West End nonprofit ToolBank USA earns $50,000 in web help from Rockfish

Two companies with a Cincinnati presence are joining forces to improve the community.
 
As a part of their 2015 corporate giving program, Mt. Adams-based Rockfish — the full-service digital innovation company with offices across the world — has offered $50,0000 worth of digital support to two nonprofits. The Cincinnati Rockfish office, along with the Atlanta branch, will be handling the pro bono work for the program.

One of the winning organizations is ToolBank USA, which was established in Cincinnati in 2011 and opened in 2012.
 
This is the second time that Rockfish's Cincinnati office led a pro bono project for the company. Last year, they helped Josh Cares with its social media strategy.
 
ToolBank USA facilitates tool donation to its affiliates across the country. The organization has offices across the country that work on maintaining a constant source of funding to meet local need, helping local charities cut expenses involved in purchasing and maintaining a supply of tools. Charities can borrow certain tools for 3% of the retail value of the tool. Cincinnati Community Council is an avid user of those services.
 
ToolBank USA has more than doubled in size in the past year. The Cincinnati branch alone meets the needs of 189 local organizations. Kat Pepmeyer runs the organization's Cincinnati branch, based in the West End, and has found that her biggest challenge is dealing with an archaic, difficult-to-manage website.
 
"It's really important to make sure that, as we grow, we have a great website that's functional and accurately presents what we do in the community," Pepmeyer says.
 
As it stands now, the national website for ToolBank USA is challenging to edit. Each ToolBank affiliate also uses a different web platform, causing a lack of consistency.
 
That's where Rockfish digital media specialists come in, having worked with clients across the country to develop a compelling web presence. When it comes to ToolBank USA, Rockfish will do a complete overhaul of the national website and create a web template for their affiliates across the country. They'll create a more uniform system that's easy to edit, making the lives of Executive Directors like Pepmeyer much easier.
 
Pepmeyer was the first member of the organization to learn of the grant opportunity. She encouraged the national chapter to apply in the hopes that every ToolBank affiliate could benefit from Rockfish's services.
 
"This really seems like a natural fit," Pepmeyer says of the new partnership. "When companies offer pro bono work, it doesn't always complete the job. This is a really good sized grant, and they can do a lot more for us."