Project Overview

In fall 2024, I led the revitalization of our Giving Campaigns at a garden center brand, that supports nonprofit partners focused on environmental conservation, food insecurity, and educational gardening. After months of low donation engagement both online and in-store, I restructured campaign messaging, visuals, and staff enablement to better connect with our customers’ values and achieved a 100% increase in seasonal donations in just two months.

The campaign was new, but underperforming. Between April and August, donations remained stagnant. Customers were not engaging with the message, and retail teams struggled to explain the purpose of the program at checkout. There was a clear gap between our mission-driven intention and the in-store/on-site execution.

To address the disconnect, I focused on clarity, consistency, and emotional connection, rolling out three major changes in August:

1. Refined Messaging & CTAs
   I rewrote donation prompts across print and digital to focus on concise, value-driven impact statements making it easier for shoppers to understand the “why” in a single glance. Messaging became actionable and specific, boosting clarity at both online and in-person checkout.
2. Poster & Signage Redesign
   I overhauled in-store visuals to include a bold donation goal meter, updated weekly. This created a sense of community participation and gave shoppers a visible cue that their contribution mattered. It also helped store staff remember to engage.

Retail Team Training
To empower staff, I developed new conversation guides and hosted role-play training sessions, giving employees the tools and confidence to pitch the donation ask in a quick, natural way.

Social Media & In-Store Signage: Improved collaboration with community partners on communications.

Email Campaigns: Ignighted a new “Community” section in weekly newsletter.

Website Widget: Simplifed CTA on checkout widget for clarity and emotional impact.

💸 Donations increased by 100% in September and October compared to the previous five-month average

🛒 In-store donations outperformed online for the first time since launch

💬 Retail teams reported greater confidence and ease in making the ask

🤝 Strengthened community support for Sierra Harvest and SYRCL, our nonprofit partners

Impact-driven messaging works: Clear, purpose-centered copy inspired action and helped customers align purchases with values.

Visual feedback drives engagement: The weekly-updated donation thermometer boosted participation and created a sense of shared progress.

Training makes the difference: Equipping staff with the right tools created a more consistent and effective customer experience.

Next Steps
For future campaigns, I’d enhance social and email marketing support with more video content highlighting nonprofit stories, campaign goals, and customer impact to deepen emotional connection across channels.