Courageous Women Association: Fundraising Social Media Graphic

Case Study: “Walk a Mile in My Heels” Fundraising Campaign
Organization: Courageous Women Association
Website: https://www.courageouswomen.org/
Project Lead: Maya Parkins, Marketing Director
Event Date: August 2, 2025
Location: Mills College, Oakland, CA
Campaign Duration: June – August 2025

1. Overview
Courageous Women Association (CWA) is a nonprofit that provides vital support to women and families overcoming domestic violence, homelessness, incarceration, and trauma. In summer 2025, CWA hosted its signature fundraising event, Walk a MMile in My Heels—a community-centered experience aimed at raising awareness, building resilience, and driving critical funding for CWA’s programs.

As Marketing Director, Maya Parkins led the strategy, creative development, and multi-channel execution of the campaign, ensuring it authentically captured our mission and reached target supporters.

2. Objective
Promote Walk a MMile in My Heels to secure early ticket sales and high attendance.

Highlight the transformational power of resilience—core to CWA’s mission.

Increase visibility of CWA’s work in reentry, emergency housing, and trauma recovery.

Drive donor engagement through storytelling and high-impact visuals.

3. Creative Strategy
Visual Design
The event flyer centered around the quote:

“Your past does not define you—your resilience does.”
This message aligned directly with CWA’s trauma-informed approach and the lived experiences of the women we serve.

Designed with a clean but emotionally resonant layout, the flyer featured:

Bold typography to emphasize empowerment.

Event headliners: Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Chef Mimi Robinson-Briscoe (Founder, Black Food & Wine Experience) to underscore community leadership and cultural relevance.

Call-to-Action: Early Bird Ticket promotion at $75 to create urgency and incentive.

Branding
The event title “Walk a Mile in My Heels” used the word "My"—highlighting the personal journey of each woman CWA supports.

Integrated Courageous Women’s branding colors and fonts to maintain consistency across digital, print, and social media promotions.

4. Marketing Execution
Channels & Tactics
Social Media: Created a 6-week content calendar including:

Speaker spotlights

Countdown reminders

Survivor quotes

Impact stories
Shared via Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn using #CourageousHeels and #WalkWithUs.

Email Marketing:
Three-part series including Save the Date, Early Bird push, and Last Call emails.

Average open rate: 38% | Click-through rate: 12%

Community Partnerships:
Collaborated with local reentry programs, faith-based groups, and women’s shelters to share the event with their networks.

Partnered with Black-owned Oakland businesses for event cross-promotion and raffle donations.

Print Materials:
Distributed 500+ physical flyers at community centers, wellness clinics, and resource fairs.

5. Results & Impact
Metric Outcome
Tickets Sold 370+ attendees (sold out capacity)
Funds Raised $27,500 (45% above goal)
Donor Growth +80 new donors added to CRM
Engagement 1,200+ social media interactions; 200+ shares
Press Mentions 3 features in local news outlets (including Oakland Post)

6. Strategic Insights
Authenticity wins: Rooting the campaign in survivor-centered language and a powerful resilience quote resonated deeply with our community.

Speaker visibility matters: Featuring well-known figures like Mayor Barbara Lee and Chef Mimi Robinson-Briscoe lent credibility and increased promotional reach.

Urgency + Incentives = Conversions: The Early Bird offer effectively drove early ticket sales and helped us forecast turnout.

7. Mission Alignment
The campaign supported CWA’s broader mission of restoring dignity and providing life-sustaining support to underserved women and families. By positioning Walk a Mile in My Heels as a movement rather than just an event, we catalyzed both fundraising and community solidarity.

Programs directly supported by event proceeds included:
Emergency housing placements

Workforce reentry training

Mental health services

Hygiene and clothing drives

Learn more: www.courageouswomen.org

Closing Statement:
Walk a Mile in My Heels exemplified the power of compassionate, community-driven marketing. By amplifying real voices and fostering connection, we transformed a one-day event into an enduring movement of resilience and hope.