Rock Landing Foundation

Launch Content & Marketing Strategy

Rock Landing Foundation — Marketing Strategy

Drafted by Lex for Sherryl Cephas — 2026-06-16

Phase 0 — What I need from you when you’re back

Rolanda set up Facebook + Instagram pages. I couldn’t access them externally (Meta requires login). Please send me:

  • Exact handles for both pages (e.g., @rocklandingfoundation, @rocklanding.foundation, /RockLandingFoundation/)
  • A screenshot of each page’s current state (so I can audit profile photo, bio, cover, what’s already posted)
  • Admin access — confirmation that you (Sherryl) are listed as page admin on Facebook (critical — you need admin rights to your own org’s pages, not just Rolanda)
  • Any content already posted so I can build on it rather than duplicate

Once I have that, I can give specific recommendations. The framework below works regardless of what’s already up.

🎯 Strategic Foundation

Who you’re talking to (audience tiers)

Tier Who What they care about Where they live
Tier 1: Major donors Wealthy individuals, foundations, family offices Proof of impact, governance, measurable outcomes, scale LinkedIn, email, in-person, Forbes/WSJ-style
Tier 2: Small donors Working families, church members, friends-of-friends Emotional connection, transparency, easy-to-give Facebook, Instagram, email
Tier 3: Partners Employers, ministries, foster care professionals, social workers Mission alignment, professional credibility LinkedIn, professional networks, direct outreach
Tier 4: The youth themselves 18-25 year olds aging out Authenticity, hope, peers, social proof Instagram, TikTok (later), word of mouth
Tier 5: Local community Roanoke Valley / Botetourt residents Local impact, “neighbors helping neighbors” Facebook, local news, community calendars

For each Tier, the message tone shifts:

  • Tier 1 → data + vision + stewardship
  • Tier 2 → story + small action + gratitude
  • Tier 3 → “let’s partner” + clarity on what you bring
  • Tier 4 → “we see you” + dignity + no condescension
  • Tier 5 → “this is happening in YOUR backyard”

🌐 Platform Strategy

Facebook (Foundation Page)

Goal: Primary community hub, fundraising engine, partnership announcements

Posting cadence: 3-5 posts per week

  • 1× Mission/story content
  • 1× Behind-the-scenes (board meeting, property visits, planning)
  • 1× Educational (statistics on aging out, foster care facts)
  • 1× Call-to-action (donate, volunteer, share, attend event)
  • 1× Gratitude/community spotlight (donor, partner, volunteer thank you)

Specific features to use:

  • Donate button — link directly to /donate/ page
  • Events feature — create event for Choir Versus
  • Fundraisers — Facebook lets nonprofits run native fundraisers (0% fee for 501c3 — applies once approved)
  • Live video — quarterly board updates, property tours
  • Photos albums — phase 1 property, before/after construction milestones
  • Founder Story Highlights — pin a post with Sherryl’s story to top of page

Instagram (Foundation Page)

Goal: Brand storytelling, younger audience reach, visual storytelling

Posting cadence: 3-4 posts per week + daily stories

  • Grid posts → curated, beautiful, on-brand
  • Stories → behind-the-scenes, polls, day-in-the-life, raw moments
  • Reels → 15-30 second emotional/educational hooks
  • Highlights → permanent stories grouped (Mission, Team, Vision, Donate, Choir Versus, Ryderz)

Content pillars:

  • Mission moments (40%) — quotes, stats, vision language
  • The build (25%) — phase 1 property photos, renderings, progress
  • People (20%) — board, partners, future testimonials
  • Asks (15%) — donate, volunteer, share, attend

Hashtag strategy:

  • Branded: #RockLandingFoundation #ThreeChaptersOneCommunity #FostersFamilyLife
  • Cause: #AgingOut #FosterCare #FosterYouth #TransitionalHousing #FosterCareAwareness
  • Local: #RoanokeValley #Troutville #BotetourtCounty #VirginiaFosterCare #SouthwestVA
  • Nonprofit: #Nonprofit #501c3 #Philanthropy #SocialImpact

