Elevating Student Stories: How Bloom Arts Strategy Tripled Baltimore School for the Arts’ Fiscal Year-End Campaign
In January 2024, Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA) brought Bloom Arts Strategy on board to support their fundraising efforts. After wrapping up a successful gala, we turned our attention to a critical moment in their calendar: the fiscal year-end campaign.
The Challenge
BSA had traditionally run a fiscal year-end appeal in June that centered on student stories and testimonials. In addition to marking the end of the school year and all that the young artists had accomplished, the campaign coincided with the end of the fiscal year and provided an important push for unrestricted funding. While compelling, past efforts had plateaued: the previous year’s appeal brought in just 24 donors and $12,000.
Our Approach
We leaned into what worked - the concept and messaging developed by the BSA to elevate student voices - while broadening the strategy and adding new tactics to expand reach.
Targeted Outreach to Lapsed Donors
We targeted lapsed donors who had made a contribution in the previous three fiscal years but hadn’t renewed their gift this fiscal year. These warm prospects already had a relationship with BSA; they just needed the right touchpoint.Multi-Channel Storytelling
We paired print with digital. New from the previous year, we implemented a hard copy, mailed letter component to the campaign to compliment high quality videos that featured students sharing why BSA mattered to them and how it shaped their academic and artistic journeys. We then used those testimonials across print, email, and social media to create consistent messaging across the entire campaign.Personalized Communication from Board Members
Board Members on the Development Committee were asked to reach out directly to lapsed major donors ($1,000+). Each trustee was assigned a short list of 5–8 contacts to make a personalized ask, whether by phone or email - and most importantly, they did the work!
Samples of campaign eblasts and hard copy letters.
The Results
The six-week campaign exceeded expectations:
$36,000 raised — triple the previous year’s total
66 donors engaged — more than double the previous year’s donors
42% of gifts came through mailed solicitations — a striking contrast to many organizations, where digital dominates, and a powerful testament to investing in multiple communication channels
Why It Worked
The winning formula was equal parts personalization, multi-channel messaging, and authentic student voices. By reaching people where they were — in their mailboxes, inboxes, and social feeds — and by empowering the Board to take an active role in fundraising, BSA not only secured more gifts but also reconnected with lapsed supporters in a meaningful way.
The Takeaway
This campaign shows that traditional tactics like direct mail are far from dead — especially when combined with authentic storytelling and strategic Board involvement. Most importantly, it generated vital resources for the students, faculty, and alumni who make Baltimore School for the Arts a transformative place for young artists.
