Fundraising Campaign Promotion

Situation

The United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) strives to ensure the excellence and sustainability of southeastern Wisconsin’s performing arts sector by raising and distributing operating dollars to over 35 performing arts groups in the community. The non-profit organization stresses the importance of the performing arts and their impact on the community and represents one of the nation’s largest united arts funds in total dollars raised.

Challenge

As the end of the 2008 campaign drew near, UPAF leaders realized they were on a trajectory to fall significantly short of the group’s annual fundraising campaign goal ($10.6 million). Zizzo Group Marketing + PR + New Media (ZGM+PR+NM)—a company with a history of supporting local arts groups and the greater Milwaukee community—was enlisted to help close the gap. Already working with UPAF leaders on a broader re-branding campaign, Zizzo Group quickly developed a series of ads that created a heightened sense of urgency in the marketplace regarding UPAF’s fundraising campaign. The approach to the ads was simple: bring new impact to UPAF’s ads by speaking forcefully and candidly about the need to raise more money quickly.

Results

Prior to the ad campaign, UPAF was about eight weeks shy of its final deadline and over $800,000 short of its goal. The ad campaign proved to be remarkably successful and generated over three-quarter of a million dollars for the organization. UPAF surpassed its goal and raised $10,730,522, a record total for the organization in its 42-year history.