Bergen Catholic High School

Crusader
Giving Day
2026

A 5-week promotional campaign plan designed to make May 5th Bergen Catholic's strongest Giving Day yet.

The Situation

The Clock Is Ticking

< 8 WEEKS
Until Giving Day · May 5, 2026
$600K
2026 Goal · Confirmed Target
$470K
3-Year Average · Established Baseline
"Bergen Catholic has the community, the assets, and the momentum to make 2026 its strongest Giving Day yet — and the first to hit $600K. This 5-week promotional framework is designed to maximize what's already working and add the structure to get there."

The Foundation

What we know about Bergen Catholic going in

Social Footprint

The 17K Opportunity

Leveraging the football audience for "The Brotherhood." Athletics skews highest in reach — a powerful opportunity for campaign amplification.

AccountPlatformReachCampaign Use
@bergencatholichighschoolInstagram10,000Primary hub — all campaign anchoring
@bergencatholicftballInstagram17,000 ★HIGHEST REACH — Week 3 Brotherhood
@bccrusaderhoopsInstagram5,645Champions story — Week 2/3 reshare
@bergencatholicwrestlingInstagram4,550Week 3 template post
@bergencatholiclacrosse_Instagram3,102Active spring sport — Week 3
BC PodcastPodcast/YT39+ epsGiving Day episode — Week 2
Facebook / X / YouTubeMultiActiveEmail amplification + countdown
Key Internal Asset

Internal Communications

The Crusader Podcast is a ready-made channel to tell the scholarship story in long-form. One dedicated Giving Day podcast episode (Week 2-3) with Advancement Leadership and a scholarship student — produced natively with no additional production cost.

Internal Communications' connection to coaches ensures specific teams post their "Brotherhood" assets in Week 3, coordinating sport account amplification across the entire athletic department.

Brotherhood
The Structural Challenge

Tight Timeline, Team at Capacity

Current Reality

  • Less than 8 weeks to May 5th
  • Internal team at capacity

The Plan Responds

  • Surgical, high-impact asset drops
  • Internal Communications as coordination hub
  • Focus on "Brotherhood" & "Access" — evergreen themes

Assumptions

What this plan is built on — and what still needs to be confirmed

The Foundation (Assumed)

  • Dollar goal confirmed: $600K. Donor count target TBD.
  • Do Good Marketing leads video & image production.
  • crusadergivingday.org is live and ready.
  • Internal Communications is available for podcast production.
  • Sport account managers are reachable via Advancement.
  • Photo/Video archive exists and is accessible.

The Variables (To Confirm)

  • Matching gift or challenge grant status?
  • Internal Communications bandwidth and confirmed role.
  • Text/SMS capability for alumni outreach?
Campaign Narrative Spine

Three Pillars

Aligned with BC's 2026 theme: Rooted in Faith · Rising in Excellence · Bound by Brotherhood

Football IG · Sport Accounts

Brotherhood

"Show your brothers what The Brotherhood means."

Once a Crusader, always a Crusader. May 5th is the day alumni show what this community means to each other.

Primary Voice:BC alumni, coaches, former players
Email · Main Social · Podcast

Access

"One gift can make the difference."

86% of BC students receive financial or merit aid. Your gift keeps the doors open for the next generation.

Primary Voice:Current scholarship students, Advancement leadership
All Channels · Day-Of

Legacy

"Give on the day that started it all."

May 5th is Blessed Edmund Rice's Feast Day. This is bigger than a fundraiser — it's an act of faith.

Primary Voice:School leadership, institutional voice
Roles & Responsibilities

Clear Lanes for Execution

🎯

GivingWorks Studio

Campaign strategy, message architecture, content calendar, copywriting, and team coordination

🎨

Do Good Marketing

Design asset production, video production, and final creative execution

📡

Internal Comms

Podcast production, sport account coordination, and day-of social amplification

🏛️

BC Advancement

Donor list management, email deployment, gift processing, and institutional voice

The Recommendation

A 5-week plan built to work with BC's existing structure

5-Week Campaign Calendar

Week by Week

Week 1 · March 31 – April 6

Plant the Flag

LEGACY

Make Giving Day visible. No ask yet — just the date, the mission, the emotional frame.

