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Minnesota Orchestra › Fundraising Kit/Storybook

Part history, part financial report, part sneak-peek into renovation plans, this Minnesota Orchestra storybook packages it all together around a music-centric theme with dual meaning — You have a part to play — and supported by the metaphor of the conceptual signature left by the conductors baton. Now the baton is passed to you.

The story is woven amidst a showcase of images from three individual photographers who together have captured the many moods and personalities of the orchestra, from rich/dramatic to light/playful — all insightful and inspirational.

You have a part to play. Every conductor who lifts a baton puts a unique signature on a piece of music. Now you have the opportunity to put your signature on the Minnesota Orchestra for generations to come through our campaign, "Building for the Future"

Outstanding figures : important relationships

Several prominent community & business leaders are revealed throughout, adding their own signatures and speaking in their own voices on their passions for—and insights on—the multiple roles the orchestra plays

Center sub-section : unique challenge

The immediate need for this storybook didn't allow waiting for the architect selection process to run its course. The flexible binding method was our solution, making it possible to add a new architectural section at the center of the book, printed and assembled after the initial run

All unassembled pages & pieces were wharehoused at the printer, and only minimum quantities were assembled initially

To address the interruption of page number progression, the center section was given roman numerals and treated as a sub-section, printed on different paper stock, and book-ended with translucent pages to aid the reader through the transition and build excitement around the announcement, selection process details and actual plans & renderings from the architect

In closing : the rest of the story

The last page in the book houses additional fundraising campaign support materials including a multi-page Giving Guidebook, campaign video production on disc, and the campaign director's calling card — all visually aligned as an uninterrupted image

Giving Guidebook › The Details

This guidebook navigates donors through the financial finer points of giving — accompanied by close-up photography showing the beauty and intricacy of various musical instruments.

Minnesota Orchestra › Initial Fundraising Theme Development

The Minnesota Orchestral Association needed a "pitch kit" — insider-speak for a fundraising support piece to package several items together.

In this case, incorporating a "thank you" gift would be considered an unnecessary use of campaign dollars. We proposed that if relevant and conceptually integrated into the fabric of the story, a "thematic gift" would be powerful and appreciated.

We offered several concepts to demonstrate our intuition, and in the process discovered an overarching phrase that worked well in tandem with the existing "Building for the Future" campaign theme. "You have a part to play" became the call-to-action for this fundraising effort, supported further by the metaphor of the conceptual signature left by the conductor's baton. The notion of playing your part was given further life when adopted by the orchestra's internal marketing team as an on-going awareness campaign the following year.