Mission-Driven Impact

For over 130 years, Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries has provided faith, family, and a future for vulnerable children in South Carolina. Every year, their Back-to-School Campaign helps ensure kids have the supplies, clothing, and confidence they need to start school strong.

But they needed to scale results—fast.

The Challenge: A Plateaued Fundraising Campaign

Despite previous success, donations had stagnated, limiting their ability to support more children. Connie Maxwell needed a fresh approach to:

• Increase total revenue and donor engagement
• Convert new and lapsed donors
• Drive higher average donation amounts

The Strategy: Clear, Impact-Driven Messaging

Connie Maxwell reimagined their donation appeals with specific giving levels tied to tangible impact. Every dollar amount showed donors exactly what their gift would provide:

💰 $70 = A new pair of shoes for a student

🎒 $150 = Shoes, clothes, and a backpack

📚 $275 = A full school sponsorship, including supplies

How it was done:

• Donation forms were optimized to highlight the $275 level as the default ask—pushing higher conversions.
• Social media and email campaigns reinforced the mission and progress toward their goal.

The Results: Record-Breaking Fundraising Success

The campaign exceeded expectations, generating:

📈 144% increase in revenue – from $53K to $129K

💳 1.8x higher average gift – from $147 to $274

🎉 56 new and reactivated donors – including 24 first-time donors

21% of all revenue came from new and returning donors—expanding long-term donor value.

 Key Takeaways: What Worked?

✅ Messaging matters: Clear, impact-driven donation levels led to higher conversion rates.

✅ Consistency drives results: Unified messaging across email, social, and landing pages boosted engagement.

✅ Optimized donation forms work: A default high-dollar ask encouraged larger gifts.