Strategic marketing for complex, mission-driven organizations.

Bring us your biggest marketing challenges. We’ll help you see what’s possible and build the strategy and creative to make it happen.

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Find Your Marketing Gaps

When your marketing works, results follow…

Support that saves you time and increases revenue.

As organizations grow, marketing often becomes fragmented. Teams are busy executing. Channels multiply. Leadership struggles to see what’s actually driving results.

Deep Varnish partners with mission-driven organizations to step back, ask better questions, and build strategy and creative direction that align people, priorities, and performance.

  • You get senior-level marketing leadership without the cost or risk of a full-time hire. We help you set direction, make smarter decisions, and ensure your team and vendors are working toward the same business and revenue goals.

  • We give you a focused, practical plan so your marketing stops feeling scattered and starts driving real results. You get priorities, campaigns, and execution support that save time, reduce wasted effort, and move revenue forward.

  • We help you clearly articulate what makes you different so donors, customers, and partners instantly understand why you matter. The result is messaging that cuts through the noise, aligns your team, and makes every campaign more effective.

  • We turn your website, email, and social channels into tools that actually support growth. Instead of disconnected posts and pages, you get a cohesive digital presence that attracts the right people and converts attention into action.

Explore How We Work

Built for organizations at an inflection point.

Deep Varnish works with organizations that have real momentum and real complexity.

Nonprofits managing multiple programs. Associations balancing member value and growth. Foundations sharpening their impact. Universities navigating enrollment pressure and change.

When marketing outgrows tactics, it needs stronger direction. That’s where we come in.

  • We help nonprofits and foundations turn complex missions into clear, inspiring stories that move people to act. The result is consistent messaging, stronger engagement, and marketing that builds trust and drives support.

  • We help professional associations bring focus and direction to marketing that has grown complex. From member growth to engagement and retention, we align strategy, messaging, and creative so your work drives measurable impact.

  • We help universities and STEM programs communicate their value in ways that resonate with prospective students and support enrollment and long-term engagement.

  • We help innovators simplify complex ideas and stand out in crowded markets. With clear messaging and smart strategy, your story connects faster and your marketing scales as you grow.

See Industries We Serve

Results that speak for themselves.

  • A photo of Alan Miciak.

    "Deep Varnish was a great strategic partner and provided valuable insights to shape our MBA enrollment marketing strategy. Their understanding of higher education marketing resulted in recommendations that helped fuel our admissions efforts. We are already experiencing an encouraging improvement in enrollment and the overall MBA grad experience."

    Alan Miciak
    Dean, John Carroll University's Boler School of Business

  • A photo of Lori Gatmaitan.

    "I engaged with Deep Varnish on a range of projects including brochure development, photography and videography, SEO, collateral design, annual giving optimization, social media and email strategy, and a full website and brand redesign. Shawn was an exceptional partner throughout. His innovative thinking and thoughtful approach gently pushed our organization beyond its comfort zone in ways that ultimately strengthened our fundraising and advanced our mission. I would highly recommend Shawn and Deep Varnish to any organization seeking a creative, strategic, and truly invested partner."

    Lori Gatmaitan
    Former VP, SAE Foundation

  • A photo of Darin Smith.

    "Our web presence vastly improved with our new website and SEO. We dove right into a new marketing strategy and instantly had positive results in quote requests and sales. Deep Varnish was able to quickly learn our industry and gave us insight as to what our next steps should be."

    Darin Smith
    General Manager, Printscape Imaging & Graphics

  • A photo of Scott Imblum.

    "Once we started growing I needed help with a strategic direction for the brand. I went to Deep Varnish to help understand our SEO, marketing strategy, and web presence. Within three months of working with them our sales tripled. It has been an incredible experience."

    Scott Imblum
    Co-Founder, Pump Peelz

  • A photo of Matthew Adams.

    "Shawn’s ability to pull out a brand’s story is unmatched. Our creative direction is just one example of how he’s transformed how we show the thrill of attending one of these events through incredible visual storytelling. He was able to work beyond organizational challenges and helped us focus on improving one piece at a time. We’ve seen huge improvement in our digital engagement, and now feel more confident pitching sponsors to support our efforts. Thank you, Shawn!"

    Matthew Adams
    Product Marketing Specialist, SAE International

Share your challenges. We’ll listen. Better yet, we’ll get right to work.

Start with a 20-minute Quick Connect™ where we’ll pinpoint what’s working, what’s not, and what to do next. You’ll walk away with a personalized Marketing Snapshot™ — insights you can use immediately.

Schedule Your Quick Connect™