Since 1976, the Dublin Food Pantry supported the Dublin, Ohio community through space generously provided by the Dublin Community Church. Over the years, the Dublin community has grown expeditiously, and is now one of the fastest growing suburbs in Ohio. With this growth, also came the increase of individuals and families in need of help to meet their basic needs, including healthy food.
In 2019, the Dublin Food Pantry served 769 residents. Then, as the result of the pandemic and an uncertain economic climate, in 2021 the pantry more than doubled its impact and served 1,762 Dublin families! Pantry leadership realized the community was at a crisis point and the Pantry’s current 1,800 sq. ft. location at the Church could no longer fulfill their mission due to its lack of space, storage, and accessibility. A permanent home of their own was imperative in order to return to a choice pantry model and serve all their neighbors in need.
In the spring of 2022, the Dublin Food Pantry found an ideal 7,700 sq. ft. space conveniently located off a major street, that also had access to the local bus line. The cost of the building, including renovations, was estimated to be $2 million.
With the Cramer offices located in the heart of Historic Dublin, Ohio, the Dublin Food Pantry team turned to us as their neighbor and partner in philanthropy to help bring their vision for a new home in our community to life.
Given that the Dublin Food Pantry had already found an ideal location, we knew we had to move quickly and put together a strategic campaign plan. However, we also recognized that the Pantry had never raised major philanthropic dollars and therefore we would need to play a more active role in their fundraising efforts. We recommended that the campaign be inclusive of operating dollars for the new Pantry, and in the summer of 2022, we launched a $3 million comprehensive campaign.
Our campaign strategy was a departure from the typical comprehensive campaign with a quiet phase, as we also saw a need for the Dublin Food Pantry to educate the community about hunger in Dublin and their impact on this growing need. We partnered with our neighbors and friends at MJ2 Marketing to develop a robust marketing and awareness initiative to encourage the entire Dublin community to get involved and give to the Everyone Eats Here comprehensive campaign. At the same time, we strategized a plan to cultivate and secure crucial lead and major gifts for the campaign.
We identified and recruited a campaign steering committee of notable Dublin leaders, including the Dublin City school deputy-superintendent and Dublin City mayor. Together with the Dublin Food Pantry Board of Trustees and staff, we moved forward with raising needed philanthropic dollars and awareness of the Dublin Food Pantry in the community.
During the early stages of the campaign, meetings with local church leaders, companies, foundations, and philanthropic individuals began to secure philanthropic funding. Simultaneously, through a targeted digital and email campaign, we spread the word about the growing need in the community and the Everyone Eats Here comprehensive campaign. Over the course of our engagement, we recommended and helped create their first Impact Report to the community and their signature annual fundraising event – Bounty at Bridge Park. Both of these initiatives helped bring awareness and philanthropic dollars to the Pantry’s campaign and annual operations.
After just 15 short months, we had secured more than $2.3 million from 1,238 Dublin philanthropic individuals and families, companies, churches, and foundations. In October of 2023, the Dublin Food Pantry Board of Trustees and staff officially cut the ribbon on their new home.
Since opening, the staff and Board continue to express their gratitude for the role that our campaign counsel, coupled with philanthropic campaign marketing, has played in increasing both the Pantry’s philanthropic brand in the community and their volunteer base.
Your cause is our cause. We’re in it with you, from concept to completion. Because we care just as much about your mission and goals as you do.
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© 2024 Cramer & Associates. All rights reserved.
Your cause is our cause. We’re in it with you, from concept to completion. Because we care just as much about your mission and goals as you do.
Subscribe to our newsletter for our latest blog posts, Cramer happenings, resources, news from our partners, and more.
© 2022 Cramer & Associates. All rights reserved.
