The Story
JPS Foundation is a non-profit arm of John Peter Smith Hospital that helps raise money for things the hospital budget doesn’t cover such as baby supplies for low-income women, clothes for the homeless and medicines for those who can’t afford them.
When it came time for their annual employee giving campaign, they came to us with a challenge. Donations had been in decline for several years, as well as the number of employees who were donating. Employee involvement is an important metric when applying for funding, so it was up to us to bring the numbers up.
The Work
When you think of fundraisers for non-profits, you might think about the poster board thermometer that is gradually filled in with red sharpie. When the goal is a large sum of money, it can easily feel like the dollar or two you have to spare won’t make much of a dent. Since we needed as many people to participate as possible, we had to overcome this perception.
Our idea was to show that a small donation—even as little as a dollar—could actually have a real impact. That’s because many of the things JPS Foundation provides, such as a pair of socks or a pedometer, cost very little. We called the campaign Small Change, Big Impact and used a series of four videos to show how even inexpensive items could make a big difference in a person’s life.
The Results
It’s clear that JPS employees took the message to heart. JPS Foundation raised over $200,000 as a result of this campaign, up from $95,000 the previous year. The number of employees who participated also rose from 685 to 1019 in one year. And while it’s always great to see that a campaign worked, we’re most proud of the real, life-changing impact those stats represent.
