Here’s your full-length press release (approx. 1,500 words) celebrating the rebrand of North Dallas Shared Ministries to Now-Forward, with Atomic’s role front and center:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

North Dallas Shared Ministries Rebrands to Now-Forward: A New Name, New Look, and New Website Usher in a Bold Future of Community Service

DALLAS, TX — February 19, 2025 — What’s in a name? For North Dallas Shared Ministries, the answer is: clarity, accessibility, and a renewed sense of purpose. The long-standing nonprofit, serving thousands of Dallas-area residents in need, is excited to announce a major rebrand and the launch of its newly redesigned website — all under its new name: Now-Forward.

The rebranding initiative was born out of a growing need for clarity and inclusivity. Despite its decades of service to the Dallas community, the name “North Dallas Shared Ministries” often led to confusion — both in terms of the range of services offered and assumptions about religious affiliations. While the organization works closely with many faith-based partners, it operates independently and serves clients of all backgrounds, beliefs, and circumstances.

That’s why the organization partnered with branding expert Deborah McMurray, CEO of Content Pilot, to lead a complete brand transformation — starting with a new name that reflects the heart of its mission: helping people move forward, starting now.

“Deborah and her team at Content Pilot delivered in every way,” said Jackie Bese, Founder of Atomic Design & Consulting, the digital agency responsible for the new website. “They captured the vision, developed a compelling brand identity, and provided a solid creative foundation that we could build on technically. We were honored to play a part in this transformation.”

The Birth of a Brand: From North Dallas Shared Ministries to Now-Forward

The rebrand to Now-Forward represents more than a name change — it reflects a modern, compassionate, action-oriented organization that’s deeply focused on helping people take their next step, whatever that might be.

Deborah McMurray and her team conducted extensive research, interviews, and workshops to arrive at the new brand identity, color palette, and messaging platform. Content Pilot crafted a sleek and inviting design system that carries through Now-Forward’s logo, typography, and brand voice — all of which now align with its mission of being a welcoming, accessible, and trustworthy source of support.

Atomic was embedded in the branding process from the beginning, providing technical and user-experience insights to ensure that every creative decision could be translated seamlessly into a website that worked hard for its audience.

A Website Built to Serve

Once the branding work was complete, Atomic Design & Consulting took the reins on building the new website — a robust digital hub designed to match Now-Forward’s new energy and meet the evolving needs of the people they serve.

From the start, the Atomic team worked closely with Now-Forward to audit, streamline, and reorganize the site’s content. The goal was simple: help people find the help they need as quickly and easily as possible.

Whether someone is seeking rental assistance, dental care, food services, or employment resources, the new Now-Forward site delivers answers fast. A mobile-first design strategy led to the creation of a multi-navigation system — with primary services called out front-and-center on mobile devices, while a collapsible hamburger menu gives users deeper access without cluttering the interface.

“Mobile experience was a top priority,” said Bese. “We know that many of Now-Forward’s clients are navigating these services from their phones, so we built for that reality from day one.”

Where Design Meets Development: A Custom Build from Front to Back

The new Now-Forward website is a prime example of form meeting function. Built on WordPress, the site combines custom front-end design with deep technical integration into the organization’s back-end systems — most notably their Salesforce CRM.

Atomic handled the complex task of mapping and integrating multiple dynamic forms, many of them long and data-heavy, directly into Salesforce. This included configuring the forms to push information to the correct Salesforce objects and workflows, helping Now-Forward staff process applications more efficiently and with fewer errors.

The result? A site that not only looks modern and inviting but also works hard behind the scenes to support the staff and volunteers who keep Now-Forward running.

Optimized for Visibility: Built-in SEO to Reach Those in Need

A beautifully designed and technically sound site is only useful if people can find it. That’s why Atomic also applied SEO best practices across every aspect of the build.

The site structure, metadata, page copy, and technical tags were all optimized to help the site appear for searches related to its most critical services — including high-intent terms like:

• “rent assistance in Dallas”
• “dental care for low-income families”
• “food pantry near me”
• “how to apply for utility assistance Dallas”

These organic search strategies are aimed at helping Now-Forward become more discoverable by people who need help now — aligning perfectly with the brand’s new identity and mission.

All About the People: A Collaboration That Delivered

One of the most rewarding aspects of this project was the collaboration between all teams involved. From Now-Forward’s internal leadership to Content Pilot’s branding experts and Atomic’s design and development team, everyone had one shared goal: create something meaningful and effective that serves the Dallas community better than ever.

“This entire process was a joy from start to finish,” said Bese. “All of the teams collaborated wonderfully and were able to deliver a product that will allow Now-Forward to continue to provide their services to even more people. We love working with top-caliber teams and creating website design and development solutions that deliver such value to our community.”

A New Chapter, A Continued Mission

With the launch of its new name, branding, and website, Now-Forward is well positioned to expand its reach and impact in the years to come. The new identity is more inclusive, the user experience is more intuitive, and the technology behind the scenes is more capable than ever before.

But what hasn’t changed is the heart of the organization: a steadfast commitment to helping individuals and families in Dallas overcome barriers and take meaningful steps forward — starting right now.

Visit the new Now-Forward website and see the transformation for yourself: https://now-forward.org/

About Now-Forward
Formerly known as North Dallas Shared Ministries, Now-Forward is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing emergency assistance and support to individuals and families in Dallas facing hunger, homelessness, unemployment, and other urgent needs. Now-Forward partners with dozens of local organizations and volunteers to create pathways for stability, self-sufficiency, and hope.

About Atomic Design & Consulting
Atomic Design & Consulting is a full-service digital marketing agency based in Allen, Texas, just north of Dallas. Atomic specializes in custom website design and development, SEO, paid advertising, email marketing, social media management, and CRM integration using platforms like HubSpot and Salesforce. With a client-first approach and deep roots in the community, Atomic is passionate about delivering solutions that make a real impact.

About Content Pilot
Content Pilot is a branding and strategy firm led by Deborah McMurray, offering comprehensive brand identity, messaging, and digital marketing services for nonprofits, professional services firms, and mission-driven organizations. Known for high-caliber creative thinking and seamless collaboration, Content Pilot has helped dozens of organizations find their voice, their look, and their impact.