Shenandoah National Park Trust

Screenshot of the Shenandoah National Park website homepage showing mountain landscape, park impact initiatives, historical cabin, recent news updates, partners, and mailing list sign-up.

The Challenge

The Shenandoah National Park Trust is the official philanthropic partner of Shenandoah National Park — a 200,000-acre national treasure in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains attracting 1.4 million visitors annually. When I joined in March 2020, the organization was days away from a crisis it didn't see coming. The pandemic shut down in-person visitation, cancelled every planned fundraising event, and threatened the donor relationships that funded conservation, education, and land preservation programs.

At the same time, the Trust needed a clearer, more usable story system: language and proof that staff and board members could steward consistently — even under pressure and without in-person events.

A folded brochure or magazine spread featuring information about Shenandoah National Park, with images of wildlife, scenic views, and text detailing sponsorship, partnership, and financial data.
A folded brochure or magazine spread featuring information about Shenandoah National Park, with images of wildlife, scenic views, and text detailing sponsorship, partnership, and financial data.
Screenshot of a website for Shenandoah National Park with a cloudy mountain background, a logo featuring a mountain and road, and text that says "We Are Shenandoah" and information about park support and preservation.

What I Did

I built a comprehensive Strategic Communications and Marketing Plan aligned with the Executive Director and Board — a practical roadmap that clarified audiences, priorities, message pillars, and the operational cadence to keep communications steady through disruption.

I led a complete rewrite of the Trust's website content at snptrust.org — web copy, landing pages, donation pages, program descriptions, and storytelling content — using clear, donor-centered language and consistent proof so the story could hold across channels. I managed Google Ads and SEO to support acquisition.

I built and executed an editorial system: monthly calendar, blog posts, email newsletters with A/B testing, social strategy across platforms, and fundraising collateral (digital and print) including the Annual Report and quarterly newsletter. I also placed stories in outdoor and conservation publications.

With in-person events cancelled, I created virtual programming — live events on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook Live including a virtual BANFF Mountain Film Festival fundraiser and National Park Week programming — extending reach and giving supporters new ways to participate.

I secured a National Park Foundation grant for diversity initiatives and environmental education programs, built a Board-level Marketing & Communications Committee, and managed volunteer and paid creative partners (photographers, writers, social media ambassadors, and program leads).

A brochure or report on a light gray surface, featuring text and statistics about economic impact and park visitation, with a scenic mountain landscape image on the right side.
A brochure or report on a light gray surface, featuring text and statistics about economic impact and park visitation, with a scenic mountain landscape image on the right side.

The Results

  • 45% increase in online donor engagement during the pandemic

  • Successfully secured National Park Foundation grant funding for diversity and education programs

  • Built a reusable digital engagement framework that outlasted my tenure

  • Developed strategic partnerships with corporate and nonprofit organizations to meet development goals

  • Created the communications infrastructure for a small nonprofit

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