Brand & Style Guidelines - Rural Community Assistance Corporation - 13th Edition May 2022 - RCAC
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Rural Community Assistance Corporation Brand & Style Guidelines 13th Edition • May 2022
Brand Guide
The RCAC Brand Guide provides instructions on This section will describe the RCAC brand and prop-
how to implement the RCAC brand. This document per use of logos, colors and fonts. The Style Guide
explains the unique aspects of RCAC’s visual style, section starting on page 11 provedes standards for
voice and tone. Use these guidelines when creating written communications.
any RCAC related communications.
This 13th updated edition replaces any earlier edi-
The Communications Department can help you tions. Please recycle any old copies.
with creating branded materials such as flyers,
brochures, documents and graphics. This docu-
ment provides you with basic guidelines for when
the Communications Department services are not
available.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Brand Guidelines Introduction • Page 2Brand overview Vision Statement
This book helps to create a consistent and recogniz-
able RCAC brand and style. RCAC’s vision and mis-
RCAC envisions vibrant, healthy and enduring
sion statements (at right) are the brand’s backbone.
All RCAC communications should support these
rural communities throughout the West.
statements. RCAC also has five core values that influ-
ence our brand personality. These core values are:
Leadership Mission Statement
identifies innovative strategies to further rural com-
munity and economic development and inspires
partners to achieve great outcomes
RCAC provides training, technical and financial
Collaboration resources and advocacy so rural communities can
achieves superior results by respectfully and inclu-
sively identifying partners achieve their goals and visions.
Commitment
works with passion and dedication to improve rural
communities and the lives of their low-income Tagline
residents
Quality Creating vibrant, healthy and enduring rural
produces exceptional work products to help our
partners meet their goals communities
Integrity
practices the highest professional standards and
cultural competency in our work
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Brand Guidelines Brand Overview • Page 3Brand Overview Elevator Speech
An elevator speech is a great way to quickly com-
municate what RCAC does. The example at right
RCAC is the most expansive nonprofit serving
is meant to be a guideline for you to develop your
own way of explaining RCAC to others.
in the rural west. For more than 40 years, we’ve
Below is a list of things RCAC is and isn’t to help you worked primarily in small, underserved rural,
better understand the RCAC brand.
Native, and Tribal communities. Our core services
RCAC is RCAC isn’t are community lending, water, wastewater,
Professional Corporate training, affordable housing, and economic
Diverse Monolithic
development. We have more than 150
Evolving Static
professionals working in more than 13 states.
Expansive Narrow minded
Friendly Stern
Passionate Task oriented
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Brand Guidelines Brand Overview • Page 4Logos Standard Logo – Horizontal The RCAC logo is designed to express our multifac- eted approach and our five core values. There are two versions of the logo: the horizontal and the vertical logo. The horizontal logo should be used in most applications. The vertical logo should be used when the horizontal version does not fit the format. Each logo comes in three different forms. The green version should be used whenever possible. The black-and-white version should be used when the color clashes with the surrounding design or when printed in black-and-white. The white “knockout“ version should be used when a dark colored back- ground is desired. Do not use old versions of the logo. All the current Standard Logo – Vertical RCAC logos can be downloaded here: http://departments.rcac.org/dept/cde/communica- tions/RCACLogos/Forms/Thumbnails.aspx If you need the logo in a format that isn’t available on SharePoint, contact the Communications Department. Rural Community Assistance Corporation Brand Guidelines Logos • Page 5
Clear space and sizing
Like all logos, the RCAC logos need space to
breathe. Do not place any other text or graphics
within the area designated at right as clear space.
The clear space is proportional to the logo size. The
clear space around the logo should be equal to or
greater than the height of the letter “R.”
To ensure legibility, the logo should never be repro-
duced at sizes less than 1 inch for print or 200 pixels
for the web.
The clear space around the
logo should be equal to or
greater than the height of the
letter “R.”
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Brand Guidelines Logos • Page 6Things to avoid
1 2 3
Good branding requires consistent use of a mem-
orable logo. Modifying the logo diminishes its
effectiveness. Do not make any changes to the logo
or use it on backgrounds that affect legibility. At
right are some examples of things you should never
do to the logo.
1. Do not use old versions of the logo or the old 4 5 6
color palette.
2. Do not stretch or squeeze the proportions.
3. Do not add special effects like shadows.
4. Do not change the color(s) of the logo.
5. Do not tilt the logo on an angle.
7 8 9
6. Do not use texture or pattern inside the logo.
7. Do not crop the logo. RCAC
www.rcac.org
8. Do not change the size or orientation of
elements within the logo.
