From Survival to Self-Sufficiency
When Muh Do arrived in Lincoln, Nebraska, she spoke no English. Having fled Burma to escape violence, her journey to literacy represents the ultimate challenge for Lincoln Literacy: moving a new American from survival to self-sufficiency.
Lincoln Literacy is a community-based nonprofit in Lincoln that works to teach English and other essential literacy skills to refugees, immigrants, and local residents. They’ve operated for more than 50 years and raised $220,000 for Give to Lincoln Day in 2025. The goal for the campaign, used specifically for Give to Lincoln Day, was to bridge the gap between community awareness and donor action, educating supporters on a real-life story. Stingray had the privilege of being part of their fundraising campaign, and we won a PRISM award for it!
We Set Out to Drive Growth in a Few Key Areas
To measure success, we set three specific, quantifiable objectives:
Grow Financial Support: Drive a 5% year-over-year increase in overall "Give to Lincoln Day" donations.
Expand Digital Reach & Engagement: Exceed 10,000 views on Facebook, with at least 60% coming from non-followers to introduce the mission to new local demographics.
Maximize Viewer Retention: Increase YouTube average view duration by 50%, ensuring viewers deeply engaged with the full educational narrative.
Muh Do Owned Her Own Story
Rather than relying on abstract statistics or an outside narrator, our strategy centered on elevating a single, authentic voice to represent the hundreds of diverse learners Lincoln Literacy serves. Andy Seiler at CueMotion produced a high-impact video that let Muh Do tell her story in her own words.
The execution relied on:
Authentic First-Person Narrative: We built the piece entirely around Muh Do’s unscripted story. Hearing her reflect on fleeing military violence, caring for her mother, and working toward her dream of helping others allowed audiences to connect directly with her humanity rather than viewing her as a statistic.
Platform-Specific Repurposing: CueMotion produced a full mini-documentary for YouTube to serve as an in-depth, educational narrative asset. This hero piece was then edited and recycled into high-impact vertical Reels for Facebook and Instagram to serve as campaign hooks in social feeds.
Targeted Amplification: We executed a micro-targeted Meta campaign, applying a $75 ad boost to reach local Lincoln residents during the critical "Give to Lincoln Day" fundraising window.
Strategic Call-to-Action: The emotional weight of Muh Do’s journey was paired directly with a tangible giving incentive, leveraging the Lincoln Community Foundation’s matching fund as a primary motivator to maximize donor impact.
Digital Engagement = Real-World Impact
By centering on the lived experience of a refugee, this campaign became one of Lincoln Literacy’s top 5 best-performing digital assets of all time—translating digital engagement directly into real-world community impact.
Financial Support Exceeded: The short-form reel served as the cornerstone of a fundraising push that generated an 8% year-over-year increase in Give to Lincoln Day donations, beating the 5% goal.
Massive Reach Expansion: The Facebook Reel garnered over 15,000 views (surpassing the 10,000-view target). Crucially, 82% of views came from non-followers (beating the 60% target), successfully expanding Lincoln Literacy's brand to thousands of potential new donors and volunteers.
Unprecedented Engagement: The Facebook Reel delivered a 290% increase in engagement rate compared to channel averages. On YouTube, the long-form mini-documentary achieved an 89% increase in views and a 285% increase in total watch time.
Doubled Viewer Retention: Average view duration doubled (+100%) over typical channel performance—generously exceeding the 50% goal—proving that authentic, DEI-focused storytelling holds audience attention twice as long as standard content.
Beyond the metrics, the campaign demonstrated the true power of adult literacy. By highlighting Muh Do’s success in securing employment at both Bryan Health and Walmart while continuing her education, the campaign provided vivid proof that language acquisition is a critical key to economic empowerment.
Figuring out what to say and how to tell a story effectively is what Stingray does at its core. If you need help telling your story, let’s chat.
