CLIENT: canadian baptist ministries
PROJECT: DIGITAL P2P FUNDRAISING EVENT
The Active in Mission Campaign is a dynamic initiative by Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) aimed at mobilizing communities across Canada to engage in physical activities while raising awareness and funds for global mission projects. This campaign encourages participants to choose an activity—whether walking, running, cycling, or any other form of movement—and dedicate their efforts to supporting CBM’s transformative work worldwide.
CONTRIBUTIONS: Campaign Coordinator, Content Designer, Email Designer, Videographer, Animator, Digital Fundraising Platform Developer, Live Stream Event Producer and Director
Through the Active in Mission Campaign, individuals and groups are invited to combine their passion for fitness with a commitment to social justice. Participants set personal or team goals and seek sponsorship from friends, family, and community members, turning their physical activities into powerful acts of solidarity. The funds raised support CBM’s diverse projects, including education, healthcare, economic development, and disaster relief in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Year One: A Promising Start – When the campaign was first launched, the initial donation goal was set at $10,000. This target aimed to test the waters and gauge community interest and engagement. The response was overwhelming, with participants and supporters rallying to surpass this goal. Motivated by the early success, the campaign’s organizers ambitiously raised the target to $30,000, and once again, the community exceeded expectations. Buoyed by this momentum, the goal was further increased to $60,000 within the same year. The final tally not only met but exceeded this mark, highlighting the campaign’s potential and the community’s commitment to CBM’s mission.
Year Two and Beyond: Sustained Success – Building on the incredible success of the first year, the donation goal for the second year was set at $60,000. This target reflected the growing enthusiasm and support for the campaign. Remarkably, the community rose to the challenge, achieving and surpassing this goal. Since then, the Active in Mission Campaign has consistently set a yearly donation target of $100,000, maintaining this benchmark as a testament to the sustained dedication and generosity of its supporters.
Project Management: As a project manager for the Active in Mission Campaign, I played a crucial role in overseeing and coordinating all aspects of the initiative. This involved developing a comprehensive project plan, setting timelines, and ensuring that all team members were aligned with our goals and objectives. I facilitated regular meetings to track progress, address challenges, and make strategic adjustments as needed. My responsibilities also included coordinating with various departments, and ensuring that all activities were executed smoothly and on schedule.
Online Fundraising Platform: For the Active in Mission Campaign, I utilized Causevox, a peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising platform, to engage participants and facilitate donations. Despite the platform’s limited design capabilities, I successfully integrated our creative brief, ensuring that the campaign’s visual identity and messaging were consistently represented. By leveraging the technology available, I created a user-friendly and visually appealing platform that enabled participants to easily register, form teams, and create personalized fundraising pages. The platform included features such as progress tracking, social sharing options, and real-time updates, which enhanced participant engagement and encouraged widespread community support. My strategic use of Causevox’s functionalities played a crucial role in streamlining the donation process and maximizing our fundraising efforts.
Video Content: To further engage and inspire our community, I led the production of various video content pieces for the Active in Mission Campaign. These videos included promotional clips, participant testimonials, behind-the-scenes looks at our projects, and thank-you messages to our donors and supporters. I coordinated with videographers, scriptwriters, and editors to ensure that each video was impactful and aligned with our campaign’s narrative. The videos were distributed across multiple platforms, including our website, social media channels, and email campaigns, significantly boosting our engagement and visibility. Through these efforts, I was able to effectively communicate the campaign’s mission and the tangible impact of our collective efforts.
Email Design: To drive engagement and keep our supporters informed throughout the Active in Mission Campaign, I utilized MailChimp to create and manage our email campaigns. With MailChimp’s powerful tools and features, I crafted a series of compelling and informative emails that resonated with our audience.
Strategic Planning and Execution: I developed a comprehensive email campaign plan that included a mix of newsletters, updates, and targeted messages. This plan ensured a steady flow of communication, keeping participants and supporters engaged from the launch of the campaign through to its conclusion. Each email was strategically timed to maximize impact, with key messages aligned to specific campaign milestones.
In March 2020, as the world grappled with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) recognized the urgent need to adapt our communication strategies to maintain a strong connection with our donors and supporters. This led to the inception of the CBM Calling Livestream, a daily 5-minute live stream on Facebook designed to provide updates and maintain engagement during uncertain times.
Rapid Growth and Expansion:
What began as a brief daily update soon evolved into a more robust and dynamic platform. Leveraging the Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) platform, we expanded the CBM Calling Livestream to 20-30 minutes per session, broadcasting three times a week. This allowed us to deliver richer, more in-depth content across multiple platforms, including Facebook and YouTube, reaching a broader audience and enhancing our engagement efforts.
Connecting Donors with Field Staff:
The CBM Calling Livestream was a strategic pivot in our communication style, aimed at bridging the gap between our donors and the field staff actively working on CBM projects worldwide. Each episode featured live interviews with field staff, updates on ongoing projects, and insights into the challenges and successes experienced on the ground. This direct connection fostered a sense of community and solidarity, allowing donors to see firsthand the impact of their support and feel more connected to our mission.
Production and Content Development:
Over the course of three years, I produced more than 120 episodes of the CBM Calling Livestream. This involved meticulous planning, coordinating with field staff and guest speakers, and ensuring high-quality production standards. Using OBS, I integrated various multimedia elements, such as live interviews, pre-recorded videos, graphics, and real-time interaction with viewers, to create engaging and informative content.
Sustained Effort and Innovation:
Producing over 120 shows required sustained effort and a commitment to innovation. I continuously sought ways to improve the production quality, diversify the content, and incorporate new technologies to enhance the viewing experience. This ongoing commitment ensured that the CBM Calling Livestream remained a vital and vibrant part of our communication strategy throughout the pandemic and beyond.
The success of the CBM Calling Livestream demonstrated the power of live, interactive communication in keeping our community engaged and informed. Building on this foundation, Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) expanded our live broadcasting efforts to include longer, more in-depth events, such as CBM Sunday and the Remembrance and Reconciliation Livestream. These events allowed us to provide comprehensive updates and address significant topics with greater depth and nuance.
The success of the CBM Calling Livestream provided a powerful platform that we strategically leveraged to promote and enhance the Active in Mission Campaign. By utilizing the established audience, trust, and engagement from CBM Calling, we were able to effectively raise awareness and drive participation for our fundraising initiative.
