Yvette Bonilla Leach began Alora Farm with a vision shaped by her son, who is autistic, and by her search for a place where autistic adults could live with dignity beyond the day programs and group homes that exist today. When she came to DesignGood, Alora had become a legal entity in 2020, she had a simple website that accepted donations, an Instagram following she was building one conversation at a time, and a 501(c)(3) application underway. She was also looking for board members who could give the project their time.
A farm that does not exist yet has to earn trust through how it looks and sounds, and the people Yvette needed to reach would decide on that before they ever visited. She wanted a brand that gave neurodivergent people dignity and respect, without sounding like "special needs" language, and with a modern feel that younger supporters would want to join.
We began with her words. The brand language and positioning gave Alora its clarifier, Inclusive Autist Community, Agricultural Homestead, Wellness Center, and its statement, Love Grows Here, along with a positioning that describes people tending crops, caring for animals, and learning skills they can use on and off the farm. Yvette gathered input from board members and others close to the project, chose the color palette the board favored for its range, and told us the work had impressed everyone she shared it with. From there we designed the visual identity, the website, a supporter deck, and branded email marketing.
Today Alora is a 501(c)(3) public charity with a community garden in the Hill Country, and a supporter can find the vision, the story behind the name, and a way to give in one place. Yvette has a brand and language she can bring to any board meeting, donor conversation, or family who asks what Alora is.