9. Do not attempt to re-create the text in the logo
(it will not look the same).
10 11 12
10. Do not outline the logo.
11. Do not use the logo over colored backgrounds
with low contrast.
12. Do not use the logo over busy photos.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Brand Guidelines Logos • Page 7Color palette Primary Colors
The RCAC color palette is meant to create a warm, Pantone 364
inviting and professional atmosphere. RCAC green HEX: 497527
should be the dominant color with blue used as RGB: 74, 118, 40
the primary accent. The secondary colors should be
used sparingly.
At right, each color is listed with its Pantone, hexa-
decimal, and RGB color values. Use these values
whenever possible to ensure color accuracy.
Pantone 647
HEX: 265f92
RGB: 39, 96, 146
Secondary Colors
Pantone 153
HEX: c16a10
RGB: 194, 107, 17
Pantone 401
HEX: b1a99e
RGB: 177, 169, 159
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Brand Guidelines Color Palette • Page 8Typography TITLES, HEADERS, SUBHEADS AND POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS
Myriad
For long-form documents such as reports and pro-
posals, use Minion (11 pt.) for the paragraph text.
Use Myriad Bold for titles, headers and subheads to
make them stand out from the main text.
Aqui dolesec eperit vel moditis dellene et es magni accum acescimet quisti id essimi-
For PowerPoint presentaions, use Myriad exclusively. nus eiciatio quodi autem quis ut inim initaquis sedignatia sunt et ut ut enit aturest isse-
You may use the regular, bold or italic variations and dis maxim velit lab intiis re pre etFiciet eostis ad ut quatibusae odi de inis reperum hita
whatever size makes sense for the material. quam, nis sae solupta tiundis quia commo dolore cum nonecer natur, tem evernatatur?
Only use RCAC colors for your typography (page 7).
BODY COPY AND PARAGRAPH TEXT OF LONG-FORM DOCUMENTS
Minion
Aqui dolesec eperit vel moditis dellene et es magni accum acescimet quisti id essiminus ei-
ciatio quodi autem quis ut inim initaquis sedignatia sunt et ut ut enit aturest issedis maxim
velit lab intiis re pre etFiciet eostis ad ut quatibusae odi de inis reperum hita quam, nis sae
solupta tiundis quia commo dolore cum nonecer natur, tem evernatatur?
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Brand Guidelines Typography • Page 9Stationary PowerPoint & Word Email signature
Our stationary is an inportant part of the RCAC The offical RCAC PowerPoint and Word templates RCAC has a standard email signature. It can be set in
brand. Custom letterhead, envelopes and business can be downloaded here: Outlook by clicking file –> options –> mail –> signa-
cards can be ordered on SharePoint. When printing tures. It should be set in 11pt Calibri. The first two
http://departments.rcac.org/dept/cde/communica-
on the stationary, a top margin of 1.75” should be lines should be bold all caps. For more information,
tions/Outreach%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx
used with .5” side margins and 1” bottom. A digital visit:
version of the letterhead can be downloaded here:
http://departments.rcac.org/dept/cde/communica-
http://departments.rcac.org/dept/cde/communica- tions/Communications%20Policies/Forms/AllItems.
tions/Outreach%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx Getting Started aspx
• click “File – Save As” Template:
• In the “Save as type” box, select “PowerPoint
Template” JOHN DOE
• Click “Save”
RCAC | DEPARTMENT NAME
Corporate Office: Utah Office:
• You can now select this template any time you
Title | Office
3120 Freeboard Drive, Suite 201 PO Box 981492
create a new document
West Sacramento, CA 95691 Park City, UT 84098
(916) 447-2854 • Fax (916) 447-2878 (435) 649-9263 • Fax (435) 649-9263
• If you don’t want the demo slides to show up (555) 555-5555 ext. 5555
each time, delete them and repeat the above
steps www.rcac.org
RCAC is an equal opportunity provider.
Document Title Need help?
Header Contact the Communications Department if you
Subhead
John Doe
Rural Development Specialist Body Textsdfdsf need help creating marketing materials or have any
3120 Freeboard Drive, Suite 201
West Sacramento, CA 95691
3120 Freeboard Dr., Suite 201
West Sacramento, CA 95691
Phone: (916) 447-9832
questions about this guide.
