Integrated Marketing for Charitable Partnerships Across 260+ Stores
Summary
As Cause Marketing Specialist for the Build-A-Bear Foundation, I led the day-to-day marketing and activation of charitable campaigns across more than 260 stores throughout the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Serving as the primary contact for seven nonprofit partners, I managed integrated campaigns that spanned in-store marketing, social media, creative development, store communications, and partner relationships.
Working closely with nonprofit organizations, Store Operations, creative teams, and field leadership, I identified opportunities to improve campaign performance and tested new in-store fundraising activations that helped increase annual donations by 25%.
The Challenge
Build-A-Bear supported multiple charitable campaigns throughout the year, each with its own partner, creative requirements, timelines, and fundraising goals. Success depended on more than producing marketing materials. It required keeping nonprofit partners aligned, ensuring hundreds of store teams had the tools they needed to execute consistently, and continuously finding ways to encourage more guest participation.
Strategy
Rather than treating each campaign as a standalone initiative, I focused on creating a repeatable process that kept partners informed, stores equipped, and campaigns moving forward. Strong communication made approvals easier, while close collaboration with store teams provided real-time feedback on what resonated with guests.
Instead of relying on a single fundraising idea, I continuously tested new in-store activations and refined campaigns based on what drove participation. Small improvements made consistently across hundreds of stores ultimately had a meaningful impact on fundraising performance.
My Role
Partner Relationship Management: Served as the primary marketing contact for seven nonprofit organizations, including Make-A-Wish, Save the Children, Toys for Tots, Petfinder Foundation, Barnardo’s UK, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada. Managed ongoing communication, campaign planning, approvals, and stakeholder relationships.
Integrated Campaign Management: Oversaw campaign execution across more than 260 stores in three countries, coordinating creative development, social assets, store communications, and cross-functional timelines.
Creative Direction: Guided the development and approval of in-store signage, fundraising materials, and supporting marketing assets, balancing Build-A-Bear brand standards with each nonprofit partner’s requirements.
Program Optimization: Developed and tested new in-store fundraising activations, using feedback from store teams and campaign performance to improve guest participation and overall fundraising results.
Community Engagement: Coordinated year-round Make-A-Wish experiences with local stores, helping deliver personalized wish visits for children and their families across the Build-A-Bear retail network.
Results
25% Annual increase in fundraising totals for charitable partners
260+ Store locations running coordinated campaigns across US, Canada, and UK
7 Major nonprofit and international charity partners managed simultaneously
Weekly Make-A-Wish in-store visits coordinated year-round
What I Learned
Working with nonprofit partners taught me that strong marketing starts with strong relationships. Every campaign involved different priorities, approval processes, and stakeholders, but the best results came from building trust and making collaboration easy. When partners and internal teams felt supported, conversations became more honest, ideas moved faster, and it was much easier to improve campaigns over time.
