Client: The Islamic Seminary of America (TISA)
Objective: Increase fundraising revenue and student enrollment through innovative digital marketing strategies and cost-effective paper marketing collateral.
Background: TISA aimed to boost its fundraising efforts and student enrollment by leveraging digital marketing, crowdfunding, and creative paper marketing strategies. By implementing a comprehensive approach, TISA achieved significant year-over-year growth in revenue and continued to attract new students.
Challenges:
- Increase revenue from fundraising initiatives and grants.
- Enhance stakeholder engagement and transparency.
- Boost student enrollment and maintain high engagement.
Strategies and Solutions:
Digital Marketing and Crowdfunding:
- Crowdfunding Campaigns: Launched targeted crowdfunding campaigns that resonated with the community, leveraging TISA’s brand affinity.
- Email Marketing: Developed and executed a strategic email marketing campaign to reach potential donors, providing regular updates and compelling calls-to-action.
- Social Media Engagement: Utilized social media platforms to share success stories, campaign updates, and fundraising milestones, encouraging community participation.
- Paid Advertising: Allocated $300-$1,000 per month on paid ads to increase visibility and engagement for crowdfunding campaigns. These ads effectively raised awareness and drove donations.
Cost-Effective Paper Marketing Collateral:
- Bookmarks, Brochures, and Other Collateral: Designed and distributed aesthetically pleasing bookmarks and informative brochures that stakeholders would appreciate and keep. These materials highlighted TISA’s mission, achievements, and ongoing projects.
- Mail-In Campaign: Sent out personalized mail-in campaigns to previous donors and potential supporters, reinforcing the message of TISA’s impact and need for continued support.
Stakeholder Communication:
- Impact Reports: Regularly shared detailed brochures and impact reports with stakeholders, showcasing how their contributions were being utilized and the difference they were making.
- Annual Shura Conference: Organized and promoted the annual Shura Conference, fostering a sense of community and providing a platform for stakeholders to engage with TISA’s leadership and programs.
Partnerships and Student Engagement:
- Leveraging Partnerships: Formed strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations to co-host events, share resources, and expand reach.
- Conferences and Events: Continued to attract students by organizing educational and networking events such as the annual Shura Conference, which provided valuable learning and community-building opportunities.
Rebranding TISA On Demand:
- Improved User Functionality: Led a complete rebrand of TISA’s paid online video platform for selected recorded lectures, TISA On Demand, enhancing user satisfaction and engagement through better functionality and design.
- Increased Retention and Engagement: The rebrand resulted in improved user experience, leading to higher retention rates and increased engagement.
- Live Streaming and Live Tweeting Events:
- Online Engagement: Streamed events live on YouTube and Facebook, ensuring wider reach and engagement. These events allowed participants to engage in real-time, ask questions, and be part of the community remotely.
- Live Tweeting: Utilized live tweeting during events to provide real-time updates, engage with online audiences, and encourage participation through social media interactions.
- Hybrid Event Planning: Organized hybrid events that combined in-person and virtual attendance, averaging 30-50 participants per event. This approach maximized reach and engagement, accommodating different audience preferences.
Results:
- Fundraising Revenue Increase: Successfully raised approximately $650,000 through crowdfunding and digital marketing efforts, contributing to a 15% revenue (based on donations and grants) increase from $836,000 in 2020 to $959,000 in 2021.
- Enhanced Stakeholder Engagement: Improved transparency and communication with stakeholders through regular updates, impact reports, and engaging paper marketing collateral.
- Student Enrollment Growth: Achieved over a 60% increase in student enrollment, driven by effective marketing strategies and engagement through events like the Shura Conference.
- Improved User Engagement: The rebranding of TISA On Demand led to better user functionality, resulting in higher retention and engagement.
- Increased Online Presence: Live streaming events on YouTube and Facebook broadened TISA’s reach and ensured continuous engagement with the community.
- Enhanced Event Participation: Hybrid events averaged 30-50 participants, maximizing engagement through a blend of in-person and virtual attendance.
- Boosted Crowdfunding Engagement: Paid advertising efforts significantly increased engagement and donations for crowdfunding campaigns.
- Real-Time Engagement: Live tweeting during events created a dynamic and interactive experience, fostering greater engagement and community involvement.
Conclusion: By leveraging a mix of digital marketing, crowdfunding, cost-effective paper marketing collateral, strategic partnerships, and enhanced online presence, TISA successfully increased its fundraising revenue and student enrollment. Combining innovative online strategies and traditional marketing methods created a comprehensive approach to resonate with donors and stakeholders, ensuring long-term sustainability and growth for the organization.
Key Takeaways:
- Digital marketing and crowdfunding can significantly boost fundraising efforts when combined with engaging paper marketing collateral.
- Transparent and regular communication with stakeholders builds trust and encourages ongoing support.
- Strategic partnerships and well-organized events are crucial in maintaining high engagement and attracting new participants.
- Rebranding digital platforms can improve user experience, retention, and engagement.
- Live streaming and hybrid events enhance reach and engagement, keeping the community connected.
- Paid advertising can effectively raise awareness and drive engagement for fundraising campaigns.
- Live tweeting creates a dynamic and interactive event experience, increasing real-time engagement.
