You can be the difference

The Mercy Foundation

The Mercy Foundation plays a critical role in supporting the Mercy University Hospital, an iconic cornerstone of Cork’s healthcare system.

Founded to complement the hospital’s services, the Foundation drives improvements in patient care, experience, and outcomes by funding essential resources and pioneering initiatives, through the generosity of donors, fundraisers, and local businesses.

Its recent transition to the new Cancer Care Centre marked a pivotal step – introducing dedicated psycho-oncology care and family support for those navigating cancer. Recognising the significance of this moment, the Foundation turned to TOTEM to redefine its purpose, positioning, and connection with its community and stakeholders.

Simplify

Before embarking on the strategy workshop, TOTEM conducted in-depth stakeholder interviews, laying the foundation for a clear and shared vision.

This process reinforced the Foundation’s purpose – to help people receive the best possible care, experience, and outcomes, while fostering a community rooted in compassion and support.

It also brought clarity to the values and motivations driving its supporters, ensuring every future brand decision would be authentic and relevant. And it crystallised its position as “A community committed to making things better.”

Create

At the heart of the transformation lies the Foundation’s central brand idea – You can be the difference. The ‘You’ speaks to each of their four main stakeholders individually – doners, fundraisers, the Foundation team and the healthcare workers in the Mercy University Hospital.

This clarity informed the evolution of the brand identity. The butterfly motif, synonymous with the Foundation, was refreshed with a contemporary design featuring three wings, symbolising the updated value pillars – Being responsible and sincere; Offering kindness and gratitude; Being open and optimistic.

Colloquially, the hospital is simply called “The Mercy”, this allowed the name to be shortened to The Mercy Foundation, with “Mercy” emphasised in the identity.

Empower

With the new brand identity established, TOTEM rolled it out across every key channel to create a unified public presence. A redesigned website showcased the Foundation’s mission and impact stories, while refreshed social media templates ensured recognisable, shareable content.

Marketing collateral was updated with the new visual language, from fundraising packs to event materials, giving every interaction the same energy and professionalism. This comprehensive rollout empowered the Foundation to reach its audiences with clarity and confidence — inspiring greater engagement, trust, and support for its mission.

From the outset of the project Colin and his team have captured the values of the organisation in a way that connects in a direct and deeply meaningful way with our donors, supporters and stakeholders. Their creativity combined with their authenticity made them the ideal partner to communicate The Mercy Foundation’s story and vision for the future. ‘The Mercy’ is an organisation with deep roots in the community, held in great affection and TOTEM have articulated the humanity at the core of the Foundation whilst also illustrating reassurance and reliability.

Deirdre Finn, Head of Fundraising, The Mercy Foundation

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