budget is nonprofit-sized and the mission/communications expertise matters more than being physically in River North.

If you tell me rough annual budget for the project (e.g. $15k, $30k, $50k+) and what your nonprofit does, I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies that are genuinely appropriate rather than just well-known Chicago shops.

If you’re talking about River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist these three:

1. Best overall for a nonprofit: Advocate Creative — They focus exclusively on nonprofits and foundations, with brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, and website work. They’re a little west of River North, but the nonprofit specialization is a big plus.

2. Best if you want to stay right in River North: One Design Company — Their River North studio does both branding and web/digital work, including positioning, identity systems, UX, information architecture, and development. Good fit if you want one team to handle the rebrand and rebuild together.

3. Best for a larger, established nonprofit web project: Orbit Media Studios — They’ve been doing nonprofit websites since 2001 and have worked with organizations including the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre, and Illinois Action for Children. Their work emphasizes strategy, accessibility, SEO, fundraising/conversion, and content—not just making the site prettier. www.orbitmedia.com

One more worth a conversation: Adcetera Chicago is actually in River North at 750 N State St. They’re a broader branding/advertising/digital agency rather than a nonprofit specialist, but could be attractive if you need a bigger brand campaign around the relaunch. www.adcetera.com

My pick

For a nonprofit rebrand + complete website rebuild, I'd start with Advocate Creative, One Design Company, and Orbit and ask all three for proposals. That gives you a nonprofit specialist, a River North boutique, and a larger nonprofit-web specialist.

One useful benchmark: EDUCO, another Chicago nonprofit specialist, currently says its typical nonprofit rebrand is $25k–$40k and website redesign $50k–$70k, with complete rebuilds commonly taking 4–6 months. That should help you sanity-check proposals. www.educowebdesign.com

If you tell me your approximate budget, nonprofit size, and what kind of nonprofit you are, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually interview.

Since you’re in River North, Chicago, I’d put these at the top of your list:

1. Substance — my first call for a serious nonprofit rebrand. They’re actually in River North at 314 W Superior and specialize in organizational rebranding, strategy, messaging, identity, and website development. Their nonprofit work includes Thresholds, Pathlights, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, and others. isubstance.com

Substance website

2. Advocate Creative — best if nonprofit expertise is the priority. They work exclusively with nonprofits and foundations and cover branding, messaging, websites, campaigns, and print. They've worked with United Way of Metro Chicago, Nature Conservancy, TeachAids, and many others. advocatecreative.com

Advocate Creative website

3. Studio Blue — worth considering for a more design-led, institutional feel. They’re in River North at 20 W Hubbard and have nonprofit/cultural work including Mercy Home for Boys & Girls and The Morton Arboretum.

If it were my nonprofit, I'd start with Substance and Advocate. Substance looks particularly strong if this is a true organizational rebrand—new positioning, messaging, identity, etc.—while Advocate is compelling if you want a partner deeply immersed in nonprofit communications from start to finish.

One useful benchmark: Substance's published work with Nourishing Hope (formerly Lakeview Pantry) involved a substantial organizational rebrand, and an independent verified review describes a $50K–$199K engagement. clutch.co

If you tell me your approximate budget (e.g. <$25k, $25–75k, $75–150k, $150k+) and whether you need just a visual refresh or a full positioning/name/messaging rebrand, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually send an RFP to.

Assuming you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist these rather than picking a generic web shop:

1. Plan B - The Agency Alternative for the AI Economy® — best if you want a true rebrand + website under one roof. They’re actually in River North at 10 W Hubbard and cover brand strategy, identity, messaging, and web/digital execution. designinchicago.com

2. Adcetera Chicago — best for a larger, polished brand refresh. Their River North office handles branding, design, digital marketing, and creative, and they explicitly highlight work supporting charities and causes. www.adcetera.com

3. ArtVersion® Creative Agency — best design-forward option. They combine branding, UX/UI, web design and development, and specifically have nonprofit experience, including work for TEDxChicago and other Chicago organizations. artversion.com

4. Advocate Creative — my nonprofit specialist pick, even though they're just outside River North. They've worked with 90+ nonprofits and foundations on branding, messaging, visual identity, websites, campaigns and annual reports. advocatecreative.com

5. Doejo — worth considering if the website rebuild is the harder part. They're right in River North and specialize in digital product, UX/UI, web design and development.

Who I'd call first

For a nonprofit, I'd start with Advocate Creative, Plan B, and ArtVersion and ask each for a proposal. The important thing is to make the project one integrated engagement—positioning/messaging → visual identity → site architecture → design → development—rather than hiring a branding firm and then handing the brand to a separate web developer.

If you tell me roughly your nonprofit's size/budget and what you dislike about the current brand/site, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually interview and give you the questions I'd ask them.

Absolutely — I can help shortlist agencies that are a good fit for a nonprofit rebrand + website rebuild.

What city/state is your River North office in? You can share your location below, or just type the city.

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Since you’re in River North, Chicago, I’d shortlist these rather than hiring a generic web shop:

1. Substance — best for the rebrand itself. They specialize in organizational rebranding and have experience with institutions and nonprofits. A good choice if your identity, positioning, messaging, and visual system need a serious rethink. toimi.pro

2. Taylor Bruce Design Partnership — best balanced brand + website option. They’re right in River North and explicitly work across branding, web/digital, content, and nonprofit/cultural organizations.

3. Plan B - The Agency Alternative for the AI Economy® — best if you want a full-service partner nearby. They’re on W. Hubbard in River North and combine brand strategy, creative, web development, and marketing.

