Challenge
The Bridge is a non-profit residential rehabilitation school for severely abused foster teens in Atlanta. Most donations come from the Bridge’s annual fundraiser, The Ray of Hope Celebration. While it had been successful in years past, attendance had decreased steadily from a record of 330 in 2004. The Bridge needed to attract more attendees for Ray of Hope who would proffer more donations – without surpassing the school’s limited budget.
Solution
Where previous promotional programs were based on donated artwork that lacked a real connection to the charity or the kids, Merge implemented a branded marketing campaign based on materials created by the kids as well as a single, targeted message.
Using the theme “every life a story”, all Ray of Hope event materials helped potential donors understand the experience of the kids through their own stories and artwork. This event promised to make a striking emotional connection with the audience on a much more immediate, human level that would influence a desire to give more and larger donations.
Additionally, Merge went beyond previous events in creating an emotionally charged film taken from in-depth interviews with the kids and Bridge staff. The agency also developed a blog, www.everylifeastory.com, to place an even greater focus on the kids. Featuring journal entries, artwork and poetry, this Web site allowed potential donors to see a glimpse into the teens’ lives and to write messages of encouragement to the children. The site also acted as a gateway to information about donating time, money and resources to The Bridge.
Results
- Record setting attendance for 2007 The Ray of Hope Celebration
- An all-time fundraising record of $224,000, a 57% increase from the previous year
- 24% over the goal for individual donations
- 228% over the goal for the “Sponsor a Need” auction
