Save the Redwoods League

The Challenge

Save the Redwoods League launched Forever Forest: The Campaign for the Redwoods in 2017 with a goal that would have been challenging in any era: $120 million to not only protect the remaining old-growth coast redwood and giant sequoia forests, but to also begin growing back what we have lost in the last century. It was a big idea, one they hoped would lay the foundation for a new era of redwoods conservation.

How could they sustain the commitment and generosity of their longtime donors while also engaging a new generation of donors to understand and commit to their $120 million fundraising campaign?

Services

The Insight

To skirt donor fatigue and inspire a vision worth funding their campaign’s success rested on helping donors see this not just as a continuation of their good work saving redwoods from the ax, but inspire donors by the science that today allows for permanent and lasting protection.

The Journey

Donors needed to appreciate the urgency of this moment. By acting now, we could forever restore and protect the redwood forests of California. Our communications strategy added the right amount of rationale (a scientific plan is in place) and emotion (you are the key to protecting the majesty of these forests forever).

We created the campaign theme: Forever Forest: the Campaign for the Redwoods that speaks directly to stalwart and new donors who want these forests to thrive now, and for their grandchildren and beyond.

The graphics, donor messages, donor appeal deck and campaign video helped the fundraising leaders at Save the Redwoods easily gain the commitment of donors by showing how their gift did something big it could not do anywhere else.

The Impact

By showing donors how they could make an outsized impact Forever Forest: The Campaign for the Redwoods far exceeded its goal, raising more than $139 million.

Thank you for all the great work from Mission Minded. We greatly appreciate everyone’s efforts and the terrific products. The Forever Forest Campaign is a powerful and hopeful framework for the League’s work going forward, and the messaging holds up well even during this turbulent time.

Suzanne Mos, Campaign Director