Case Study: Conner Prairie raises $40,000 for mission programming with Big Sea’s Days of Giving campaign

Conner Prairie raises $40,000 with Big Sea

Conner Prairie, a living history museum and Smithsonian affiliate, faced the challenge of translating its beloved status into donor support. Many visitors incorrectly assumed ticket sales covered operational costs, and the museum needed to grow its donor base, particularly among younger supporters. Big Sea partnered with them through a Wavemaker Grant to reimagine their annual Days of Giving fundraising campaign.

Big Sea developed a creative marketing strategy centered on emotion and nostalgia, framing the museum as a place of core memories. The "Give Them the Gift of Experience" campaign used an integrated approach with email, text, direct mail, and in-person activities at a concurrent festival. The campaign successfully hit its $40,000 goal, which unlocked an additional $15,000 matching gift, and achieved a 50%+ email open rate, far exceeding nonprofit benchmarks.

Conner Prairie