The Challenge
Before working with Soulheart, Mercy Chefs had been running Google Ads through another agency, but the results were underwhelming. The campaigns were inconsistent and failed to deliver the kind of donor engagement their mission deserved.
Mercy Chefs exists to serve hot, chef-quality, and nutritious meals to first responders, survivors, and underserved communities in crisis. These are not just basic sandwiches in a paper bag. They are professionally prepared meals served with dignity. Yet their advertising efforts were not bringing in the level of donations they knew was possible to expand their reach and impact.
What they needed was a focused, strategic approach that connected them with people searching for ways to help and inspired action with clear, compelling messaging.
Our Approach
To turn Mercy Chefs’ underperforming ads into a high-impact campaign, we built a brand-new strategy inside their existing account. The goal was to connect with high-intent donors through precise targeting and conversion-focused messaging.
Here’s how we did it:
Built a fresh campaign structure within their existing Google Ads account
Conducted competitor analysis to identify what was working for others in their space
Focused on high-intent keywords aligned with donor intent
Wrote responsive search ads with headlines and descriptions optimized for conversions
Monitored and adjusted the budget daily to maximize efficiency
Added negative keywords to eliminate wasteful clicks and preserve budget
We achieved these results without making any changes to the landing pages, which left additional room for future improvement and even greater ROI.
This disciplined, data-driven approach allowed us to reach the right people at the right time and inspire them to take meaningful action.
The Transformation
In less than two weeks, Mercy Chefs experienced a dramatic improvement in their advertising results. The new Google Ads campaign brought thousands of new visitors to their website, raised more money than any of their previous campaigns, and generated a single $100,000 donation with a 133 times return on investment.
That donation alone allowed Mercy Chefs to serve many more people in crisis with the chef-quality meals they are known for. Their team was thrilled, saying, “I 100% believe we would not have been found had it not been for the search ads Soulheart created for us. So thank you very much.”
The Results
The new Google Ads strategy delivered immediate and measurable impact. In just under two weeks, the campaign generated a single $100,000 donation when Pat McAfee discovered the ad and decided to contribute live during a college football broadcast.
Even without that extraordinary gift, the campaign was already outperforming Mercy Chefs’ previous advertising efforts. It raised more funds overall, drove significantly more traffic to the website, and introduced thousands of new people to their mission.
This strategy not only paid for itself many times over but also set a new benchmark for what Mercy Chefs could achieve with a focused, data-driven approach to digital advertising.
"I 100% believe we would not have been found had it not been for the search ads Soulheart created for us. So thank you very much."
Amber
Mercy Chefs
What's Next
The success of this campaign proved just how powerful a focused, high-intent strategy can be for Mercy Chefs. Building on that momentum, we continue to partner with their team to run targeted campaigns whenever they respond to natural disasters, ensuring their mission reaches as many people as possible at the exact moment help is needed.
Looking ahead, we’ve recommended establishing always-on awareness campaigns to keep Mercy Chefs top of mind for potential donors year-round. This ongoing visibility would expand their reach, grow retargeting audiences, and position them to secure even more high-value contributions in the future.
We’re also exploring opportunities to strengthen their digital foundation through improved website conversion tracking. With better data, Mercy Chefs will gain clearer insight into donor behavior, enabling smarter decisions and more impactful campaigns moving forward.
Together, we’re laying the groundwork for even greater growth and deeper impact in the years to come.
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(2013-25©)
