Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications
2017 — 2023

Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School

Campaign Overview:

Objective:
To raise $23.5 million for the construction of a new campus, promote the school’s brand, drive admissions, and enhance community engagement.
Strategy:

Events: Organized four major events:

Capital Campaign Leadership Donor Event
Groundbreaking Ceremony
New Building Celebration
Torah Dedication Ceremony

Multimedia and Digital Campaigns
Interactive and Experiential Learning
Strategic Integration
Innovative Fundraising Techniques

Results:

Successfully raised $21 million, demonstrating the campaign’s effectiveness in engaging donors and stakeholders.
Enhanced community involvement and donor relations through personalized events and multimedia storytelling.
Promoted the school’s brand, contributing to higher admissions and greater community engagement.
Increased website traffic and engagement through the dedicated microsite.
Improved donor retention and engagement, evidenced by a 46% increase in donations at the State of the School Program.
Boosted student and parent involvement through the “Behind the Fence Club,” emphasizing experiential learning and community connection.
Achieved a high demand for the personalized brick campaign, creating a lasting impact and continued financial support.

Strategy: Events:

Groundbreaking Ceremony

An engaging event for parents and students, documented in a video that highlighted the community’s excitement.

Event Photos
Capital Campaign Leadership Donor Event

An exclusive evening event for high-level donors, featuring personalized bricks and a performance by the 5th grade choir, with former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel in attendance.

More Info
New Building Celebration

A community event with music, family activities, and personalized tours.

Video
Torah Dedication Ceremony

The completion of a Sefer Torah coincided with our first community-wide event in our new gym. Our community raised over $140k in additional funds and half donated through the generous match of donors Margot and Tom Pritzker. 

Event Photos

Multimedia and Digital Campaigns

Videos:

Created and edited six videos, including a heartwarming fundraising video (above) that raised $1.1 million in one evening.

A capital campaign video ask from our Head of School emphasizing the importance of donating to the Beginnings campaign.

Created the Behind the Fence Club video, which was shown at our State of the School Program and increased donations by 27% compared to last five year’s attendance and giving amounts.

A video that shared teacher testimonials that highlighted all of the features of the new building that students will enjoy due to donor dollars.

The groundbreaking celebration for current students and parents highlighting the joy and excitement of the students.

A video target toward students and alumni with the school’s mascot, Eddie the Eagle, giving a tour of the new facilities.

Developed a dedicated microsite (bernardzell.org/beginnings) to share campaign updates and progress.

Produced donor profiles featuring diverse community members to highlight the campaign’s impact.

Produced donor profiles featuring diverse community members to highlight the campaign’s impact.

Interactive and Experiential Learning:

Partnered with our Admissions Team to create the “Ask Me” tool for new and prospective parents, facilitating comfortable sharing and networking. This effort increased donations among new parents by 34%.

Secured a video from former alum and Hollywood actor Ike Barinholtz, which was played during the Annual Fundraiser. His endorsement led to $110k in immediate donations and a 10-year commitment of $100k to the capital campaign annually from Mr. Barinholtz.

Partnered with school leadership and Dana Hirt Parenting to create "Zell Talks," an educational lecture series led by community experts. The inaugural session offered early childhood parenting tips from parenting expert Dana Hirt and included behind-the-scenes tours of the new campus, resulting in one of our most highly attended events with over 165 guests and an additional 22 joining over Zoom.

Implemented regular alumni tours and meet-and-greets to encourage community and to continue fostering strong friendships with their former classmates.

Collaborated with Wheeler and Kearn Architects and Bulley and Andrews Construction firms to create an interactive digital naming opportunities map and the “Behind the Fence Club” for middle school students, resulting in a 27% increase in donations from parents.

Partnered with the Development team to create a targeted email campaign for alumni and their families, offering personalized tours with their former teachers, which increased alumni engagement and pledges by 29% compared to the previous year.