CASE STUDY
Schwarber’s Neighborhood Heroes
Overview
Schwarber’s Neighborhood Heroes (SNH) is a nonprofit founded by Major League Baseball player Kyle Schwarber to support first responders and their families through community-driven programs, recognition and fundraising. The organization’s work is rooted in gratitude, family and service, with an emphasis on celebrating those who go above and beyond in the communities they serve.
As the organization expanded its presence online, a clear audience gap emerged. SNH’s social media following skewed heavily toward parent-aged females, reflecting its strong engagement with first responder families and spouses.
Meanwhile, Kyle Schwarber’s personal social media channels were predominantly male, largely driven by his baseball fan base. Despite strong value alignment, there was limited crossover between these audiences. Bridging this gap presented two meaningful opportunities: 1) Expand awareness of Kyle’s philanthropic work and attract a new group of engaged donors, and 2) Create a sustainable online fundraiser that supplements SNH’s signature Block Party event.
To address these challenges, Earned Impression worked alongside the sports philanthropy experts at Firefly Athlete to create and launch the Schwarbomb Squad.
The initiative was designed as a bridge between Kyle Schwarber’s on-field performance and his off-field impact by introducing Philadelphia Phillies fans to SNH in a way that felt authentic, timely and connected to moments they already cared about. At the same time, the campaign aimed to intentionally rebalance SNH’s audience composition to better reflect his baseball fans and philanthropic supporters.
Strategy
At the center of the strategy was the Schwarbomb Squad, a season-long fundraising initiative built around Kyle Schwarber’s legendary towering home runs. Fans who donate $25 or more become eligible for exclusive prizes each time Kyle hits a home run – a “Schwarbomb” – throughout the season. By linking charitable action to these high-energy moments, the initiative converts fan enthusiasm into measurable support for SNH.
The structure keeps fans engaged all year while creating built-in promotional opportunities across game broadcasts, social media highlights and real-time coverage. Participants have the chance to receive game-used and autographed memorabilia, exclusive gear promoting SNH and other special rewards, reinforcing both the thrill of the moment and the mission behind it.
In addition to launching the Schwarbomb Squad, Earned Impression supported SNH’s broader communications, recognition and fundraising infrastructure. This includes drafting the launch strategy for the organization’s largest annual fundraiser – Schwarber’s Block Party. The campaign was executed through a press release and supporting PR plan, local media partnerships, social media content, media game notes, broadcast scripts and giveaways.
Earned Impression provided backend support for SNH programs as well, including drafting of sweepstakes rules, defining award nomination criteria and digital tools for promotional support.
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Results
Over the course of its first two years, the Schwarbomb Squad successfully expanded SNH’s reach, diversified its audience and drove measurable fundraising results. This confirms the effectiveness of the campaign as a bridge between Kyle Schwarber’s personal fan base and the organization’s mission.
On Instagram, SNH’s following has grown from 2,516 in 2024 to 10,455 and counting. During that same period, the audience has shifted from 60.1 percent female and 39.9 percent male to 53.5 percent female and 46.5 percent male, now slightly over-indexed toward male followers in comparison to U.S. platform averages. Facebook experienced significant growth as well, expanding from 171 followers to 4,940 while the audience composition shifted from 63.3 percent female and 36.7 percent male to 53.8 percent female and 46.2 percent male, closely aligning with national benchmarks.
The campaign also attracted a following that reflects national donor trends. On Instagram, the percentage of followers aged 45 to 65 and older increased from 27.2 percent to 36.7 percent. On Facebook, that same age group grew from 55.7 percent to 72.3 percent. This shift represents a move toward the average U.S. donor age of 64, according to the National Philanthropic Trust.
From a fundraising perspective, the Schwarbomb Squad generated $9,000 from 212 donors in its first year. In 2025, the initiative raised $14,385 through 161 donations. Beyond the dollars raised, the campaign succeeded in integrating Kyle Schwarber’s personal fan base into SNH’s broader community, creating a more balanced and sustainable audience for future engagement and fundraising efforts.
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