About Us
Communicating for People. Purpose. And Progress.
A firm that was built to make a difference.
President and CEO Maria Rodriguez co-founded Vanguard in the late 1980s to make a difference in the world. Today, our small but committed PR and marketing firm is still doing just that. In 2026, we were certified as a B Corporation™, reinforcing what has driven us for nearly 40 years: people, purpose and progress. That means:
- We are constantly Motivated to bring our best and get meaningful results.
- A good day is when we’ve been Impactful for our clients, our community or the environment by solving problems, coming up with creative ideas and supporting each other’s goals.
- Our standard is to be Truthful, always.
- Being Friendly and Fun makes for a positive workplace and culture.
- And we take enormous pride in being People-First — with a shared responsibility to care for the planet we all depend on.
This is who Vanguard is. It’s in our culture and drives how we approach our work.
Values in Action
Our expertise spans strategic communications, integrated media services, graphic design and content development, public health campaigns, and community engagement.
Advancing community and environmental goals requires more than good intentions. You have to build trust, mobilize partners, and help people see themselves in the solution, even when budgets are tight and priorities are competing. Our culture, experience, and values have been shaped by helping mission-driven organizations meet exactly these challenges. We are especially well suited to support:
- Nonprofit organizations
- Professional associations
- Foundations
- Federal, state and local government agencies
- Public health and health care organizations
- Environmental and conservation organizations
- Civic engagement and democracy-focused initiatives
- Certified B Corporations, public benefit corporations, and social enterprises whose work intersects with our issue areas
20 employees
(who bring their best every day)
39 years
(of working for social change)
180+ awards
(and counting!)
Our dedicated team excels at crafting award-winning narratives and visuals that make a splash. Move the needle. Create a spark. We have fun doing it, and we mentor others along the way.
We also do it right: For nearly 40 years, all of our approaches have stayed true to the principles of community-driven communications. We want more voices, more points of view, more feedback.
This makes us better at our jobs, and makes our clients more impactful.