about
summary
I am Stef Mates, a content manager, graphic designer, writer, and editor based in Northern Virginia. I build content programs, design visual communications, and develop the editorial systems that allow organizations to communicate consistently, professionally, and sustainably without burning out the people responsible for making it happen.
I am originally from Northeast Pennsylvania and have lived in Portland, Oregon, and Orlando, Florida, before landing in the DC metro area, where I work remotely with clients across the country.
My strength is stepping into a new industry, a new team, or a new challenge and producing organized, polished, on-brand work quickly. I have seamlessly integrated into different industries and roles, often worked on multiple projects simultaneously, and created a wide range of content, including marketing collateral, brand guidelines, technical documentation, instructional design materials, and community communications programs.
No matter the project, I value open communication and clear timelines, and I deliver results that are on time, on brand, and built to last.
what i do
I work across four interconnected service areas. Most clients engage me in more than one at a time.
-
I build and manage editorial programs for nonprofit organizations and mission-driven businesses. That means developing the infrastructure (i.e., the content calendars, style guides, contributor workflows, asset libraries, and the SOPs that make it all repeatable) and either running the program on an ongoing basis or handing it off in a form the team can sustain independently. Most organizations I work with struggle with communications simply because the work has never been organized. I fix that.
Services include: Content audits, editorial calendar development, style guide creation, contributor management systems, digital asset library setup, monthly content management retainers, and content operations documentation.
-
I write and edit content across formats and contexts, from grant applications and donor communications to technical documentation, instructional content, advocacy copy, newsletters, case studies, and fiction. I have produced content for clients including NIKE and Penn Foster and have edited 21 published novels. I edit other writers' work at every stage from rough draft to final publication, and I develop and enforce style guides and editorial standards for organizations that need consistency across contributors.
Services include: grant writing, donor communications, newsletters, blog posts, technical and instructional content, editorial review and line editing, style guide development, and content for web.
-
I design visual communications for organizations that need their brand to look as good as their work actually is. I have built brand identity systems that have included logos, visual identity guidelines, templates, and the documentation that makes brand consistency possible even when I’m not in the room. I also design for specific campaigns and deliverables: social media graphics, reports, presentations, short-form video, print collateral, and web assets.
Services include: logo and brand identity design, visual identity guidelines, social media content, newsletters, reports, presentations, short-form video, and print, digital, and website design.
-
I build the infrastructure that makes communications programs work: editorial processes, publication workflows, content pipelines, brand voice documentation, and the organizational systems that allow teams to produce content consistently without reinventing the wheel every time. This work often supports or overlaps with content management, but it can also be a standalone engagement, such as an audit, a systems build, or a documentation project that leaves an organization with clear, usable processes for its communications work.
Services include: Communications audits, editorial process design, workflow documentation, SOP development, brand voice guides, content pipeline architecture, and training for internal teams.
technology skills
Content management and operations: Editorial calendar platforms, digital asset management, MailChimp, HubSpot, Beehiiv, Substack, SharePoint, Egnyte, IBM FileNet P8
Design and production: Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, Bridge, Express, Premiere Pro, After Effects), Figma, Miro, Canva, Procreate, SnagIt, Infinite Painter
AI-powered tools: Claude, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Adobe Firefly
Web content management: WordPress, Squarespace
Project management: Trello, Basecamp, Teamwork, Slack
Productivity: Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive), Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Visio, PowerPoint, Outlook)
writing / editing specialties
Content management documentation (editorial calendars, style guides, SOPs, and contributor workflows)
Corporate and technical documentation (policies, procedures, process workflows, and knowledge base articles)
User guides, job aids, and training content
Grant applications, donor solicitation letters, and funder communications
Marketing collateral (case studies, newsletters, blog posts, and advocacy copy)
Instructional materials (textbook study guides, projects, assessments, and learning activities)
Newspaper articles, community newsletters, and editorial content
Fiction (novels and novellas)
graphic design specialties
Brand identity systems (logos, visual identity guidelines, and brand documentation)
Desktop publishing and layout design (reports, presentations, and print collateral)
Social media content (graphics, carousels, and short-form video)
Digital and hand-drawn illustration
Image editing and photo retouching
Website design and maintenance
Merchandise and print production
I am a remote-first practitioner based in Northern Virginia, available to clients across the United States. I take on a small number of clients at a time and give each one of them the attention they deserve.
I am responsive, organized, and direct. I will tell you what I think, deliver what I promise, and flag problems before they become crises.
If your organization needs a content program built, a communications system documented, content designed, or a writer who can handle the full range of what that actually requires, I would be glad to have a conversation.
