Long-term fundraising and publicity campaigns require strategy, organization, flexibility and tenacity. We need realistic timelines and intentional outcomes!
With myriad stakeholders and collaborators, a sense of humor doesn’t hurt either.
Case Study: Two-year fundraising and publicity campaign:
Served as the creative lead to coordinate branding, messaging and strategic communications for a two-year fundraising and publicity campaign for a new educational music hall. Conceived of and produced by the client’s art department, these design elements enabled us to produce similar materials, and carried us through to the opening event two years later.
Our great success, which exceeded even our client’s forecasts, was the result of meaningful collaborations with designers, web developers, internal communications partners, event planners and many other stakeholders.
Visual Identity & Shared Messaging
Established strategic communications plan to ensure consistent, accurate language with internal communications partners.
Worked with the client’s marketing department to develop a look that fit within their larger brand identity.
Conceived of and produced by the client’s art department, these design elements enabled us to produce similar materials, and carried us through to the opening event two years later.
Advancement
With compelling, collaboratively crafted messaging, these mailed brochures, program ads and other collateral advertised the opportunity to name seats and spaces in the new educational music hall.
By the end of the first year, the number of seat naming donations where double what the client had forecasted.
Online Donation Platform
Coordinated efforts of web designers, developers, leadership and staff to produce an online platform that could receive not just donations, but also personalized inscriptions with which donors could dedicate a seat in the main concert hall. Behind this attractive, mobile-friendly website were data sets and workflows that ensured donors would receive confirmation messages, one staff person would receive inscription submissions and another could track incoming funds.
Website traffic increased with each publicity thrust. Within the first few months, the site had received more than 10,500 hits and nearly 350 unique visitors.
Media Relations
Coordinated a multifaceted media campaign with institutional partners to raise awareness about the building and advertise public opening events. Produced brochures, story pitches, press releases and radio scripts. Hosted a “sneak peek” media tour of the building and provided media outlets with interview sources and social media content.
This slideshow was a lively way to report to VIP stakeholders the extraordinary coverage the early events received in newspapers, television and social media.
Grand Opening Events
Produced advertisements and event materials, and documented the three-day celebration in collaboration with event planners, facilities personnel, professional photographers and partner communicators.
Custom Illustrations
Designed custom illustrations and note cards for client correspondence.
What fun!
Testimonials
Masarah is a true professional and expert in her craft. Her years of experience and incredible raw talent put her at the top of my list for consultants in design work, branding and communication strategy. She will deliver for you ten-fold. Her most special gift, a rare find, is her ability to listen to the client’s wishes, hopes and dreams and effortlessly (seemingly) weave the broad-strokes ideas and corporate speak into the most beautiful work of art which exceeds the client’s expectations and imagination of what’s possible. She knows how to pull out the best in people and the organizations they represent and translate it into the work. And she will keep you smiling and having fun through the entire process. I would recommend her to anyone, unequivocally.
Elizabeth Snodgrass, Wisconsin Union Theater
Masarah has been absolutely fantastic to work with. Right from the start of our collaboration, I knew that we made the right hire. She helped us formulate a clear plan for a major campaign, she communicated her role and deliverables and she completed her objectives with enthusiasm. We would not have been able to pull off this campaign without her! We hired Masarah to manage the marketing for a particularly complex fundraising campaign. Masarah managed multiple moving pieces and timelines and many invested parties. Thanks in large part to her superb writing and the full communications strategy she orchestrated, we exceeded our fundraising goals. One thing that I especially appreciated about Masarah is that she created open lines of communication right from the start, which made it very easy to work together. Masarah is experienced, sharp and competent. I absolutely recommend her work and hope to work with her again soon.
Jill Way, Wisconsin Foundation & Alumni Association
Strong Suit Communications 