CASE STUDY: Notre Dame High School (NDHS) Fundraising Campaigns
AT A GLANCE
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Sector: Philanthropy / Secondary Education
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Objective: Secure mission-critical funding for scholarships and campus expansion, ensuring a Notre Dame education remains accessible regardless of financial circumstances.
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Utility: A five-year series of themed gala short films and "Women of Impact" narratives.
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The "Closer": A repeatable, cinematic "flywheel" that shattered fundraising targets by 60% in its inaugural year and drove the school's most successful fundraising campaigns to date.
THE CHALLENGE: Funding a Legacy of Justice and Equity
Notre Dame High School’s commitment to justice, equity, and teaching students “what they need to know for life” requires funding that extends far beyond tuition income alone. To ensure institutional accessibility and support continued physical expansion, the school required strategic visual assets that could bridge the gap between their mission and the donor’s emotional investment — specifically during high-stakes fundraising campaigns like the annual themed gala and "Women of Impact" alumni gatherings.
THE ARCHITECTURE: Collaborative Storytelling
We architected a production strategy that evolved over five consecutive years, centering on a sophisticated blend of institutional values, cinematic rigor, and heartfelt emotional stories told directly by the students.
Strategic Theme Integration:
Each project was engineered to mirror the gala’s specific theme. For the "Night at the Races" campaign, we executed seamless cinematic match-cuts — transitioning from the opening gates of a race track to a student athlete launching from her blocks and leaping over the camera.
Narrative Rigor:
Working closely with the advancement and marketing departments, we curated student-led stories of resilience. Each segment featured students narrating their personal journeys of overcoming obstacles, directly attributing their prosperity to the support of donors and financial aid.
Sensory Excellence:
To ensure the films matched the "Women of Impact" prestige, we executed a suite of high-end cinematographic techniques and employed custom scores crafted by professional composers.
THE WIN
The cumulative impact was transformative. The inaugural production for "A Night at the Races" raised nearly $100,000 against a $60,000 goal. Over five years, this narrative formula became the primary tool for the school to "exceed all goals," ultimately helping the institution raise more for their "Fund-A-Need" campaign than ever before and securing the capital necessary for their continued expansion.
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From the CLIENT
"(Cineteller's beautiful visual stories) made people cry! We crashed through all goals... raising nearly $100,000 when we were hoping for $60,000. I attribute the success to the storytelling through the video. It had a real impact."
- Leah Schnoor, Executive Director of Advancement
“Love it and love working with you! I know it will be the key for us to raise significant funds for our students. Thanks so much Troy. You made this happen again this year!”
- Elizabeth Fox, Executive Director for Advancement