4. Dialogue Theory — best for a mission-driven digital rebuild. They specifically work with nonprofits and civic organizations and emphasize UX, digital strategy, and development rather than just making a prettier site.

5. Advocate Creative — best nonprofit-specialist alternative. Their work is specifically aimed at nonprofits and foundations, including brand strategy, messaging, identity, and web experiences.

My pick

For a nonprofit doing both a meaningful rebrand and a complete website rebuild, I'd talk to Substance, Taylor Bruce, and Dialogue Theory first. If the website needs to be particularly fundraising/conversion-focused, I'd also get a proposal from LimeRed Studio, Inc.; they specialize in purpose-driven organizations and combine branding, web development, accessibility, SEO, and integrations. www.orbitmedia.comwww.orbitmedia.com

One other strong contender is Orbit Media Studios. They aren't in River North, but they have a substantial Chicago nonprofit portfolio—including Ingenuity and Nourishing Hope—and explicitly specialize in nonprofit websites, SEO, accessibility, and donation conversion. www.orbitmedia.com

If you tell me your nonprofit's approximate annual budget and what you want to spend on the rebrand/site, I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies that are likely to be the right size and price.

Since you’re in River North, I’d shortlist agencies based on two things: actual nonprofit experience and whether they can handle brand + website together, rather than handing the project between firms.

My top 4

1. Concentric Design — best overall fit
   • Chicago studio doing brand identity, strategy, web, and design.
   • Particularly relevant nonprofit work includes VOCEL and Rebuilding Exchange, including identity and website work. www.concentric.design
   • I'd put them first if you want a thoughtful, design-forward rebrand without feeling like you're hiring a giant agency.

2. Taylor Bruce Design Partnership — great if you want a smaller River North partner
   • Actually located in River North.
   • Does branding, content, website design/development, and has nonprofit/cultural-institution experience, including Northern Illinois Food Bank and the Field Museum.
   • Worth a conversation if being physically nearby matters.

3. Plan B - The Agency Alternative for the AI Economy® — best if you want a broader marketing partner
   • Right in River North on W Hubbard.
   • More full-service: strategy, creative, web/digital and marketing.
   • I'd consider them if the rebrand needs to extend into fundraising campaigns, communications, CRM, etc.

4. Adcetera Chicago — best for a bigger-agency approach
   • River North/Mag Mile location with branding, design, digital and broader marketing capabilities.
   • They specifically highlight work supporting charities and causes. www.adcetera.com
   • Probably more agency than you need if this is a relatively small nonprofit, but worth considering for a larger organization.

One I'd add even though it's not in River North

Sandstorm Design is worth an RFP. They're especially strong on UX, accessibility, inclusive design and complex mission-driven websites, which can matter enormously for a nonprofit.

And if nonprofit specialization matters more than proximity, Orbit Media is another strong candidate: they've been doing nonprofit sites since 2001 and have substantial Chicago nonprofit experience. www.concentric.designwww.orbitmedia.com

My pick: Start with Concentric + Taylor Bruce + Sandstorm and get three proposals. That should give you a useful range of boutique brand/design, River North convenience, and deep digital/UX expertise.

If you tell me roughly what your nonprofit does, your annual budget for the project, and whether you need a full rebrand or just a visual refresh, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually invite to pitch.

Assuming you mean River North in Chicago, I’d shortlist agencies that can handle both nonprofit brand strategy and a mission-driven website rebuild (not just a visual refresh). A few I’d put at the top:

Best fits for a nonprofit rebrand + website

1. EDUCO Web Design — probably my first call for a nonprofit
They focus specifically on nonprofits and community organizations, with experience in donor journeys, volunteer engagement, storytelling, and mission-focused websites. www.educowebdesign.com
Good fit if: your goals are fundraising, clearer messaging, better program storytelling, and an easier site for staff to manage.

2. Orbit Media Studios — strong for a strategic website rebuild
They have deep nonprofit website experience and emphasize strategy, UX, SEO, accessibility, and conversion paths (donations, signups, volunteer actions). www.orbitmedia.com
Good fit if: your current site is outdated and you need measurable improvements, not just a new look.

3. Substance — strongest for a true organizational rebrand
Substance is known for brand strategy and rebranding work, including nonprofits and institutions. toimi.pro
Good fit if: the nonprofit’s name, positioning, messaging, identity, or audience strategy needs to evolve before rebuilding the site.

4. ArtVersion — design-forward option near River North
They do branding, UX, and web design work and have experience with nonprofit and mission-driven organizations. artversion.com
Good fit if: you want a polished, modern brand presence.

5. Advocate Creative — nonprofit communications specialist
They focus on nonprofit and foundation branding, websites, campaigns, and communications materials. advocatecreative.com
Good fit if: your brand needs to extend beyond the website into fundraising campaigns, reports, and outreach.

My suggested shortlist to interview

If I were choosing three proposals, I’d request:

1. EDUCO — nonprofit expertise
2. Orbit Media — website strategy + performance
3. Substance — deeper rebrand/positioning work

Before signing, ask each:

• “Can you show 3 nonprofit rebrands you personally led?”
• “Who will actually do the strategy, design, and development?”
• “How do you handle accessibility (WCAG), donations, CRM integrations, and staff training?”
• “Will you help rewrite our messaging, or only redesign the visuals?”

If you mean River North in another city (not Chicago), tell me which one and I’ll adjust the list.