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Copyright © 2018 Justine Rendl.
Act For Justice is a Christian non-profit in Dallas, Texas. They partner with top-ranked law firms to come alongside inner-city residents and work to reduce crime on their street. So far, Act has reduced crime by 50% in each of their target neighborhoods, but the advocacy within current donors is low. The objective was to create a campaign that would motivate current donors to attract and educate new donors, equipping them with resources needed to share Act’s story.
In order to spread the word about Act to inner city residents, we are using lanterns to symbolize that Act is shining a light on drug crime and prostitution. Lanterns are a physical representation of Act’s mission as an organization: to be a light in the midst of darkness. As a faith-based organization subsequently working to share the hope of the gospel in these neighborhoods, it is also important to tie in how lanterns connect to Act’s beliefs. Matthew 5:13–16 says, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” At the time of this passage (1 Cent. A.D.), lanterns were the new era of light and oil was incredibly expensive. Because of this, families typically only owned one lantern, so they would put it in the center of the room as to emit the most amount of light. As Jesus tells these people that they are “the light of the world”, he is saying they are placed in their families, friendships, and communities so that they can be a light to others.
When a donor signs up for a continuous donation plan, or whose single donation exceeds $50, they will receive a Light The Way box. The lanterns give current donors a way to advocate for Act by placing them on display outside of their own homes. When on display, they will serve as a reminder to the home owners that they are a part of changing their community. Uninvolved neighbors who notice the lanterns will want to know the reason behind them, turning neighbors into potential donors.
These smaller boxes are a call to action. As each donor receives 3 of them, they are asked to distribute them to friends and neighbors that they think would be a good fit to join Act’s group of donors. Think about getting BOO’d at halloween.. It’s a fun way to use current donor’s networks to introduce new people to the organization. Inside of each box holds a candle and a CTA. The candle gives the recipient a sneak peek into what the organization is doing to bring light to crime.
For every periodic donation check-point (4th, 8th, 12th, etc.) the donor will be invited to a small, intimate open house hosted by Act. Provided with food and drinks in a welcoming, social atmosphere, donors will have the opportunity to meet members of Act they may not have met before.
At the open house, Act will provide the guests with extra lanterns. To spark engagement, the guests will collectively walk together to hang the glowing lanterns in their neighborhood.
Donors will be invited to participate in revamp projects throughout Dallas. The work that Act does is high security, so this is a way to give donors a hands on experience while still protecting the privacy of the people Act works with.
Volunteers will be able to share the transformed space by using the hashtag #ACTLightsTheWay. Act could also use before and after photos for an online campaign to draw in new donors. To celebrate the revamped space, Act will hire a guest speaker or church affiliate to speak to the volunteers.
Branded Act lanterns will be hung throughout common gathering areas of Dallas. They will be branded with Act’s logo, a QR code, and the hashtag #ACTLightsTheWay. The QR code will direct the bystander to a specific story related to the neighborhood the lantern was placed in. Upon scanning the QR code, unsuspecting residents will understand Act’s mission and feel a strong, personal connection to the organization.
Those who aren’t familiar with Act will question what the lanterns mean, sparking their curiosity. By connecting personal stories of transformation to the lanterns throughout the city, Act will establish an emotional connection with a wide variety of Dallas residents, inspiring them to be a part of the mission. This will bring in new donors of all types and drastically increase awareness of the organization.
This live 3D map is an interactive way to connect donors to each other and allow them to see how close they really live to the issues that Act is working to rectify. The goal of this extension is to establish a sense of community between the donors, allowing them to take ownership in their part of the Act mission. The video shows the map in its current state, while the photos show how the Light The Way campaign will be able to customize the experience.
Through a login portal on the Act website, donors are able to access and add to this map. Each donor can securely add their address, dropping a pin (or in this case, a lantern symbol) on the location. As other donors log on, they can see who around their own neighborhood is also involved with Act. It is also a great way to find out which of your neighbors is not involved yet, in which case you could invite them to an open house or leave an Act On Injustice Box on their doorsteps.
