215: The $16K Fundraising Campaign That Brought in 100+ Donors [Client Case Study]

Mars Sailors joined my coaching program, The Purpose & Profit Club®, as a graphic designer and marketing manager, not a fundraiser. The work already included telling the story of The Source LGBT+ Center across communications, social media, and email. What changed was learning how to connect those dots to donors. In this conversation, Mars shares how that mindset shift turned into a first full SPRINT™ campaign: a Give Out Day fundraiser that raised $16,000, exceeded a $15K goal, included a $5,000 match, and brought in 100+ donors. Mars also shares the story behind the Build to Belong capital campaign, which has raised nearly $700,000 toward a $1 million Phase One goal to secure a permanent home for LGBTQ+ people in California’s Central Valley. This one is for every communicator, designer, or marketing manager who’s been handed fundraising responsibilities and isn’t sure they belong there. You do. Topics: • How Mars reframed fundraising as a communications discipline, and why the stories he was already telling were halfway to a donor ask • The Give Out Day campaign: a $5K match, 100+ donors, and exceeding a $15K goal with a campaign built around "Pride doesn't end in June" • What it felt like to send that last email and have two donors independently close the $1,000 gap at the same time • The Build to Belong capital campaign: $700K raised, a campus purchased, and belonging framed as infrastructure • Fundraising in a politically turbulent climate, and why The Source doubles down instead of going dark • Being named a PR Daily finalist alongside Make-A-Wish, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and MD Anderson For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here (https://www.splendidatl.com/podcast/t...) . It's not too early to start developing a strategy for the end of 2026! Snag Bloomerang's 12 Year-End Fundraising Checklists here (https://christinaedwards.krtra.com/t/...) .  Got a fundraising question you want Christina to answer? Send the campaign problem, donor situation, email question, board issue, or fundraising advice you want a straight answer on. Christina is answering listener questions on upcoming episodes of The Purpose & Profit Club® Podcast. Submit yours at splendidatl.com/ask (https://splendidatl.com/ask) Resources: • Easy Emails For Impact™ (https://splendidcourses.com/email) : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System • Purpose & Profit Club® (https://christinaedwards.krtra.com/t/...) Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator    • The SPRINT Method™: (https://www.splendidcourses.com/sprint) Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers  • Instagram (  / splendidconsulting  ) , LinkedIn (  / christinatza  ) , website (https://www.splendidatl.com) , weekly newsletter (https://www.splendidcourses.com/list)   • [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide (https://christinaedwards.krtra.com/t/...) : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links