From the Nominator

"With the pandemic entering its second year, Sidwell Friends was once again unable to hold an annual fundraising gala to raise money for the annual fund. The Sidwell Friends community has always played an integral part in the academic experience of each student. With a quarter of the student body on financial aid, the annual fund was critical to maintaining what makes the school special.  

To meet the challenge, the second annual virtual campaign, known as the 48 Hours for Scholars, was launched. Working within strict pandemic safety protocols in the spring of 2021, and with no budget, the video for the campaign was produced over the course of three weeks. The task was to emotionally convey the importance of the whole community and its impact on each student and family through the words of current students, parents, and alumni. Additionally, to convey that progress had been made toward a return to normal, producing a highly polished video was just as crucial as the fundraising message. 

The video was well received and helped to make the campaign a resounding success. $435,000 was raised over the two days, surpassing the campaign’s goal of $350,000."

From the Judges

We loved the personal touches and thought it was beautifully produced. We appreciated the b-roll editing and the inclusion of alumni photos.