LinkedIn (Organization Page)

Goal: Major donor + partner credibility, professional networking, recruiting

Posting cadence: 2-3 posts per week

  • Founder + co-founder thought leadership (LinkedIn personal posts cross-shared)
  • Industry/policy commentary (foster care reform, transitional housing data)
  • Board/partner announcements
  • Funding milestones
  • Hiring announcements (when staff comes on)

Specific moves:

  • Both founders post personally + tag the Foundation page
  • Build out the “Life” page with board photos
  • Use LinkedIn’s nonprofit benefits (free recruiting credits, etc.)

Email (lifeblood — even more than socials)

Goal: Direct line to your warmest supporters; conversion-focused

Setup needed:

  • Email service provider — recommend MailerLite (free up to 1,000 subscribers, nonprofit-friendly) or Beehiiv (free)
  • Welcome sequence (3 emails over 7 days for new subscribers)
  • Monthly “Foundation Update” newsletter
  • Event-specific blasts (Choir Versus announcements, donor drives)
  • Year-end giving campaign (November-December — accounts for 30% of annual giving in the average US nonprofit)

Newsletter sections (monthly format):

  • “From Sherryl” — 200-word founder voice
  • The Build — progress on Phase 1 (photos!)
  • By the Numbers — donations YTD, beds funded, youth on waitlist
  • Spotlight — donor, volunteer, or partner of the month
  • How to help — 3 specific calls to action
  • Calendar — upcoming events

📅 The First 90 Days — Tactical Plan

Week 1 (Launch Week)

  • ☐ Post all variants of launch announcement across platforms
  • ☐ Email blast to warm contacts (board, prior donors, advisors)
  • ☐ Update LinkedIn personal headers with “Founder, Rock Landing Foundation”
  • ☐ Add website URL to all social bios
  • ☐ Cross-post launch content across FB + IG + LI
  • ☐ Pin the launch post to top of each page
  • ☐ Ask 10 people personally to share the launch post (warm pull)

Week 2 (Foundation Setup)

  • ☐ Create Facebook Fundraiser feature draft
  • ☐ Set up Linktree or Beacons for Instagram bio (so multiple CTAs fit)
  • ☐ Create Facebook Event for Choir Versus
  • ☐ First “behind the scenes” post — board meeting or property visit
  • ☐ First educational post — “By the numbers: aging out in Virginia”
  • ☐ Sign up for email service provider (MailerLite/Beehiiv)
  • ☐ Embed newsletter signup form on website

Week 3-4 (Storytelling Begins)

  • ☐ First founder origin story (long form post on FB + LinkedIn)
  • ☐ Photo essay: “Inside the Phase 1 property”
  • ☐ First Reel/short video — Sherryl in front of property, 30 seconds: “This is where it begins”
  • ☐ Co-founder spotlight: Rolanda’s story
  • ☐ Cross-promote with any partner orgs that already have following

Month 2 (Building Audience)

  • ☐ Begin weekly “Foster Care Friday” series — one stat or story per week
  • ☐ Launch first Facebook fundraiser (even a $500 goal builds momentum)
  • ☐ First partner announcement (Truist, Meadow Hills, Habitat — whoever’s ready to be public)
  • ☐ Pitch local news (Roanoke Times, WDBJ7, WSLS10) — “New nonprofit launches in Botetourt”
  • ☐ Get on local podcast (community + faith + business)

Month 3 (Capacity Building)

  • ☐ Choir Versus event push — heavy promotion
  • ☐ First donor thank-you video
  • ☐ Recruit social media volunteer (every nonprofit needs one)
  • ☐ Begin building email list intentionally (lead magnet — “5 Ways You Can Help Right Now” downloadable)
  • ☐ Mid-year impact report email

🎨 Content Buckets (the rotation system)

Use these as your weekly content rotation to avoid running dry:

Day Bucket Example
Monday Mission Monday Mission statement + visual
Tuesday Teach Tuesday Stat or fact about aging out
Wednesday What We’re Building Phase progress or rendering
Thursday Thankful Thursday Donor/partner/volunteer spotlight
Friday Faith / Founder Friday Sherryl’s voice, faith reflection, founder note
Saturday Saturday Spotlight Featured board member, partner, or community member
Sunday Sunday Reflection Scripture, vision quote, week wrap-up

You don’t have to hit every day. But this gives a template Rolanda can fill in without inventing each post from scratch.