Fax: (916) 372-5636
Cell: (916) 508-3031
jdoe@rcac.org
http://departments.rcac.org/dept/cde/communica-
tions/SitePages/NewHome.aspx
Printed on
30% post-consumer
recycled paper
Serving Rural Communities In: Alaska • Arizona • California • Colorado • Hawaii & other Pacific Islands
Idaho • Montana • Nevada • New Mexico • Oregon • Utah • Washington • Wyoming
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Brand Guidelines Stationary, Powerpoint & Email Signature • Page 10Style Guide
This 13th updated edition replaces any earlier edi- The Associated Press Stylebook is our first reference.
tions. Please recycle any old copies. Our second reference is the Chicago Manual of
Style. The third reference is a standard dictionary
The RCAC Style Guide services two purposes. First,
such as American Heritage or Merriam Webster
it establishes the corporate standard for all writ-
Online www.m-w.com.
ten communications and products. Second, it is a
reference that staff members can use while writing This guide illustrates where RCAC’s style differs from
and editing. our primary references.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Style Guidelines Introduction • Page 11Abbreviations Capitalization He listed the qualities—intelligence, humor,
conservatism, independence—that he liked in an
executive.
Generally, RCAC does not use abbreviations. Excep- Capitals are used to give unique status to places and
tions are Mr., Ms., Mrs. and Blvd. The two letter state entities. The context in which the word is used also • Attribution: Use a dash before an author’s or
code after a city name is used in an address line affects whether or not to capitalize. (See also names composer’s name at the end of a quotation.
only. Spell out the state name if it is used within the and titles.) Exception to AP style: capitalize Tribe, “Who steals my purse steals trash.” —Shakespeare
body of text. For press releases, use the Associated Tribes, Tribal and Native. • In lists: Capitalize the first word following the
Press (AP) style for abbreviation, e.g., Calif. dash. Use periods at the end of each section.
Also, for headings and subheadings, only capitalize
• In datelines.
the first letter of the first word. Capitalize “The” only
NEW YORK (AP)—The city is broke.
Acronyms if it is part of the registered name. There is no “the”
in front of Rural Community Assistance Corporation; En dash: –
however, The California Endowment is correct.
Wherever possible, try not to create Alphabet soup. The en dash is used to indicate a range between
Try to write out names whenever possible unless In general, avoid unnecessary capitals. Use a capital numbers. (The office will be closed August 10 – Au-
it is an acronym that is well known and commonly letter only if you can justify it by one of the guide- gust 15). There should be a space before and after
used. Examples: USDA, EPA, IRS and AP. Exceptions: lines given in this manual or check the references the en dash in all uses.
proposals or other instances when word count is an listed on page 11.
Keyboard shortcut: Alt 0150
issue.
Hyphen: -
Dashes and hyphens
Bullets and numbering Hyphens join two words. There is no space between
hyphenated words.
Em dash: —
Number only when there is a definite, necessary
Em dash indicates an abrupt change. There is no
order to the items, otherwise use bullets or another
marker:
space before and after the Em dash. Ellipsis
Keyboard shortcut: Alt 0151
1. Anesthetize the patient. In general, the ellipsis is used to indicate the dele-
2. Make incision. Abbreviations – Dashes and hyphens tion of one or more words. It should be used as a
3. Remove the spleen. three-letter word, with spaces before and after
• Use em dashes to denote an abrupt change in
( … ) It may also be used to indicate an incomplete
thought.
*Note that in this list, the sequence is critical; there- thought.
We will fly to Paris in June—if I get a raise.
fore, the use of numbers is warranted.
• Series within a phrase: When a phrase that
otherwise would be set off by commas contains
a series of words that must be separated by
commas.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Style Guidelines Writing Style Guide • Page 12Names The exception is page numbers, percentages and
references:
If a bulleted list contains incomplete sentences (de-
pendent clauses) or single words, use no punctua-
tion (but do use initial caps).
Place names are always capitalized, but their modi- • Chart 3 is on page 6.
fiers sometimes are not. Example: the Danube River, • At least 5 percent of the staff will disagree. • Kool Aid
but the river Danube. Local terms can also become • The bathroom door
capitalized over time through common usage, but Other numbering rules:
• Mud
normally are not. Example: the Bay Area (San Fran- • Use parenthesis around the area code in phone
• Pink and grey socks
cisco), also the Bay; locally, the Delta. numbers. Example: (916) 447-2854
• Your mother-in-law
Capitalize “The” only if it is part of the registered • “Over” generally refers to spatial relation-
name. There is no “the” in front of Rural Community ships—“more than” is preferred with numerals. If a bulleted list contains both incomplete and com-
Assistance Corporation; however, The California • The plane flew “over” the city. plete sentences (dependent and independent claus-
Endowment is correct. es), use a period after each line. Try to keep these
• We ate “more than” 100 hot dogs.
elements parallel—all complete or incomplete. See
East, west, north and south are capitalized when below for an example of a list that is not parallel.
part of a name: North America, South Stockton.
