William Penn Charter School | Philadelphia, PA
“What if, instead of celebrating 328 years of history, we chart the next 328 years? By the light of our charter, how far can we see? How far?”
–Darryl J. Ford, FORMER Head of School
background
Established in 1689 by its venerable Quaker namesake, William Penn Charter School holds fast to a set of changeless founding principles, which privilege equity and promote service and stewardship. It is also, however, a place of continual growth and fearless change. As Penn Charter approached a transformative capital campaign—one sure to reshape both physical facilities and pedagogical approaches—the school needed to anchor this moment of exciting institutional evolution firmly in the context of enduring values.
These campaign materials guide audiences from the origins of the school’s 300-year-old charter to the limitless potential of tomorrow, ultimately reimagining Penn Charter through the lens of a $130 million partnership between the school and its supporters. This strategy of projecting into the future succeeds because it is also carefully grounded in a concrete, sacred, and reassuring past, reminding audiences that the campaign builds faithfully on unaltered Quaker principles.
The campaign case statement is designed to help potential donors catch a glimpse of what’s ahead for this storied school, offering clear, compelling overviews of the campaign’s major initiatives. Vibrant photographic choices feature some of the school’s youngest students as they learn, discover, and explore, reminding audiences to look to their—and the school’s—bright future.
“Hundreds of friends have celebrated How Far! we have come in achieving our strategic vision and transforming Penn Charter’s campus. Only with everyone’s participation in making their best gifts to Penn Charter could we have reached the milestone of $130 million in philanthropy. And we’re not done yet.”
–William Penn Charter campaign update, October 2022
overview of our partnership
1. Backgrounds + baselines
The C+P team reviewed Penn Charter’s donor analytics, advancement materials, event plans, and campaign goals to form a foundational understanding of existing messaging parameters and fundraising processes.
2. DISCOVERY + ANALYSIS
Our team spoke with the full breadth of the school’s community—students, parents, recent graduates, legacy alums, faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees. We also forged connections with the school’s development counsel, campaign volunteers, and lead donors.
3. Insights + implications
Our Advancement Insights + Implications Report afforded campaign leadership initial messaging insights, surfaced consensus on mission and values, and identified opportunities and challenges. This Report also included the preliminary Value Proposition for Donors, which served as the indispensable platform for all philanthropic appeals to come.
4. TOOL KIT + FIRST PRINCIPLES
Before turning to traditional advancement collateral, our team created a fundraising tool kit, which gathered the most compelling highlights from the school’s existing print, electronic, and media artifacts, equipping campaign ambassadors to point directly to concrete examples of the school’s extraordinary curricular innovations, community service endeavors, and overall outcomes. In addition, the First Principles for Campaign Messaging delineated content hierarchies and audience tiers to guide both creative work and conversational strategy.
5. MATERIALS + MEDIA
After crafting the concept and title of the campaign—By the Light of Our Charter, How Far Can We See?—C+P generated a suite of print and digital pieces. These included a detailed campaign brochure and associated inserts, the project website, and a dynamic concept video designed to introduce audiences to project objectives and generate enthusiasm about the extraordinary possibilities of the work.
