Fundraising/Advertising Plan

Short Term Plan:

• Kickstarter: Will be used in March and will begin our crowd-funding campaign. This campaign will continue until we launch in September with Stage 1.
• Postal Mail Campaign: Currently have nearly 1,000 envelopes stuffed with promotional material asking for monetary, physical, and intellectual donations. The envelopes have been addressed to non-profits, foundations, celebrities, political figures, and influential veterans, journalists, and activist.
• Grants: Have currently identified more than 250 grant opportunities that we are eligible to apply for. By bringing a grant writer on staff, we will be able to cast a much broader net for grants and financial assistance.
• News Coverage: We will be reaching out to roughly two-dozen news agencies (print, broadcast, and digital) for coverage that can showcase The War Horse and why we are worth investing in.

Long-Term Fundraising:

• Google Ad Grants for Non-Profits: Pending application which would allow for $40,000 in digital advertising monthly.
• Advertising: Advertising opportunities will be made for corporations/small businesses with a 50% discount for veteran-owned businesses. Advertising will not be hosted on our homepage or any content produced solely through The War Horse. Advertisements will be placed on profile pages and user-submitted content pages only. Size and frequency of donations will not result in preferential treatment or placement.
• Original Artwork: Printed proofs of hand-sketched artwork produced by in-house artists will be sold on our site in limited quantities. If the artwork is about a person killed in action, the next-of-kin will be given the original sketch. All proceeds will benefit the following:
  The War Horse: 50% of total sale
  Semper Fi Fund: 15% of total sale
  Hope for the Warriors: 15% of total sale
  Purple Heart Art Project: 20% of total sale for future operations
• Annual Publication: Annual collections of each of the stories pertaining to individuals killed in action, long-form features on trauma, and suicides will be made available for pre-order in both an e-book and print edition. All proceeds will benefit The War Horse. All next-of-kin will receive a free copy. This will be a large advertising opportunity.
• Kickstarter: Campaigns will begin as we launch each stage of The War Horse and for any special projects. We will also use crowd-funding and social media campaigns bi-annually to assist with our Annual Gala and print publication.
• Grants/Sponsorship: We will be reaching out to corporations and foundations in an effort to encourage them to sponsor individual stories, but will maintain all editorial control. No guaranteed advertising will be made to the organization.
• Charity Miles: A free iPhone and Android app that allows users to earn money for a charity of their choice for every mile ran. We will be speaking with various athletic organizations that work with veterans and service members, in addition to other sports organizations to use this as a revenue source.
• Text to Donate: For our members who provide their phone numbers to us, we will send a monthly requests for a $1 donation. This will also be helpful if we are featured in broadcast media, etc.
• Date Auctions: Will be reaching out to celebrities so we can “auction” a date night with all proceeds coming to us.
• Annual Benefit Dinner: Will include large donors, our Board of Directors, people featured in our stories, and more. We will seek donations for food, alcohol, and items for our silent auction. All proceeds will benefit future operations for The War Horse.