In the spring of 2021, Sidwell Friends’ fundraising efforts continued to feel the effects of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally, the community would gather for an annual fundraising gala to support Sidwell’s annual fund. With the pandemic still ongoing, our team once again turned to a virtual fundraising campaign, building on the success of the previous year’s initiative.
In 2020, we launched the first “48 Hours for Scholars” campaign, raising $438,000—nearly double our initial goal of $250,000. Encouraged by this success, we decided to host the second annual “48 Hours for Scholars” in 2021.
As part of the campaign, I was tasked with creating multimedia assets to generate support. These included a flagship video for the donation landing page and social media accounts, a campaign teaser for email communications and social platforms, and supplemental GIF animations for email and social media posts.
The concept for the video was inspired by a recurring theme in conversations with alumni: the indispensable role the Sidwell Friends community played in their education and personal growth. With a quarter of the student body receiving financial aid, I aimed to highlight how essential every individual is to the school’s identity.
Beyond the primary messaging, I also sought to enhance the production quality compared to the previous year’s campaign. This strategic decision was intended to subtly convey that Sidwell Friends was making strides toward normalizing operations.
To achieve these goals, our team reached out to students and alumni willing to share their experiences. Adhering to the school’s strict COVID-19 safety protocols, I produced a video that resonated with our audience. Additionally, I created the email and social media assets using motion graphic animations in Adobe After Effects.
Ultimately, the second annual campaign was a resounding success. We not only met but significantly exceeded our expectations, raising $410,941.