Retainer Rates
Your work is
but the way it’s presented
hasn’t caught up yet.
A retainer keeps everything
aligned with your mission
...consistently
Your work is but the way it’s presented hasn’t caught up yet. A retainer keeps everything aligned with your mission, consistently
1. We’ve outgrown Canva, but we’re not ready for a full-time designer.
2. Our team wears too many hats, we need someone to just handle design.
3. We’re always scrambling to pull together flyers and reports last-minute.
4. We don’t have the time or energy to manage freelancers every month.
If this sounds like your team, you're exactly who we support.
If this sounds like your team, you're exactly who we support.
1. We’ve outgrown Canva, but we’re not ready for a full-time designer.
2. Our team wears too many hats, we need someone to just handle design.
3. We’re always scrambling to pull together flyers and reports last-minute.
4. We don’t have the time or energy to manage freelancers every month.
Why a Retainer?
You have enough to manage and your visuals shouldn’t be one of them. When you’re leading programs, publishing reports, launching initiatives, or coordinating across departments, visuals are not decoration. They’re credibility. And credibility affects:
• Funding
• Enrollment
• Donor trust
• Public perception
• Internal alignment
If your brand feels inconsistent, rushed, or fragmented, people feel it, even if they can’t name it. That’s where we come in. Think creative partner and less freelance designer. This is creative partnership built for institutions and agencies that can’t afford visual drift.
Testimonials
Not Just a Vendor.
A Creative Ally.
Your team’s already juggling enough roles. Support your team by letting them do what they do best, I’ll handle the visuals!
Why Choose a Retainer
Over a Full-Time
Full-Time Designer / Art Director Costs:
◦ Average Salary: $90,000 – $130,000/year ($7,500 – $10,800/month).
◦ Additional Costs: Benefits (20-30%), payroll taxes (7.65%), equipment, software, and office space.
◦ Total Monthly Cost: $10,000 – $14,000 or more.
senior-level expertise at a fraction of the cost of an in-house executive. We take on all of the overhead including:
◦ Software (Adobe Creative Suite, Content Management System, Zoom, Etc)
◦ Equipment (Top of the line iMac, Wacom tablet, Professional Camera Gear, External Hard Drives, and other office supplies)
◦ Workspace (Office Space, WiFi, Etc)
No need for training, onboarding, or managing a full-time employee’s productivity.
A decade of experience in branding, design, and creative direction across multiple industries.
Scale up or down based on your business’s evolving needs.
Unlike a salaried hire, a retainer offers flexibility with no HR obligations.
Why Choose a Retainer Over a Full-Time Art Director / Designer?
Full-Time Designer / Art Director Costs:
Average Salary: $90,000 – $130,000/year ($7,500 – $10,800/month).
Additional Costs: Benefits (20-30%), payroll taxes (7.65%), equipment, software, and office space.
Total Monthly Cost: $10,000 – $14,000 or more.
Senior-level expertise at a fraction of the cost of an in-house executive. We take on all of the overhead including:
Software (Adobe Creative Suite, Content Management System, Zoom, Etc)
Equipment (Top of the line iMac, Wacom tablet, Professional Camera Gear, External Hard Drives, and other office supplies)
Workspace (Office Space, WiFi, Etc)
No need for training, onboarding, or managing a full-time employee’s productivity.
A decade of experience in branding, design, and creative direction across multiple industries.
Scale up or down based on your business’s evolving needs.
Unlike a salaried hire, a retainer offers flexibility with no HR obligations.
Which Retainer
Feels Right for You?
I’m your creative department, minus the hiring process. Let’s build a system that works month after month. Each month, we go over your goals then we construct the perfect set of deliverables that fit within your selected retainer. There’s a 3 month minimum. Start with what you need now, scale up or down as you go.
Communications Partner
Starting at $2,550 per month
For teams who need steady, professional execution.
Best for:
• Nonprofits running consistent programs
• Agencies needing reliable creative support
Typical sample scope includes creative direction plus 1 of the following:
• Social graphics and promotional assets
• Email and digital visuals
• Light landing page design
• Website maintenance
• Smaller report layouts
• Brand consistency oversight
* This does not include logo design, new websites, or full rebrands.
Brand & Platform Partner
Starting at $5,000 per month
For organizations building something bigger.
Best for:
• Institutions launching new branches or initiatives
• Organizations evolving their identity
• Teams managing multiple concurrent campaigns
• Logo systems and sub-brands
• Comprehensive brand guides
• Report design systems
• Website design or redesign
• Campaign families and visual ecosystems
• Merch development
• Strategic visual planning
Creative Residency
Starting at $10,000 per month
For institutions and teams that require embedded creative leadership.
Best for:
• Large universities
• Multi-department organizations
• Public initiatives with high visibility
• Agencies seeking senior-level white-label support
You gain an embedded creative director and studio partner aligned with your leadership team.
Typical scope includes full creative direction plus up to 5 the following:
• Logo systems and sub-brands
• Comprehensive brand guides
• Report design systems
• Cross-department brand governance
• Large-scale report ecosystems
• Website ecosystems
• Major campaign rollouts
• Event photography embedded into planning
• Art direction for internal teams
• Executive-level strategy meetings
• Priority turnaround
• Full asset management access
* Limited availability. This level replaces the need for multiple hires. It protects your brand at scale and it ensures that as your organization grows, your visual presence grows with it.
Case Study: Wikimedia NYC
The Challenge: Wikimedia NYC needed a consistent, reliable creative partner to support their growing list of public programs and events but didn’t have the time to onboard someone new for every campaign. Their small team was juggling multiple deadlines and needed a designer who could step in seamlessly and bring their vision to life without a ton of back-and-forth.
The Impact : We developed a playful visual identity for each event or project. This included micro-sites, social media graphics, and presentation slides. Our work together has since grown into an ongoing retainer partnership, covering a range of design needs and campaign materials making their work more accessible, recognizable, and engaging.
Not Sure Yet?
Take this 5-minute questionnaire and I’ll recommend the best package for your needs,
whether that’s within or outside of a retainer.