Written by Dwight L. Grant
Wilderness Therapy programs typically work with families that have teenagers that are struggling. The parents have tried everything but nothing seems to work. At that point spending a couple of months in the woods removes the child from harmful influences and allows them to work out issues in a supportive environment.
Dean Reynolds worked for a couple of Wilderness Therapy Programs and ran into a problem when some of the kids began to ask questions about their Christian faith. Dean wanted to respond by sharing from the Bible. Not wanting to rock the boat he tried to clear it through management. His request was denied. That began a search for a Christian version of the 10 week nomadic backpacking program he had been used to. He could not find one. That's when he felt the Lord calling him to start what would become Seeds Wilderness Therapy (Seeds).
When he contacted me about helping the organization had nothing but a dream and $38. I agreed to coach him for a couple hours per week and ultimately took on more responsibility with the formation of the nonprofit, strategy development and the marketing approach that I will highlight in this case.
Wilderness Therapy programs typically work with families that have teenagers that are struggling. The parents have tried everything but nothing seems to work. At that point spending a couple of months in the woods removes the child from harmful influences and allows them to work out issues in a supportive environment.
Dean Reynolds worked for a couple of Wilderness Therapy Programs and ran into a problem when some of the kids began to ask questions about their Christian faith. Dean wanted to respond by sharing from the Bible. Not wanting to rock the boat he tried to clear it through management. His request was denied. That began a search for a Christian version of the 10 week nomadic backpacking program he had been used to. He could not find one. That's when he felt the Lord calling him to start what would become Seeds Wilderness Therapy (Seeds).
When he contacted me about helping the organization had nothing but a dream and $38. I agreed to coach him for a couple hours per week and ultimately took on more responsibility with the formation of the nonprofit, strategy development and the marketing approach that I will highlight in this case.
The Challenge
- Wilderness Therapy is an expensive program. It cost between $500-$600 or more per day for anywhere from 60-80 days.
- Summer Camps on the other hand charge about $100 per day and they usually last 5-7 days.
- Established Wilderness programs have a network of therapeutic consultants and counselors that send families to them. Some of them have developed trust by getting accredited.
- The Seeds program was licensed by the state of Colorado but can not be accredited until they complete 3 years of operation.
- The first year staff while experienced in the wilderness did not have extensive training in wilderness therapy.
- The parents journey to move from awareness to I'm ready to send my kid to Seeds can be very long.
The Solution
- Implemented a quality website that would engage parents and help them decide if Seeds was a good fit.
- Created a graphic that shows the typical escalation of behavior that occurs. It was effectively used with Educational Consultants, Parents, Counselors and Donors.
- Designed and implemented a "quiz" that could be taken online in 2 minutes or less. The scores correlate to the behaviors that the families child may be exhibiting. Based on the number of check marks per category the system uses an algorithm to show the parent where on the continuum their child is at.
- We did not require an opt in to obtain the answer but instead provided a landing page that offers a few helpful tips and invites the quiz taker to opt in to receive ongoing tips from Seeds.
- For those with students in the Desperate or Destructive categories we strongly encourage parents to apply and set up an appointment with an admissions counselor.
- Applied and received a google Ad grant. We started at $100 per month and increased to over $1,000 per month by April of 2021. These ads were directed specifically to parents looking for help with their teenagers.
- In the first year we used an advertising agency to create a couple of TV ads that we used for targeted advertising to families with teens and a household income of more than $250k per year. We also send an email blast to a list that met that criteria. While we saw a spike in website traffic we did not see a direct correlation to applications or enrollment.
- Used Deans story about the first gift to run a giving campaign around raising seed money so they could planting seeds of hope.
- Created video testimonials of parents, students and staff as proof of concept and change that had occured in the male students over the summer.
- The 2nd year campaign was launched around the concept of growing the impact. Adding a girls group, getting a new location for the field office, etc.
- We established a relationship with The Envoy Group and became part of their marketing network.
We used Don Millers concepts around the StoryBrand to create the underlying philosophy for our marketing efforts. Our intention was to help parents with struggling teens even if that meant recommending other options.
Above the fold we provided a big button to help families determine if Seeds would be a good fit for their child. Once they get to the get help now page they have the opportunity to listen to a video from Dean explaining the teen crisis continuum and providing encouragement to parents along the way.
The have another option to click on the Teen Crisis Continuum and view or download it. Or they can jump right into the quiz.
The other highlighted button "Apply" is for those returning to the site or ready to get their child into a program. The link takes them straight to a very simple application that is directly linked to the CRM. Once they apply they immediately receive an auto responder providing additional information and an introduction to the Admissions Coordinator who will reach out to them shortly.
Across the top we also have navigation to About Seeds which goes deeper into philosophy and introduces the staff. Program takes them right into the details of what we do and how we do it. Donation allows people to donate to the general fund or sponsor a teen. There is also the ability for donors to give non cash gifts like stock or donor advised funds, etc. There is a contact us form that depending on which box they pick will generate an automatic response and email the person responsible for follow up.
The Blog button takes the user to all of our content blogs where they can scroll through the entire history of content.
The have another option to click on the Teen Crisis Continuum and view or download it. Or they can jump right into the quiz.
The other highlighted button "Apply" is for those returning to the site or ready to get their child into a program. The link takes them straight to a very simple application that is directly linked to the CRM. Once they apply they immediately receive an auto responder providing additional information and an introduction to the Admissions Coordinator who will reach out to them shortly.
Across the top we also have navigation to About Seeds which goes deeper into philosophy and introduces the staff. Program takes them right into the details of what we do and how we do it. Donation allows people to donate to the general fund or sponsor a teen. There is also the ability for donors to give non cash gifts like stock or donor advised funds, etc. There is a contact us form that depending on which box they pick will generate an automatic response and email the person responsible for follow up.
The Blog button takes the user to all of our content blogs where they can scroll through the entire history of content.
This flow diagram shows how prospects get routed with the ultimate goal of having families fill out the application and get a meeting with the admissions staff.
Depending on how they score, parents will end up on 1 of 5 landing pages where Dean explains what they may be experiencing and the kinds of resources that could be helpful. We offer additional support if they choose to opt in.
Depending on how they score, parents will end up on 1 of 5 landing pages where Dean explains what they may be experiencing and the kinds of resources that could be helpful. We offer additional support if they choose to opt in.
Parents have an incredible responsibility raising their children. It is normal for there to be some turbulence during the teen years. This chart was designed to help walk people through the journey that many parents are on. Baseline is considered normal. When something happens that parents don't think is acceptable we see an escalation and an intervention. It usually happens in the home. If successful nothing more is needed. On the other hand the child may get angry and defiant and the behavior moves to the next level.
The Results
- Seeds experienced a 70% increase in the number of quizzes taken in '21 vs '20.
- The engagement on the site per visitor grew from less than 2 minutes to over 3 minutes per visit.
- Applications increased by 61%.
- 2020 admitted only boys. In 2021 that expanded to both boys and girls. 2 female students were placed for every male.
- Seeds went from a $38 dollar initial deposit to revenue of over $200,000 in the first season. All of this during a world wide COVID 19 pandemic.
- Plant to grow fundraising exceeded the goal of $90,000
- 75% Growth to over $380,000 for the 2nd year of operation.