Purely descriptive terms are lower case when they Percentages • Canned food.
refer to an area of inexact boundaries such as the • Bring up the children.
southwest. If it is a defined region, it is OK to say the In scientific and statistical copy, use the symbol %
• Haircut.
West. RCAC serves 13 western states and is an im- for a percentage; in humanistic copy, use the word
• Examine your lifestyle and make a decision.
portant resource to low-income rural communities percent:
throughout the West. Never use commas or semi-colons at the end of the
• Of the cultures tested, fewer than 23% yielded
elements in a bulleted (vertical) list nor use “and”
positive results.
before the last element.
Numbers • The likelihood had improved by 5 to 9 percent.
When making a list while retaining sentence form,
*Note that there is no space between the numeral
separate elements with either commas or semi-co-
Numbers often appear in text. There are some fairly and the symbol %.
lons. Independent clauses and lists within lists
simple rules that allow you to easily work with num-
require semi-colons, otherwise use commas.
bers. Write out numbers under 10 instead of using
the numerals. Punctuating lists • Bob brought a pencil, shoes, a slide rule and a
smile.
When a sentence contains only numbers less than
End the introduction of a list with a colon (:) There • When planning a trip, pack your bags carefully;
10, write them out:
are several things to do today: set the DVR to record The Price is Right, Jeopar-
• I have three six-guns. dy and Saturday Night Live; leave kibble for the
If a bulleted list contains only complete sentences,
pooch; and neuter the cat.
end each with a period.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Style Guidelines Writing Style Guide • Page 13*Note the comma or semi-colon before the “and” • The Duke of Earl Review and edit with an eye toward removing
(/or) at the end of a list is optional when using • The Prince and the Pauper language that could be exclusionary, offensive or
sentence form—its use is to help with the clarity of stereotyping.
• Interview with the Vampire
a complex list. Do not use with a bulleted list and
• We work to help the homeless.
do not use in sentence form unless it’s required for Exact titles are capitalized, generic forms are lower
clarity. case: Rural Community Assistance Corporation, the • We work to help those experiencing homeless-
corporation; California State Assembly, the assem- ness.
bly; the RCAC Board of Directors, the board, your When you can, try to write around grammar and
Titles board of directors. style problems. Avoid starting a sentence with a
Federal government exceptions: Senate, House, numeral:
Generally, titles are lower case unless they directly
Congress (but congressional, the administration, • We loaned $2,400,000 to finance single- and
precede the person’s name: Executive Director An-
federal government). Judicial: only the U.S. Supreme multi-family housing.
nie Aardvark but Annie Aardvark, executive director
Court is “the Court,” all others are lower case. Certain
of XYZ Corporation and the chief financial officer. • Instead of: $2,400,000 was loaned to finance
international organizations: e.g., World Bank, the
Federal government exceptions: the President, the single- and multi-family housing.
bank.
Vice President, the Chief Justice, the Speaker of the
House and the Speaker.
Capitalize common nouns such as banks and foun- Writing tips Resources:
dations when they are an integral part of the full
• Radical Copy Editor: https://radicalcopyeditor.
name for a person, place or thing: Zion’s Bank and • Use active voice business writing style. Avoid
com/top-posts/
Ford Foundation. Lowercase the common nouns passive voice.
• Grammar Girl: https://www.quickanddirtytips.
when they stand alone in subsequent references: • Passive voice – The report was written by RCAC
com/education/grammar/active-voice-versus-
the bank and the foundation. staff members about housing needs.
passive-voice
Example: At the conference, representatives from • Active voice – RCAC staff members wrote the
• Purdue English: https://owl.purdue.edu/
the Sacramento Regional Community Foundation housing needs report.
• AU Writing Center: http://auwritingcen-
spoke to several Mutual Self-Help Housing grantees. Hint: if you can insert the words “by zombies” after ter.blogspot.com/2012/10/identify-pas-
The foundation was one of the sponsors that partici- the verb, the sentence has passive voice. sive-voice-with-zombies.html
pated in the self-help conference.
Consider inclusivity, shifting to the plural form when • Action verbs for business writing: https://
In titles of written works, first, last and other im- www.rfp-templates.com/Research-Articles/List-
possible avoids using he/she or s/he:
portant words are capitalized. Articles, coordinating of-Action-Verbs
conjunctions and prepositions are not capitalized • Executive directors should have their heads
• RCAC communications department
where they are not first or last. Also true for head- examined.
ings within documents. • Instead of: The executive director should have
his/her head examined.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Style Guidelines Writing Style Guide • Page 14You can also read
