D3

www.yesdropincenter.org

The Story

Youth Empowered Society (YES) had a vision to make their online presence feel like the safe haven they are for teens and young adults experiencing housing instability in Baltimore. The Youth Empowered Society and the YES Drop-In Center team worked intentionally to have their website reflect their community, making teens feel seen, respected, and supported on their journey toward independence. Their goal was to create something that conveyed steadiness, familiarity, and most importantly, hope, so that potential clients could feel secure making the first move to connect with  YES’s multitude of services, case management, and housing resources. YES also needed online functionality to elevate their brand presence to attract more donors, volunteers, and media coverage. 

Time was of the essence, as YES Drop-In had recently moved and the organization had completed a comprehensive revisioning and strategic planning process, making the need for them to be easily searched for online even more important. It was a pivotal time to elevate their brand, which is why D3 was eager to deliver meaningful results for such an important community partner.  

Our Journey

D3 crafted a thoughtful, custom design using soothing blues and greens to create a sense of safety and comfort, paired with Baltimore-based imagery to honor and represent YES’s commitment to their city and community. Built with accessibility and empathy in mind, the site offers a simple, mobile-friendly experience for the young people YES serves, as well as the volunteers, partners, and donors who support them.

Together, D3 and YES sought to make the content across the site reflect a sense of security, love, and helpfulness, while keeping it direct and to the point. Our D3 team aimed to remove any barriers for clients to get in touch with the YES team, which is why we intentionally made the contact form concise and available on every page, and included staff members’ direct contact information and current photo. With connection at its heart, the site was designed to make it easy for anyone to get involved by giving regularly, attending events, or volunteering. By integrating all three functions into this site, the D3 team helped YES build processes and momentum to strengthen its network of supporters and deepen its community impact.

“Youth Empowered Society serves as a lifeline for young people experiencing homelessness, so it was important that their website reflect both the depth of their services and the urgency of the needs they address,” said Jay Bosley, chief operating officer at D3. “We are proud to support an organization making such a meaningful impact in Baltimore. The new site is designed to effectively engage each of YES’s core audiences — youth seeking support, volunteers eager to serve, and donors committed to meaningful impact — ultimately strengthening their message and expanding their reach in the community.”

At D3, we’re proud to partner with nonprofits like YES to bring their missions to life through thoughtful, impactful websites, captivating video and photography, and social campaigns. Every project reminds us of the power of collaboration and the importance of meeting our community’s needs with creativity and care. If your organization is ready to elevate its impact, we’d love to help you get there.

Testimonial

“I appreciate all the work your team has done so far—our site looks great, and I’m excited to discuss next steps for marketing and support.”

—Allen Blackwell, Executive Director at YES