August 2026
3 Moves Every Nonprofit Should Steal From Our Recent Campaign
Pumpkin spice lattes have officially dropped, and the new school year is underway—two sure signs that fall is just around the corner. And fall is the perfect time to start planning your year-end fundraising campaign. This month, we’re pulling back the curtain on a fundraising campaign we’re especially proud of and sharing our “lessons learned” so you can apply them to your own year-end appeal. Plus, EmpoweredHour is back this fall with a timely topic that every nonprofit should prioritize.
Lessons Learned: Friends of Bet Elazraki
We recently wrapped an annual appeal for Friends of Bet Elazraki, which set an ambitious goal of raising $500,000 in just 48 hours. By the end of the digital campaign, they had raised an impressive $480,000. We’re sharing our approach, key takeaways, and lessons learned from this successful 48-hour fundraising campaign so you can apply them to your own year-end or annual appeals.
Every campaign needs a clear voice, a distinct look, and a compelling ask—one that is intentional enough to resonate beyond the campaign itself. For Friends of Bet Elazraki, that started with the campaign name: Be Part of a Child’s Journey. The name captures the impact of a donor’s generosity while directly inviting them to be part of the story.
Additionally, the campaign design was thoughtfully woven into the organization’s existing logo, building on established brand recognition rather than starting from scratch. This was the first time the organization had formally named its campaign, giving them a strong foundation and a recognizable framework to build on for future annual appeals.
From there, seven stories were used strategically across every channel: the campaign website, emails, social media, and printed materials for parlor meetings and one-on-one donor meetings. Each story had multiple versions depending on the channel.
Through strategic storytelling and inspiring photography, donors and community prospects were introduced to the children of Bet Elazraki, learning what their lives looked like before entering the Home and seeing firsthand the impact the Home has had through the generous financial support of the community.
That consistency in both design and storytelling created a cohesive campaign with a clear, compelling ask.
A strong campaign is a team effort, and building that team early can make all the difference. Ambassadors, board members, and match contributors each play a distinct role in bringing a campaign to life—and each is an important part of successful campaign execution.
For Friends of Bet Elazraki, gap-year students who experience the impact of the Home firsthand became ambassadors with their own fundraising pages, ultimately driving 82% of all gifts through personal outreach and a phone-a-thon. Board members stayed actively engaged by making their own gifts and sharing the campaign with their networks. Before the campaign launched, Friends of Bet Elazraki engaged their top donors to secure early commitments, helping build momentum from the start. And when a surprise matching gift came in mid-campaign, they quickly leveraged it to re-energize their community and encourage additional giving.
Three parlor meetings were held across the New York and New Jersey area during the campaign, bringing an important in-person element to the digital effort. Each meeting was thoughtfully designed to reflect the needs and dynamics of its specific community, while incorporating stories from the children, members of the Home’s staff, and campaign materials.
Together, the parlor meetings generated more than $33,000 in campaign revenue. But the impact went well beyond the dollars raised. The gatherings deepened guests’ connection to the organization, renewed their commitment to the mission, and left them motivated to continue supporting and raising awareness for the cause.
Recommended Read:
Gearing Up for EOY Campaigns
Need more EOY content? We're resurfacing Rashel's October article because it still holds up: a successful campaign is built up all year. She walks through starting outreach early, bringing in multiple voices, using donor data to personalize the ask, and closing the year with personal and meaningful follow ups.
