How a Fractional Marketing Partnership
The Chesterfield Food Bank Outreach Center (CFBOC) runs an incredible, high-impact operation. But like many large non-profits, their leadership team was stretched thin. They reached a point where they needed dedicated marketing leadership to scale their mission, so they originally set out to hire a full-time, in-house marketing coordinator.
They quickly realized a challenging reality: a single internal hire would have to juggle high-level strategy, digital advertising, web development, public relations, and graphic design all at once. That is a massive ask for one person.
CFBOC did not just need an extra pair of hands to manage tasks; they needed a wide range of specialized expertise and immediate leadership. That is when they bypassed the traditional hiring route and brought us on as their fractional marketing partner. We wanted to elevate their brand to a national level, separate them from other regional food-based non-profits, and build deeper community partnerships. Our ultimate goals were clear: increase financial donations, bring in more volunteer hours, and improve the operational efficiency of their events and fundraisers.
What We Did
We stepped in as a true extension of the CFBOC team, taking the marketing weight completely off their shoulders so they could focus on day-to-day operations.
First, we overhauled their digital foundation. We upgraded their website to improve the visitor experience and introduced Fundraise Up, a modern online donation interface that uses smart tools to encourage recurring giving and simplify the donation process. To make their budget go further, we applied for and secured a Google Grant, which unlocked free pay-per-click advertising for the organization.
Next, we built and executed targeted marketing campaigns:
The “Every Can Counts” Campaign: Launched in late 2024 and run through 2026, this initiative utilized paid Meta ads, organic social content, newsletter promotions, and local television support.
Operation Holiday Hundred: We designed this 2025 year-end push to drive community involvement with food drives of all sizes, coordinating promotional efforts across social media, radio and television advertising.
Finally, we focused heavily on community relations. We restructured their monthly email newsletter plan to keep supporters engaged and improve donations and built strategic partnerships with local broadcasting networks to secure free, high-value public awareness segments.
Where They Are Now
By working as dedicated partners, we helped CFBOC achieve exceptional growth markers across its entire operation. The results from the first three quarters of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, tell a powerful story:
- Significant Revenue Growth: Total revenue shows a 34% increase
- Massive Food Drive Expansion: The number of organized food drives more than doubled
- Total volume of food collected: The amount skyrocketed from 86,137 pounds to 314,155 pounds.
Fun fact: the Operation Holiday Hundred campaign was so successful that we had to pause ads and marketing because CFBOC received more food donations than their team could physically process.
Our digital and media strategies also created a massive wave of public awareness. During the late 2025 government shutdown, our media outreach secured broadcast television and radio coverage multiple times per week, building deep public trust during a high-need period.
The updated digital platforms continue to show excellent success metrics:
- Website Traffic: New visitor traffic to the website grew by 58% year over year. Direct traffic rose by 18%, and paid social traffic grew by an incredible 2,392%.
- Donor Platforms: The new Fundraise Up interface drove a 20% increase in recurring online donations.
- Google Grants: Free search ads drove $3,100 in direct donations.
- Email Newsletters: Our updates maintained a 40% open rate, well above the 30% non-profit industry average. This channel has generated more than $40,000 in tracked donations.
- Media Partnerships: We secured 360 free public service announcements across six Summit Media radio stations. We also coordinated 35 Showcase Richmond TV segments on WRIC valued at $2,500 each, and locked in a free 2026 broadcast TV schedule through a partnership with WG Speeks Heating and Air Conditioning (another long-standing client of ours).
Because of this heightened community support and operational efficiency, CFBOC successfully expanded its vital programs. They rolled out their School Pantry Program to over 15 schools across Chesterfield County and are now expanding south of the James River into Petersburg. They also strengthened their Senior Program, introducing senior-friendly food options and deeper partnerships with local community centers and housing facilities.