Rebranding & Marketing for Annual Fundraising Event

Written By Paola Mendoza

We partnered with God Shelter of Love, a homeless shelter based in Decatur, Illinois, that serves women and children in need. Their mission is vital, and we were thrilled to help elevate their presence for their annual Blue Jean Ball Fundraiser through a comprehensive rebrand and dynamic marketing campaign.

Challenge

God Shelter of Love was looking to elevate its annual "Blue Jean Ball," a signature fundraiser that was impactful but needed a fresh look and strategic direction to maximize engagement and increase donations.

Goal

Our goal was to refresh the brand and create both digital and print materials to attract more attention and align with their mission in a way that would resonate with the community.

Approach

One of the unique challenges of working with a nonprofit is understanding how busy their leadership can be. The MCs for the Blue Jean Ball—Dan Watkins, the Executive Director of God Shelter of Love and Pastor of Mount Pleasant Church of Christ, and Jessica Jolly Spain, a board member and lawyer—were incredibly busy. Asking them to pose for traditional promotional photos and videos was a tall order.

So, we got creative. Rather than asking them to dress up and film traditional videos, we created animated caricatures of both Dan and Jessica. These fun, engaging illustrations became the faces of the campaign and were featured heavily in all social media marketing. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and it made their voices more approachable and relatable to the community.

Key Deliverables:

  • Rebranding of Blue Jean Ball: We refined the event's branding to give it a fresh, polished look. This included a custom logo and complete brand package that resonated with the casual yet impactful tone of the event.

  • Animated Caricatures for the Invitation: The event invitation alone made a huge impact—helping raise over $8,000 from people who couldn’t attend the event. It was crafted to be both visually striking and compelling, making it a powerful tool for attracting donations.

  • Marketing Campaign: We created a series of engaging social media graphics to drive awareness and excitement. Our digital marketing strategy led to a surge in RSVPs, with over 260 people confirming their attendance just 10 days before the event—well beyond the usual 80-100 attendees at other similar events in the community.

  • Place Mats with Impactful Messaging: We wanted to share the shelter’s mission and success stories in a fun, interactive way. Instead of lengthy speeches, we designed place mats with activities that communicated key facts and data—typically found in an annual report—in an engaging, casual format.

Results

  • Attendance: Record-breaking with over 260 RSVPs, requiring the shelter to halt ticket sales 10 days before the event.

  • Highest Fundraising Total: The rebranding and social media marketing efforts directly contributed to the largest fundraising amount the event had ever seen, thanks to strategic digital marketing and strong branding that resonated with the community.

  • Increased Engagement: The animated caricatures, social media content, and strategic messaging helped elevate the nonprofit’s profile and engage more people than ever before.

This project highlights the power of strategic branding and digital marketing to elevate nonprofit events and campaigns. By combining fresh visuals, compelling storytelling, and an innovative approach to engagement, we were able to help God Shelter of Love achieve its fundraising goals and make a lasting impact in the community.

Paola Mendoza