Date
December, 2024
CLIENT
Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation’s Speak Up
Raising $2M during a recession?
Everyone said it was impossible. They were wrong.
When the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation (CCHF) announced they needed to raise $2 million — $500,000 more than last year’s, fundraising experts shook their heads.
“Bad timing,” they said. Markets were down, loyal supporters were financially strained, and nonprofits everywhere were struggling. “Cut down, just this year, you’ll never make it.”
But CCHF had a choice: Reach their ambitious goal. Or scale back vital programs serving hundreds of thousands.
For them, only one option made sense.
And so, CCHF set a goal that was daring.
Ambitious.
Almost impossible.
They’d ignore the economy. Bring in a new market of donors. And not only maintain their goal, but increase it by $500,000.
Daring? Yes.
Ambitious? Absolutely.
Almost impossible? That’s what everyone said.
When your organization changes lives slowly, quietly, how do you make it feel urgent so people give?
Emergency situations trigger instant giving.
A mother needs surgery? Donations pour in.
A family struggling to have a child? Hearts open wide.
CCHF doesn’t have that advantage.
They save relationships, prevent hurt, protect reputations. But there are no flashing red lights. No life-or-death emergencies. Just quiet, profound transformation that’s nearly impossible to fundraise for.
CCHF’s vision was bold: Take thousands of passive beneficiaries and turn them into active givers. But… how?
We’d have to spark something deeper than gratitude —a sense of personal ownership in CCHF’s mission.
And there were smaller, critical challenges, too:
- Inspire existing donors to increase their giving — even during inflation
- Unify 60+ diverse programs —from daily learning to shalom videos to anti-bullying programs— under one memorable campaign theme that ties together everything CCHF offers
- Design a message flexible enough to resonate with wildly different audiences (Speak up for…)
We needed an entirely new approach.
When the stakes are this high, there’s no room for guesswork — or inflated campaign costs.
So we scaled back significantly on print ads, reducing campaign expenses. Instead, we designed a creative, multi-pronged social and email outreach strategy, using deep insights about CCHF’s audience to guide every move.
Videos that made invisible pain visible – showing the real impact of harmful words through powerful visual storytelling
Direct appeals to those who’d benefited – giving past recipients a meaningful way to “pay it forward”
Attention-grabbing messages with irresistible subject lines and content that created immediate emotional connection
Targeted appeals that matched specific aspects of CCHF’s work to what each group cared about most
“We speak up to save people you love from words that hurt. You can too.”
save
urgency,
you love
making it personal
words that hurt
Condensing 60+ programs into one powerful phrase
you can
clear ask,
too
clear partnership
Every campaign element worked together, deepening reader’s connection, urgency and desire to be part of this cause. By making it personal, we transformed “another fundraising campaign” into a movement people eagerly joined.
Day one looked like failure. Donations trickled in slowly, and the $2M goal seemed distant.
But within just 48 hours, as the marketing materials worked their magic, everything changed.
The campaign not only met its target but exceeded it, reaching $2.09 million — a 39.3% increase over the previous year.
- $2.09 million — close to $500k more than was raised last year (a 39.3% increase)
- 7,399 donors — 1,291 more than the previous year (a 21% expansion of CCHF’s supporter base)
- 32%+ email open rates despite multiple daily emails
- Sustainable growth by converting beneficiaries into supporters
Yes, fundraising in difficult times is possible — with the right strategy.
- Emotion beats data. The strongest response came from messaging that made the mission feel deeply personal, not just important.
- Past beneficiaries are a hidden goldmine. People who had experienced CCHF’s impact firsthand were eager to give back—once we gave them the right invitation.
- Clarity wins. A single-yet-flexible message (Speak up for…) created an upbeat, cohesive campaign that resonated across all donor groups.
- Momentum matters. The turning point came from building real excitement, using the power of community and a sense of urgency to inspire action.
