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Volunteers of America Southeast

Industry

Nonprofit

What We Did

Content Marketing

Marketing

Paid Media

SEO

Strategy

Elevating rural voices through digital storytelling & SEO.

Volunteers of America Southeast (VOA Southeast) has long been a vital force in rural communities across Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, addressing complex issues like homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness, and developmental disabilities. But despite the breadth and impact of its work, the organization struggled to tell its story in a way that engaged donors, inspired trust, or conveyed the scale of its services.

Big Sea partnered with VOA Southeast to help clarify their brand, amplify their voice, and build a marketing foundation rooted in storytelling, visibility, and donor-centric strategy.

VOA Southeast homepage preview on a laptop

Big Sea has been an invaluable partner in our marketing and fundraising efforts.  They don’t just execute tasks—they bring fresh ideas and innovative solutions that help us grow. 

Laura Chandler

Chief Innovation Officer, Volunteers of America Southeast

VOA Southeast goals: increase brand awareness, increase email reach & health, and increase online giving grass texture

The challenge

Scaling impact while aligning mission, messaging, and measurable growth

VOA Southeast faced multiple interconnected challenges:

  • Low brand recognition due in part to confusion around the word “Volunteers” in the name.
  • Content misalignment, with a former agency that didn’t fully understand VOA Southeast’s mission or service breadth.
  • Disconnected digital tools, including HubSpot, social media, and website platforms with no central analytics or automation.
  • Limited marketing insight, relying on basic dashboards without interpretation or strategic guidance.
  • Underperforming content, with blog articles and social posts that lacked narrative resonance or SEO value.

They needed not only better execution, but a bold rethinking of how to connect with their audience—internally and externally.

VOA Southeast search results

The Strategy

Designing a connected marketing system built for clarity, consistency, and scale

We began with a robust discovery and strategy development process to uncover the organization’s strengths, audiences, and growth goals. This included:

  • Stakeholder surveys and workshops  to understand the internal landscape
  • Competitive, content, and SEO audits to assess the current state
  • Donor persona development to guide future messaging and campaigns
  • A 90-day marketing roadmap focused on storytelling and foundational improvements​​

The overarching goal: position VOASE as a trusted, essential resource in their communities—while building a scalable, insight-driven marketing system to increase donor engagement.

The Tactics

With a strategy in place, we implemented a focused and flexible plan, including:

Content Strategy & SEO

  • Developed keyword-rich editorial calendar tied to VOASE’s core service areas
  • Created long-form SEO articles that humanize issues like homelessness and developmental disabilities
  • Built content clusters around housing, veteran support, and mental health
  • Refreshed older blog content to increase organic traffic and relevance​​

Email Marketing & Automation

  • Established email marketing flows using HubSpot, paired with donor segmentation and lead scoring 
  • Launched monthly newsletters aligned to content pillars (e.g., Mental Health Month, Veteran Services)
  • Created automated email series for new donors, newsletter subscribers, lapsed donors, and more.

Storytelling & Impact Narratives

  • Produced bi-monthly impact stories tied to SEO strategy and donor personas
  • Created Open Call grant video cutdowns for multi-channel use (social, email, site)
  • Used data storytelling to communicate program success and community need

Google Grant Management

  • Designed and optimized three evergreen campaigns around affordable housing, veteran support, and family services
  • Directed traffic to optimized landing pages with high conversion potential​

Fundraising Campaigns

  • Developed strategic fiscal and calendar year-end fundraising campaigns with clear theming, creative direction, and donor-first storytelling.

  • Executed segmented email sequences tailored to donor behavior (monthly, one-time, first-time, and lapsed donors) to increase relevance and response.

  • Balanced urgency and stewardship to strengthen donor relationships while maximizing year-end giving.

HubSpot Enablement & Automation

  • Aligned marketing channels with HubSpot to centralize insight and automation
  • Provided training, documentation, and ongoing support for internal team
  • Set clear KPIs and benchmarks for ongoing marketing measurement and reporting

The Results

88%

Increase in new subscribers

112%

Increase in online giving

48%

Increase in first time donors