Main IG + FBAnnounce Giving Day: date, link, mission. Bold graphic featuring community faces.
Football IGReshare with caption: "The Brotherhood shows up May 5th."
Sport AccountsSimple reshare — program-specific caption each.
Alumni EmailSave-the-date from BC Advancement Team. 3 sentences. Link.
Week 2 · April 7 – April 13

Tell the Story

ACCESS

Introduce real student voices. Build the emotional case. Deploy the scholar video and alumni email.

Alumni Email"He almost didn't come to Bergen Catholic." Student story. 86% stat. Soft ask.
Main IG + FacebookStudent spotlight — photo + 60-80 word caption. Authentic, not over-produced.
BC PodcastEpisode: Advancement leadership + scholarship student. Produced natively.
Student Video60-second guided talking points video. IG Reel + FB.
All Sport AccountsPre-written template — each adds one sentence in their voice.
Week 3 · April 14 – April 20

Build the Number

BROTHERHOOD

Widest organic reach window. Activate football's 17K followers. Introduce social proof and donor count.

Football IG (17K)"Championships don't build themselves." Coach or alum video/graphic. Tag giving link.
Main IG + FB"X Crusaders have committed. Will you be one?" Donor count post. Update 2x this week.
BCTV / HeraldStudent media covers Giving Day as a news story.
All Sport Accts"One week closer. Here's why we give." Sport-specific photo. Pre-written template.
Alumni Email"Here's what your giving makes possible." 86% stat. Specific program example.
Week 4 · April 21 – April 27

Create Urgency

LEGACY

10 days out. Urgency begins. Match gift announcement if confirmed. Countdown starts on X.

Main Facebook"10 Days Out" bold graphic. Match gift announcement if confirmed. (2 versions prepared.)
Football + BasketballTag-a-teammate mechanic: "Tag a Crusader brother who should stand with you on May 5th."
X / TwitterDaily countdown posts begin. 10 days → 1 day. Rotate pillar message per day.
Email — All SegmentsUrgency email: match window, countdown, link. 4 sentences max.
All AccountsUpdate bio links to crusadergivingday.org. Verify links work.
Week 5 · April 28 – May 5

Close Strong

ALL PILLARS

Every account active. Day-of execution is pre-planned, not reactive. Build a minute-by-minute schedule.

Mon–ThuOne post/day: Why → Alumni → Student → Final Push.
May 4 (Eve)Email: Final reminder. "Tomorrow is the day."
May 5 (AM)Football IG: "It's Giving Day. The Brotherhood shows up today."
May 5 (All Day)All Accounts: Pre-written posts live. Live updates on Main IG.
May 5 (PM)Email: Final hours push. Live donor count.
Video Strategy

Keep It Surgical

Don't drown the feed. Produce fewer, better pieces.

The Anthem

Week 1 · 90 Seconds · High Polish

The emotional hook. "Why we are Crusaders." Uses archival footage + voiceover. Sets the tone for the entire month.

The Story

Week 2 · 60 Seconds · Authentic

One student's journey. Simple, direct interview. "I wouldn't be here without you." Makes the impact personal.

The Call

Week 3/5 · 30 Seconds · Raw

Coach or Principal direct-to-camera. Shot on iPhone. "We need you now." Creates urgency and connection.

Recommended Next Steps

Bring It to Life

01

Approve the 5-Week Calendar

Lock in the weekly themes and pillar structure.

02

Confirm Creative Direction

Greenlight the warm, community-focused aesthetic.

03

Brief the Internal Team

Align BC Advancement Team, Internal Communications, and Sport Managers on the plan.

04

Confirm the Donor Count Target

The dollar goal is set at $600K. Let's align on a donor count milestone to drive the community momentum.

05

Launch on March 31

Week 1 begins. Plant the flag.

"Let's make history for Bergen Catholic."

Back to Pitch Portfolio