Warren Village: Thrive by Five Campaign Case Study
Challenge accepted
In early 2024, Warren Village faced an urgent funding crisis. Colorado began freezing enrollment in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), threatening access to childcare for families who rely on it most. At Warren Village, 85% of families depend on CCCAP, placing the organization’s Early Learning Center (ELC) at risk of up to $500,000 in annual revenue loss.
The challenge wasn’t just financial — it was communicative. CCCAP is a complex policy issue, and Warren Village needed to quickly translate that complexity into a message donors could understand, feel, and act on. The campaign also needed to raise funds without cannibalizing year-end giving, while strengthening long-term donor alignment around early childhood education.
Solution proposed
Strat Labs partnered with Warren Village to design and execute Thrive by Five, an integrated direct mail and email campaign.
The campaign theme “Thrive by Five” centered on a powerful insight: 90% of a child’s brain development happens by age five. Framing the CCCAP freeze through this lens allowed donors to immediately grasp what was at stake and why timing mattered.
To maximize reach during a compressed timeline, we paired targeted outreach to Warren Village’s existing donor base with a strategic prospect list purchase. The purchased list focused on Denver-metro individuals with demonstrated philanthropic affinity for early childhood education and community-based family services, allowing the campaign to reach new, values-aligned supporters alongside current donors.
EXECUTION INCLUDED:
– A 5,000-piece direct mail campaign timed with a coordinated email series
– A dedicated campaign landing page and donation form for clean attribution
– Messaging that encouraged leadership gifts, monthly giving, and ELC-focused support
– Strategic pacing to intentionally bridge into Warren Village’s year-end campaign
Problem solved
THRIVE BY FIVE GENERATED DELIVERED STRONG ROI FOR A TIME-SENSITIVE APPEAL WITH KEY RESULTS INCLUDING:
– 1,059% ROI based on the budget spent, including the purchase of 5,000 contacts and mailing of 11,000 pieces
– One new major donor secured through the direct mail campaign
– 1,500+ views on the campaign landing page over three months.
Beyond revenue, the campaign successfully expanded Warren Village’s base of Early Learning Center–focused donors, activated leadership-level support, and strengthened donor understanding of early childhood education as a critical driver of family stability.