The Brief & Strategy

Celebrating Generations of People and Stories

Oak Park Temple brings together people from all walks of life — young and old, newcomers and longtime Members, interfaith and LGBTQ+ families — who share a desire to live out their Judaism in community. As the congregation prepared for a capital campaign to fund critical building and staffing needs, it recognized that the campaign was more than an appeal to its community. It was an opportunity to invite them to help shape Oak Park Temple's next chapter.

The temple needed a creative partner who could capture their community's vision through an emotionally resonant theme, then express it with beauty and purpose across every campaign touchpoint, from printed materials to video. With deep experience serving Jewish communal organizations, Statement was invited to support this pivotal moment.

‍

Discovery & Workshop

A Heart's-First, Minds-Second Approach

We began with discovery, including interviews and a workshop with the temple's campaign team, to understand the elements that were essential for success. Through our conversations, one key tension emerged. The $3 million campaign aimed to replace the temple's aging HVAC system and establish dedicated funding for clergy salaries  — investments that were important, but not particularly exciting for supporters.

Drawing on our research and campaign experience, Statement worked with the temple to establish several communication objectives:

-Take a hearts-first, minds-second storytelling approach that led with the temple's overall value as a community hub, rather than funding specifics

-Engage a wide variety of audiences by appealing to their personal interests, from ensuring the continuity of the temple to living out tzedekah

-Develop a memorable creative concept that could live on across temple communications post-campaign

‍

‍
‍

creative concept & messaging kit

The OPT IN Campaign

Statement developed three distinct visual stylescapes and messaging concepts, giving Oak Park Temple a range of options while staying true to the goals established in discovery. The congregation unanimously selected a concept that felt both spiritual and forward-looking, providing a solid foundation for the full campaign.

The OPT IN campaign centers on a powerful invitation: for every Oak Park Temple Member to actively engage in and invest in the community's future. Rooted in real stories of connection, from spiritual inspiration and youth formation to justice work and communal care, the messaging emphasizes the many ways people already "opt in" at Oak Park Temple.

The campaign name plays on both the acronym "OPT" and the familiar phrase "opt in," creating a modern, engaging frame for communications. Key messaging and visuals highlight "IN" words like inspired, instill, invite, involved, and invest, capturing the depth of involvement and welcoming spirit of the community.

The visual identity is bright and bold, reflecting the energy and joy of the campaign, with a clear, accessible call to action designed to resonate with Members at every level of engagement. The approach is flexible enough to evolve into ongoing, evergreen messaging.

‍

We then built a comprehensive Messaging Kit, a document that included:

• A clear overview of the messaging strategy and key audiences to keep the team aligned
• Ready-to-use messages for written and spoken communications, including a campaign story and "Why Give?" messaging points
• A sample launch email and ideas for using the messaging effectively across channels
• Voice and tone guidelines for additional communications created by the temple
• A FAQ with clear answers to common donor questions
  ‍

This toolkit became the cornerstone of campaign communication, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints.
‍

‍

campaign assets

Bringing the Brand to Life

With the messaging and creative concept in place, we moved into production on a suite of high-impact materials:

Campaign Video

We conducted an on-site day shoot to authentically capture the spirit of the Oak Park Temple community. The final piece is a heartfelt, visually engaging video that weaves together real voices, candid moments, and a compelling narrative to build emotional connection. Designed for the campaign website, the video invites viewers to feel the warmth of the community and be inspired to opt in. The campaign video became a centerpiece for donor meetings and events, offering a moving and memorable way to communicate the impact of giving.

Brochure

Designed for both print and digital use, this piece introduced the campaign, shared the Temple's vision, and articulated giving opportunities that the campaign team could also use in live donor conversations.

‍

Campaign Landing Page

A user-friendly, visually aligned webpage to capture interest, host campaign updates, and serve as a digital hub throughout the campaign lifecycle.

‍

Results

Exceeding Goals, Energizing the Community

The materials launched during the quiet phase of the campaign and immediately helped deepen conversations with major donors. The creative concept resonated strongly with stakeholders, reinforcing the Temple's vision and energizing internal leadership around next steps.

Ultimately, Oak Park Temple surpassed its $3 million campaign goal, showing what's possible when a community truly opts in. The campaign's success cements the temple's role as local pillar for Judaism for years to come.

‍

‍