Every new year brings a fresh start, and in Yuma, that fresh start looks a little different. It looks like small business owners who have poured their hearts into what they do. It looks like nonprofits who are working hard to lift others up. It looks like people who have proven that passion and persistence can carry you far, even when resources are limited.
That’s what New Year, New Yuma is all about.
Created by Imaginary Friends Design Studios, New Year, New Yuma is a competition that gives Yuma businesses and nonprofits the chance to transform how they show up to the world. It offers over twenty thousand dollars in professional design and marketing services completely free. That includes new logos, brand kits, business stationery, a website, a brochure or sales sheet, and a complete brand guide that helps define how they speak and how they’re seen.
It’s one of the biggest giveaways of its kind in our community, and it was built with one purpose: to help hardworking local organizations grow, thrive, and serve even more people.
But here’s the part that surprises most people:
Even though New Year, New Yuma gives away so much, not many people apply. Year after year, we have only a handful of entries. Sometimes only one.
So it makes you wonder. Why?
Maybe it’s the “cost of free.” When something has a big dollar value but no price tag attached, it can be easy to underestimate its worth. It might seem too good to be true. Or maybe people assume someone else needs it more. But in truth, what we’re offering is more than design work. It’s a partnership. It’s an invitation to look at your business or nonprofit with fresh eyes and ask, “What could we become if we believed in our brand as much as we believe in our mission?”
Imaginary Friends founder, Jon Michael Perry, created New Year, New Yuma to help local organizations see that difference. “I wanted to help elevate those businesses in Yuma who constantly don’t seem to have the resources to expand their brand identity,” he explained. “When you can show them what’s possible, they can reach further, serve better, and have a bigger economic impact that ripples throughout our community.”
That vision has already proven its power. One of the competition’s past winners, the nonprofit Addie Packs, used their award to completely reshape how they present themselves. Their new brand identity helped them appear more professional, build credibility, and move into a new phase of growth. “They’ve told us it turned a corner for how they’re presented professionally,” Perry said.
The competition has two categories: commercial and nonprofit. Each has its own set of prizes designed to meet the unique needs of the winners. Prizes include a slim web site and hosting, full brand crafting, logo kits and more. Applicants must meet a few key requirements. Businesses must be open for at least three years and employ two unrelated W-2 employees. Nonprofits must be registered with a 501(c) status, have an active board, and proper licensing. Both need a valid EIN number and city or state business licensing.
“These requirements aren’t meant to exclude anyone,” Perry said. “They’re meant to celebrate those who have already fought through that early phase where most organizations fold. When you’ve made it past that point, it means you’ve proven something. You’ve built something real, and that’s worth investing in.”
Entries are reviewed by a panel of respected community leaders who understand what it takes to make Yuma stronger. Judges include representatives from the Arizona Small Business Development Center, the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce, Visit Yuma, the Arizona Community Foundation, the Better Business Bureau, and Imaginary Friends Design Studios.
Applications open mid-November and close December 31 at NewYearNewYuma.com. Entrants simply need to share a few paragraphs about who they are, what they do, and how a stronger brand would help them grow.
For Perry, the goal has never been about competition for competition’s sake. It’s about encouragement. It’s about showing local businesses and nonprofits that they’re worth investing in.
“When local businesses grow, they hire more people, support more families, and get more involved,” he said. “That’s what this is really about. The better they do, the better Yuma does.”
So maybe this year, the challenge isn’t about who wins. Maybe it’s about who believes in their story enough to tell it.
Because in Yuma, that belief is where every great new year begins.