Case Study
CAMP COLE
Before the campus existed, the story had to carry the vision.
In 2019, Camp Cole was not yet the thriving campus it is today. It was a vision. Founders Kelsey Sawyer Carter and Margaret Deans Grantz believed children and adults facing serious illnesses, disabilities, and life challenges deserved a place where they could experience the joy of camp without barriers.
But asking donors to invest in something they could not yet see presented a significant challenge.
Camp Cole did not simply need funding. They needed people to believe.
THE CHALLENGE
- Build credibility for an ambitious vision
- Explain a complex mission and specialized facility
- Raise funds for medical-capable infrastructure
- Inspire donors before the campus existed
Their mission was powerful. Their story needed to make it real.
We didn't set out to make one film. We set out to document a movement as it grew.
Over six years, we returned again and again — each story capturing the next stage of Camp Cole's growth, from an empty field to a fully accessible campus.
First fundraising film
Introduced the founders and helped supporters imagine the vision.
Groundbreaking
Captured the moment the idea began becoming a physical place.
Opening season
Documented the first summer and the mission coming to life.
Flagship story
A comprehensive film featuring founders, counselors, campers, volunteers, and families.
Updated flagship film
Returned with new content reflecting Camp Cole's continued growth and impact.
The films didn't live on a website alone. They became working assets.
Plan
Capture the right stories at meaningful moments in the organization's growth.
Story
Create emotionally compelling films that help audiences understand the mission.
Impact
Put those stories in front of donors, partners, and live audiences again and again.
WHERE THE STORIES WORKED
- Fundraising presentations and donor meetings
- Speaking engagements and community presentations
- Email campaigns, newsletters, and signature lines
- Website and social media channels
- Partner gatherings and fundraising events
A growing library of stories that kept working.
Most organizations begin by thinking they need one fundraising video. Camp Cole demonstrated how much more valuable storytelling becomes when it's used consistently over time.
Every new story reinforced the previous one. Every milestone added credibility to the vision.
The Impact
Today, Camp Cole operates a fully accessible campus serving children and adults with serious illnesses, disabilities, and life challenges.
- Build credibility for an ambitious vision
- Expand awareness throughout South Carolina
- Support fundraising and donor communications
- Give founders compelling stories for presentations
- Maintain consistent messaging across channels
Camp Cole's growth is the result of extraordinary leadership, committed supporters, dedicated staff, and many community partners. Storytelling helped that vision be seen, understood, and championed.
"Camp Cole couldn't put a value on the video. It has been our most important and successful marketing tool we could have ever invested in. We have used the video in so many ways, from fundraising to storytelling, and it has allowed us to take the viewer into a day in the life at camp and immerse them in our mission." — Margaret Deans Grantz, Co-Founder, Camp Cole
Camp Cole is more than one of our favorite projects.
It's the relationship that helped clarify what long-term nonprofit storytelling can accomplish. For more than six years, we've had the privilege of documenting a mission as it became a movement.
The right story, told consistently over time, doesn't just explain your mission. It helps people believe in it.
Start your story with As Told ByCase study prepared by As Told By. Client facts and quotation are based on the Camp Cole case study materials supplied by As Told By.