💰 Fundraising-Specific Strategy

Three giving paths to actively promote:

  • One-time gifts ($25-$5K range) — emotional moment driven

    • – Tactic: “Beds Drive” — visualize how many beds funded ($1K = ¼ bed, $4K = 1 bed, etc.)
    – Tactic: Birthday fundraisers on Facebook (donors host)
    – Tactic: Year-end appeal (Nov-Dec)

  • Monthly recurring ($25-$500/month) — lifeblood

    • – Brand it: “Founders Circle” or “Landing Pad Partners”
    – Tactic: Personal asks at $50/mo level (50 monthly donors = $30K/year predictable)
    – Tactic: Highlight monthly donors quarterly (with their permission)

  • Major gifts ($5K+) — relationship driven

    • – Tactic: Quarterly major-donor breakfasts at the property
    – Tactic: Named giving opportunities (“Underwrite a bed for one year — $48K”, “Sponsor the kitchen — $250K”)
    – Tactic: Direct outreach (NOT social) — emails, calls, lunches
    – Use the Vision page as the formal “deck” — it IS your pitch

    Stripe optimization (already done):

  • ✅ 6 one-time amounts ($25-$1K)
  • ✅ 6 monthly amounts ($25-$1K)
  • ✅ Custom amount

Coming next:

  • Apply for nonprofit Stripe rate (2.2% + $0.30 once 501c3 approved)
  • Add named giving levels to Donate page when ready
  • Create employer matching gift lookup (Double the Donation widget — free for small nonprofits)

🎬 Content Ideas Bank (50+ posts queued)

Story posts

  • “Why ‘Rock Landing’? The name’s origin story.”
  • Sherryl’s 16 years caring for veterans — the bridge to building this
  • Rolanda’s path from digital media to co-founding a nonprofit
  • The first time Sherryl saw the property
  • “Where do they go?” — the question that started it all
  • A day in the life of a kid aging out (statistics-as-story)
  • The board: who they are and why they said yes
  • The first donor: how it felt to get that first $25
  • Why we say “familyless” not “orphaned”
  • The story of getting zoning approval (the wins matter)

Educational/awareness posts

  • By the numbers: 23,000+ youth age out each year in the US
  • In Virginia alone: ~600 youth age out annually
  • Roanoke Valley: 5.4% of VA’s foster care population
  • Within 4 years of aging out: 50% experience homelessness
  • Without transitional support: 1 in 5 will be incarcerated
  • With transitional housing: 80% retain stable housing at 12 months
  • The “cliff”: what aging out actually looks like at midnight on their 18th birthday
  • Why ages 18-25 (the science of emerging adulthood)
  • The cost: society pays $300K/youth in social costs for those who fall through
  • The math: $4K funds one bed for one month at Rock Landing

Vision posts

  • Phase 1: the Troutville property (existing assisted living facility)
  • Phase 2: the youth campus (Quonset-style render)
  • Phase 3: the full community (village render)
  • Why three phases? Walking before running.
  • The 10 vocational tracks — culinary, construction, digital media, music, etc.
  • The working farm vision
  • The “stay-on” homes — multi-generational community
  • Why we chose Botetourt County
  • The land already zoned and waiting
  • Beyond 2030 — what success looks like

Choir Versus event posts

  • What is Choir Versus?
  • Why 20 choirs? The reach math
  • How a choir applies to compete
  • Why churches care about foster care
  • The first choir to sign on
  • Behind the deck: making the pitch
  • Save the date
  • Ticket presale
  • Choir spotlights (one per participating choir leading up to event)
  • The performance lineup

