FOA Communications

Illustration of a cow playing a tuba from the UC Davis Marching Band.

Hello!

We’re a full-service creative team that understands how UC Davis communicates — across departments, disciplines and audiences. Whether you're reaching students, patients, employees or the broader public, we help UC Davis and UC Davis Health teams communicate clearly, creatively and effectively with the audiences they care about.

In today’s budget environment, it’s not always possible to hire new staff or bring in outside vendors — and that’s where we come in.

FOA Communications now offers marketing and design support to partners beyond FOA, to university partners on the Davis campus and Sacramento campus through flexible service agreements. With deep UC Davis experience and a full range of creative services, we help get you high-quality, on-brand support — efficiently, affordably and with minimal ramp-up.
Meet the team

What We Offer

  • Website Design and Management
  • Build, refresh or streamline your website with support from experienced web professionals. We specialize in SiteFarm for Davis campus units and also support Sacramento campus clients working within the UC Davis Health content management system. From structure and accessibility to content, design and analytics, we’ll collaborate with your team to build a new site or refresh an existing one.
  • Graphic Design and Illustration
  • From logos and infographics to custom illustrations and campaign visuals, we create on-brand materials that bring your message to life. We also design practical tools your team can use and update — including slide templates, Zoom backgrounds, digital letterhead, org charts and branding toolkits. Whether you’re starting with a rough idea or a clear vision, we’ll deliver polished, consistent visuals that make a lasting impact.
  • Writing and Editing
  • We create clear, engaging content for websites, newsletters, reports, emails and more — with a focus on plain language and inclusive tone. Our team specializes in translating complex or sensitive topics into accessible messaging, and we’re happy to revise existing content or start from scratch. We follow the appropriate UC Davis or UC Davis Health editorial style guides to ensure consistency and credibility.
  • Communications Strategy and Planning
  • We partner with teams to clarify goals, audiences and messages — then build strategies that make communication more effective and intentional. Whether you’re launching a campaign, managing change or engaging stakeholders, we can help plan the approach or support your in-house team behind the scenes.
  • Grant Communications and Support
  • We help research and operational teams plan, write and strengthen competitive grant proposals — especially for large, interdisciplinary or applied projects. Our support includes opportunity forecasting, proposal coordination, writing and editing, partnership development and evaluation planning. We specialize in showcasing real-world impact by positioning the UC Davis campus as a living laboratory and connecting projects to the communities they serve. Learn more

 

decorative image of big shift two-pager
We named it, branded it and embraced the chaos — using design, storytelling and cheeky signage to turn this major fossil-fuel-reduction project into a relatable campus conversation.
Moving Forward Together with bicyclist
We launched Moving Forward Together to crowdsource ideas for safer, greener campus travel — combining strategy, outreach and creative to spark real conversations about how UC Davis moves.
Health 34 van
We helped launch Health 34 with branding, photography and a custom vehicle wrap — bringing visibility to this 24/7 mobile team delivering compassionate, non-emergency care across campus.
waterway in west end of arboretum
We launched the Waterway Reimagined outreach campaign — delivering video, signage, storytelling, engagement and grant support to bring this campus revitalization effort to life.
sticker with cow wearing lab safety equipment
We designed this custom cow-in-safety-gear illustration for Safety Services — turning lab safety into something cool, collectible and totally sticker-worthy.
Employee Experience Survey graphic image.
We designed posters, Zoom backgrounds and a full outreach campaign for the Employee Experience Survey — driving a record-breaking 62.2% response rate.
Supplier Showcase 2024 campaign graphic.
Each year, we create a fresh, theme-driven design for the Supplier Showcase — giving this campus event a cohesive, professional look that supports Supply Chain's outreach efforts.
aggie square screenshot
We supported Aggie Square — UC Davis’ innovation district in Sacramento — with design, a public-facing website and tools to track progress on the Community Benefits Agreement.
Love On the Run fundraising campaign graphic.
We brought the heart to this paws-on-the-ground campaign — designing outreach that celebrates the K-9s of UC Davis PD and supports their mission of protection, comfort and connection.
AggieAccess project graphic.
We supported the rollout of AggieAccess with a new website, how-to videos, and photography — helping make secure building access as simple as a tap.
closeup of flowers in front of Gorman museum entrance
We helped tell the story of the Gorman Museum’s landscape and its tie to Native American tradition — providing custom photography, facilitating expert contributions and coordinating the development of landscape plan.
Background image pattern from Ideas at Work project.
We developed the award-winning IDEA$ at Work campaign to spark big ideas from employees — doubling our goal with nearly 2,000 submissions to help UC Davis tackle its structural budget deficit.
Day of Reflection campaign photo.
We led coordination for the Davis Day of Reflection — an award-winning, campus–community healing event created in just two weeks, in partnership with more than two dozen campus units and local agencies.
illustration of iconic uc davis animals snuggling up for storytime
We created custom illustrations for FOA’s Holiday Hygge Toolkit — a cozy collection designed to spark comfort, connection and seasonal joy for UC Davis staff.
Safety Lighting Walk campaign graphic.
We created outreach materials to boost turnout for this long-running UC Davis Lighting Walk tradition — combining design and messaging to support a safer, more welcoming campus for all.
Customized organization chart screenshot.
We built professional, easy-to-update org charts in Google — combining clean design with user-friendly functionality anyone can maintain.
Hiring Experience Zoom background graphic.
We designed branded business collaterals to support The Hiring Experience, a multi-year HR initiative to improve how UC Davis hires and welcomes new employees.
campus ready video screenshot
This video was part of Campus Ready — an initiative we built from scratch in partnership with Student Affairs, including the website, signage, outreach strategy and everything in between.

How It Works

We work through flexible service agreements (typically 6-12 months), structured more like a retainer than a per-project contract. That means no hourly invoicing, no micromanaging — just shared expectations, steady support and the flexibility to respond when you need us.

Whether you're planning a large-scale project, like building a new website, or just want the peace of mind of having a full-service creative team a phone call away, we can help you estimate how much support you’ll need. We’re happy to talk it through, build something flexible and adjust as we go. 

Sample Pricing

Our agreements are based on a percentage of a full-time equivalent (FTE) at a flat rate for all services. A 20% FTE would cost approximately $40,000 for a 12-month contract. This level of support is ideal for teams with ongoing needs or for managing a large initiative over time.

Here are a few more examples to help you estimate:

  • 10% FTE (15-20 hours/mo): $20,000 per year
  • 25% FTE (40-45 hours/mo): $50,000 per year
  • 50% FTE (80-85 hours/mo): $100,000 per year

Let's Talk

Not sure what you need? That’s OK — we’re always happy to brainstorm with our university colleagues. Whether you just want to bounce around ideas or need a creative partner to help you get it done, we’re here for both. Reach out for a no-pressure conversation to see how we can support your team.

Send us an email