Blue Iris Farm

The Challenge

Blue Iris Farm is a 114-acre animal sanctuary and retreat in Lebanon, Connecticut, a place with a powerful mission and a small team trying to do a lot with limited resources. When I started working with them, they had heart but no brand infrastructure. No cohesive identity, no digital fundraising system, no scalable way to turn the emotional connection people feel for the farm into sustained financial support. The challenge was building a complete brand and marketing ecosystem from scratch, one that could grow alongside the farm without requiring a full-time marketing team to maintain.

The Approach

This has been one of my longest and deepest client relationships, a partnership that started in 2019 and has evolved as the farm has grown. I began by defining their brand identity: who Blue Iris Farm really is, what they stand for, and how to communicate that in a way that moves people from interest to action.

From there, I built the systems to support it. A new website with integrated CRM and donor management. Email marketing campaigns. A structured fundraising system. And several original programs I developed specifically for their audience, including the Iris Pen Pal Program, Iris Piggy Bank, and a Corporate Sponsorship initiative, each designed to create ongoing engagement, not just one-time donations.

I also led their social media strategy and created visit packages, retreats, and event programming, turning Blue Iris Farm from just an online brand into a place people want to physically show up to and support.

The Impact

•  400% return on marketing investment

•  Significant growth in donations and program participation

•  Expanded from animal rescue into a thriving retreat destination

What started as a brand project has become a long-term strategic partnership. Blue Iris Farm now has the identity, systems, and marketing infrastructure to grow sustainably, and the proof is in the fact that they keep growing year after year.