Ask posts (rotate sparingly — 20% rule)

  • Three ways you can help today
  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Become a Founders Circle member
  • Share with someone who cares about foster care
  • Pray for our breaking ground
  • Refer a youth (when intake opens)
  • Connect us with an employer partner
  • Year-end giving push
  • Matching gift week
  • Birthday fundraisers

Brand posts

  • Brand reveal (logo close-up)
  • “Three Chapters. One Community.” tagline post
  • The colors: forest green + gold + cream + why
  • The mission statement (visual treatment)
  • Mission carousel post (one tile per phase)

Behind-the-scenes

  • Office life (or kitchen-table life if no office)
  • The whiteboard at the planning meeting
  • Sherryl’s car ride from Troutville to the property
  • Rolanda working from Atlanta — long-distance co-founding
  • The board’s first dinner together

📊 Metrics That Actually Matter

Don’t chase:

  • ❌ Follower count alone
  • ❌ Likes (vanity metric)
  • ❌ Reach without conversion

Do track:

  • ✅ Email list growth (this is your owned audience — Meta can deplatform you)
  • ✅ Donation conversions (clicks → /donate/ → completed gifts)
  • ✅ Volunteer/partner inquiries through forms
  • ✅ Share rate (people who care enough to amplify)
  • ✅ Local news mentions
  • ✅ Time spent on Vision page (intent signal for major donors)
  • ✅ Email open rate (target >35% — higher than corporate average)

🛠️ Tools to Set Up (mostly free)

Tool Use Cost
MailerLite or Beehiiv Email newsletters Free up to 1K subs
Canva Social graphics (nonprofit account) Free Pro for 501c3
Google Analytics 4 Website behavior Free
Meta Business Suite FB+IG scheduling, insights Free
Buffer or Later Cross-platform scheduling Free tier 10 posts/mo, or $5/mo
Double the Donation Employer matching gift lookup Free for small nonprofits
Google for Nonprofits $10K/mo in Google Ads Free once 501c3 approved
TechSoup Discounted software Free verification, then discounts
Linktree or Beacons Instagram bio link consolidator Free

🎯 First 3 Specific Marketing Wins to Get After Launch

1. Google Ad Grants ($10K/month free)

Once your 501(c)(3) is approved, you qualify for $10,000/month in free Google Search Ads. This is a game-changer for nonprofits. Apply through Google for Nonprofits → TechSoup verification → Google Ad Grants application.

I can help you write the keyword strategy and ad copy when you’re ready.

2. Facebook Fundraiser feature

Once 501(c)(3) approved, Facebook removes processing fees on Foundation page fundraisers. Birthday fundraisers from supporters become huge. We should plan a “Birthday for the Foundation” campaign where supporters host birthday fundraisers throughout the year.

3. Local press push (do this NOW, doesn’t need 501c3)

Pitch a story to:

  • Roanoke Times — community/business desk
  • WDBJ7 (CBS local) — “Hometown” segment loves nonprofit launches
  • WSLS10 (NBC local)
  • Botetourt View community paper
  • Cardinal News (Roanoke nonprofit news)

Angle: “Local nonprofit launches digital home for youth aging out — building first transitional residential program in Roanoke Valley designed specifically for the 18-25 transition gap.”

I can draft the press release when you’re ready.

🚦 What to do FIRST when you’re back from lunch

In priority order:

  • Send me the FB + IG handles so I can audit what’s there
  • Decide which launch announcement variant goes first (Heart? Mission? Both?)
  • Decide your first three platforms to launch on (suggest: personal FB → Foundation FB page → Instagram → LinkedIn → email blast, in that order, spaced over 24 hrs)
  • Tell me which content from the 60-post bank you want to draft this week

We’ll batch-produce a week of content together so you and Rolanda have a queue ready, then I can teach Rolanda the system so she can keep it rolling.

Drafted by Lex for Sherryl Cephas — 2026-06-16
Living document — will evolve as we see what’s resonating