Case Study: The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health raises $1M+ (40% over goal) with Brandlive

How One Virtual Fundraiser Increased Donations by 40%

The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health’s flagship Leaders for Mental Health Breakfast—an annual fundraiser that relies on live patient testimonials, donor stories and celebrity guests—faced a major challenge in 2020 when in‑person gatherings were impossible. The foundation needed a way to preserve the event’s emotional impact and donor engagement while pivoting to a virtual format.

Using Brandlive’s custom‑branded platform with live streaming, interactive chat, on‑demand playback and hands‑on tech support, the foundation delivered a highly engaging virtual event (16+ presenters, six celebrity guests). The result: more than $1M raised—about 40% over the $700K goal—1,300+ unique registrations, 5,400+ page views, lower production costs, expanded global reach and a repeatable model for future hybrid events.

Royal Ottawa Foundation

Kelly Meincke

Manager of Special Events