The Minnesota Zoo Exceeds Emotional and Financial Impact at Fundraising Event

A boy kneels on grass by a fence, looking at cows on a sunny day during a Minnesota Zoo fundraising event.
Industry

Nonprofit

Headquarters

Apple Valley, Minnesota

Size

11-50

Use Case

Gala Fundraising Videos

Background

Connecting people, animals, and the natural world.

The Minnesota Zoo is a world-class zoo committed to wildlife conservation, education, and accessibility. 

A person watches a large shark swim past in an aquarium filled with coral and blue water at the Minnesota Zoo.
Challenge

Evoking emotion at their annual gala.

The Minnesota Zoo Foundation wanted to create 2 videos for their annual ‘Beastly Bash’ fundraising event. This event was to be their first in-person event since 2020. The Minnesota Zoo Foundation wanted to tackle the videos from a new and fresh point of view to evoke a strong emotional response from donors in attendance.

A woman points at a brown bear in the woods while others look on from behind a wooden fence during a Minnesota Zoo fundraising event.
Approach

The right point-of-view.

Blue Key Media collaborated with The Minnesota Zoo on videos focusing on people rather than animals, a perspective that had never been taken before by previous Minnesota Zoo videos.

We crafted one video to be told from the perspective of children. This helped to evoke the feeling of wonder and awe that every kid feels at the Minnesota Zoo.

The second video aimed to show the effect that the Minnesota Zoo has on people’s lives. For this story, we focused on a man named Nick. Nick has a severe developmental disorder and visits the zoo nearly every day. By looking at the Minnesota Zoo’s commitment to accessibility and highlighting the positive impact made when connecting people with animals and the natural world, we could showcase the Minnesota Zoo’s immense value through unique points of view.

Outcome

Exceeding funding goals and emotional impact.

The 2022 Beastly Bash was a huge success, with funding that exceeded their goal of $735,000. The videos Blue Key Media produced sparked strong engagement among guests and staff alike, garnering a lot of positive feedback. The Minnesota Zoo’s President, John Frawley, even commented “…the best video that’s ever been done for the [Beastly] Bash.”

Interested in crafting impactful videos for your fundraising gala? Schedule a free, no-pressure call with our team to discuss your options and get started today.

Listen in to our episode of Unlocked, where the Minnesota Zoo’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Mike Stephenson, joins Blue Key Media for a conversation about they utilize the power of video.

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