I wrote this profile on the Columbia Land Trust’s Nature Glenn campaign for the Land Trust Alliance’s magazine, Saving Land.

This past November’s Giving Tuesday was less than a month away and I had nothing. I was getting the distinct impression that in its fourth year we were approaching “Peak-Giving Tuesday.”

People were growing weary of email and Facebook posts hitting them up for donations following a week of Black Friday and Cyber Monday ads.

I did what I usually do when I’m anxious and trying to procrastinate. I grabbed my phone and hopped on Instagram. As I scrolled through my feed, full of Northwest landscape photography, my thoughts turned to @Socality Barbie (www.instagram.com/socalitybarbie), the satirical Portland-based Instagram account that used a Barbie doll to lampoon the #LiveAuthentic lifestyle. Over the summer, the account went viral, amassing 1.3 million followers and national media coverage.

@Socality Barbie let Instagram users everywhere laugh at their own shared tendency to create social media personas that are more creative, outdoorsy and adventurous than anyone could possibly be in real life.

I was struck by the fact that an overwhelming number of photos on the @Socality Barbie account were shot on recognizable landscapes within the accredited Columbia Land Trust’s service area. In fact, the land trust played a major role in protecting the beautiful Northwest landscapes that adorn a huge number of social media accounts. After all, people of all ages love this region for its green space. It dawned on me that a doll like @Socality Barbie could serve as a mascot for conservation—as a fun way to draw attention to the landscapes we’ve protected.

Glenn Lamb, our executive director and one of our founders, was an obvious candidate to represent the land trust. I had no idea if my director, Dianne Alves, would find a doll like @Socality Barbie appropriate or in line with the land trust’s voice. I knew that it would be a different tone for us. Fortunately, she loved the idea and the whole team got on board, excited to execute an intricate campaign in just a couple weeks. Dianne and I then brought the idea to Glenn.

He hesitated at first, but after reading my campaign brief said what many nonprofit employees dream of hearing: “This is your area of expertise, so I trust you and I’ll support you if you think this is a good idea.”

Not only did these words boost my confidence, they empowered me to take responsibility for the campaign and they made me feel proud to work at Columbia Land Trust. Glenn didn’t just trust me and my team with a fundraising campaign, but with his name and likeness too. We were inspired to succeed.

A Star is Molded

First, we found a Ken doll that looked somewhat like Glenn on eBay. Sarah, our communications and development assistant created Glenn’s trusty journal and wire-rimmed glasses while I used beard trimmers to re-style the doll’s hair and added a salt-and-pepper beard with a marker and Wite-Out. Lastly, I fashioned a beanie out of an old sock and some hot glue.

A few days later, Sarah and I set off along the Columbia River to a half-dozen locations, including Cape Horn, Beacon Rock State Park and the waterfront home of one of our most ardent supporters. Over the course of the afternoon we marveled at the beautiful landscapes the land trust had helped protect, and we got to know our supporters better. I’m sure we looked absurd during our outdoor photo shoots with a doll, but afterward Sarah and I agreed that it might have been the most fun we’ve ever had at work.

Sarah then went about creating an Instagram account for our Glenn doll, @Nature_Glenn. I was excited, but nervous going into the campaign on December 1. I knew that we had put in the work, but I wasn’t sure if our audience would support our off-beat, slightly irreverent approach. We balanced silly photos with detailed stories of how the land trust had helped conserve the landscapes in the backgrounds of each shot.

In the end, we met our $12,000 goal and pulled in a total of $17,000 through a matching gift. Twenty-three percent of donors were first-timers. @Nature_Glenn gained 130 followers in just a few days and Portland Monthly, a local lifestyle magazine, ran an article on @Socality Barbie’s conservation-minded companion.

What We Learned

The project’s success offered a few lessons about Giving Tuesday, social media fundraising and broader land trust communications:

1. It’s hard to be noticed in a crowded fundraising space like Giving Tuesday if you don’t take a chance and try something different. Conventional tactics don’t often move the needle.
2. Instagram is a powerful medium for land trusts. Handy filters help quickly convert amateur photos of land and wildlife from the field into beautiful, sharable content.
3. Social media provides an opportunity to loosen your collar a bit. When I first entered the land trust realm, I was amazed at how reserved the tone was in most messaging. We still send conventional mailings and write detailed email that speak to the importance of our work, but social media offers an opportunity to be funny, silly and poignant in ways that help us connect with supporters on an emotional level.
4. A little trust from leadership can go a long way in fostering a creative, productive and happy workplace. Beyond the dollars raised on Giving Tuesday, the Nature Glenn campaign supported our work by encouraging recurring donors to test the waters of online giving, by attracting first-time donors through shared social media content on a medium popular with new demographics and by raising brand awareness through an unexpected, fun and engaging story. Perhaps most important, it helped demonstrate that land trusts can maintain their integrity and still be creative and have a little fun. After all, what better muse is there than nature?