PRONOUNS: THEY/THEM
Ethan Hawes
Creative strategist & communications consultant, Lexington, KY
I'm Ethan Hawes — I do creative consulting and capacity building for mission-driven organizations, including non-profits, advocacy groups, movement and grassroots orgs, and corporations with a conscience. I work at the intersection of creativity and impact, with a background in design, marketing, content strategy, fundraising, program development, and much more.
My work is grounded in organizing and non-profit leadership — including community engagement, grant writing, crowdfunding, program development, and program implementation. All my work is informed by a commitment to equity, justice, and centering marginalized communities. I partner with organizers, advocates, and small teams that do big work, helping them to build the creative and organizational capacity needed for true sustainability.
My lived experience is what sets my work apart. I am a proud queer person, a Harm Reductionist, a person in recovery, and I am HIV-positive. That context informs all of my work, from the design of harm reduction educational materials, to my belief that equitable pay and leadership by impacted people are not ideals, but the bare minimum.
I am also a devoted cat parent who loves music, yoga, meditation, and nature.
Reach out — let's make change together.
Summary
Overview
Full-service creative and operations consultant for nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, with 15+ years in design and communications and 10+ years in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and program development. Combines the work usually split between a design agency and a development consultant - building brands, securing funding, running campaigns, and strengthening organizational capacity. Raised over $1 million via grants, foundation gifts, and crowdfunding efforts. Designed and led sustainable nonprofit programs. Available nationally for contract and retainer work.
Professional experience
Work history
Independent consultancy — Nationally
Provides full-service creative and organizational consulting to nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and mission-driven clients across Kentucky and nationally, integrating design, communications, fundraising, and program development.
Delivers brand and identity development, content strategy, social media marketing, graphic design, and web design for organizations in harm reduction, recovery, reproductive justice, and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Writes federal, state, and foundation grant applications and develops high-volume fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and crowdfunding campaigns.
Designs and implements programs and builds organizational capacity and infrastructure to sustain long-term operations.
Selected clients: Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation; Black Lives Matter Louisville; University of Kentucky; Louisville Pride Foundation; SisterSong
Goodwill Industries of Kentucky — Lexington, KY
Led delivery of a $1 million U.S. Department of Labor-funded employment initiative for justice-impacted young adults. Coordinated an accelerated work-based learning program integrating credential attainment, career coaching, and wraparound services.
Built strategic relationships with BCTC and regional employers while addressing participant barriers including housing, healthcare, and transportation.
Oversaw grant deliverables, reporting, and compliance (HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2), and developed SOPs and internal policies to ensure program fidelity.
Recovery Cafe Lexington — Lexington, KY
Wrote and implemented a successful $700,000 SAMHSA State Opioid Response II grant application to establish a peer-led recovery community center. Helped grow the organization from two part-time staff and limited services into a full-service center operating six days per week with four full-time and four part-time staff.
Oversaw all grant programming and supervised grant personnel.
Launched a CCAR-certified Recovery Coaching program and created a recovery hub offering daily meals, pro-social events, and case management.
Established partnerships to streamline referrals and broaden access to holistic care.
Voices of Hope Lexington — Lexington, KY
Developed and implemented strategic plans to increase participant, volunteer, and donor engagement. Oversaw marketing strategy, produced print and web design materials, and managed the organization's social media presence.
Developed harm reduction programming and training materials for peer support specialists, and planned and facilitated public overdose response trainings.
Served as Planner and Co-Chair of the annual Overdose Awareness Day event and built partnerships to advocate for people in recovery.
Kentucky State University — Frankfort, KY
Owned a full website content refresh project on WordPress, producing original copy, photography, and multimedia content across university and departmental pages.
Partnered with academic and administrative departments (Admissions, Athletics, Student Affairs) to translate stakeholder priorities into SEO-optimized, on-brand web content.
Managed and expanded the university's digital brand asset library, establishing new visual and editorial standards adopted institution-wide for consistency across departmental microsites.
Built foundational content strategy and governance practices for a higher-ed WordPress environment, balancing brand compliance with departmental autonomy.
Louisville Ladder — Louisville, KY
Designed product packaging graphics for a multi-brand portfolio (Louisville Ladder, Black & Decker, Stanley, DeWalt) sold nationally through big-box retail (Home Depot, Lowe's), ensuring compliance with each brand's style guide and retail packaging specs.
Collaborated cross-functionally with marketing, product management, and print production teams to concept and execute packaging and promotional graphics from brief to press-ready file.
Produced print and digital promotional/advertising materials supporting seasonal product launches and retail marketing campaigns.
Organized and maintained multi-brand digital asset libraries, streamlining file retrieval and version control across concurrent brand projects.
Website Mentors / Splash Digital — Louisville, KY
Designed and built responsive websites for local political campaigns and small-business clients, translating client goals into functional, on-brand digital presences under tight election-cycle deadlines.
Developed brand identity systems (logo, color, typography) for emerging small-business clients, delivering cohesive visual branding from concept through final asset delivery.
Worked directly with clients in a fast-paced agency environment, managing multiple concurrent projects and revision cycles.
Education
Credentials
Bluegrass Community & Technical College
Parsons the New School for Design
Skills & tools
Capabilities