This high-end, resort-style CCRC in Austin, Texas, began as a plan and a promise for a world-class senior community in the Hill Country of Texas. The challenge—as with all nonprofit communities—was to secure the needed level of commitment by depositors to meet crucial covenant milestones to continue the funding process. Beginning with the blue-sky design phase, this funding and development program had to take place in the extremely competitive Austin market and move through to a successful grand opening and build ongoing occupancy.
Forté was in on the program from the beginning, and provided a continuous set of creative depositor engagement programs, including an Ambassador Program and Lunch and Learns with a high-touch element, designed to provide an enticing glimpse of the future Querencia lifestyle. At the same time, Forté provided a media relations campaign which tracked right along with each crucial step, from funding milestones, to groundbreaking, to grand opening, and ongoing media outreach which continues to present. The result was a hugely successful development and launch phase, with major publicity at each step—including a story in USA Today. Querencia is at 100 percent occupancy, with 50+ names on the waiting list.