From the Nominator

The Big Foot Holiday Adventure was an innovative, month-long campaign in December 2025 designed to engage The Webb School’s global community. Building on the Big Foot 100 spring appeal from 2024—which introduced the Big Foot character to drive alumni engagement—this holiday iteration expanded the narrative to include parents and friends. Our strategic goal was to increase year-end giving for The Webb Fund, reach 100 donors, and cultivate school pride. We pivoted from traditional messaging toward a playful narrative featuring Big Foot (a nod to our Webb Foot mascot) on a holiday journey. This multi-channel campaign invited supporters to track sightings of the Big Foot at iconic campus locations via email, social media, text, and direct mail. Gifts unlocked exclusive digital content, transforming the appeal into an interactive scavenger hunt. By leveraging our unique identity and humor during the holiday giving season, we built a cohesive universe that made giving feel like a communal celebration rather than a transaction. In 30 days, the campaign raised $107,374, exceeding our internal $100,000 goal and marking a 60% increase over the previous year's holiday appeal ($69,800). Participation surged 50.5%, growing from 99 to 149 gifts. While the average gift rose to $833 (from $674), the median gift shifted to $104 (from $200), reflecting a successful expansion into a broader donor base. These metrics demonstrate that high-concept storytelling effectively lowered the barrier for new supporters while simultaneously driving deeper investment from larger donors and generating significant social media engagement.

From the Judges

A creative opportunity to develop a recognizable character while maintaining familiarity and approachability for constituents. The gaming aspect added a fun and engaging element and was a great way to capture the feel-good spirit of the holidays.