Hard VS Soft Launches for Fundraising Events

From the mind of Success Manager Netta Caligari The question I am answering today is what is the benefit of a soft versus hard launch. We see our clients utilize both strategies for their various initiatives, so there is really no one right way to do it – every institution has their reasons for choosing one way or the other. However, if you are still trying to decide which one might be right for you, let’s dive into the advantages of each for you to consider. First to clarify the terminology. When I say a soft launch, I am referring…

Getting Your Org on Board with Digital Fundraising

Set the Foundation When creating a new program within an organization, it is important to establish a core team of users and advocates, as well as market the new technology to internal constituents. Build Your Brand Whether you choose to give your platform a name or simply plan to add a “crowdfunding” section to your giving website, developing a brand that communicates excitement and empowerment to visitors is an important aspect of developing a platform that will have lasting value and interest to your university. For example, Oklahoma State University named their Community Funded platform “PhilanthroPete” naming the platform after…

Launch a Movement: Amplify Your Voice Through Your Network

[vc_row full_width="stretch_row_content_no_spaces" css=".vc_custom_1582060031069{margin-top: -50px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #2e2e2e !important;}"][vc_column width="1/4"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_btn title="Back to All Webinars" style="classic" color="white" align="center" i_icon_fontawesome="fa fa-arrow-left" add_icon="true" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.communityfunded.com%2Fwebinars%2F|title:Webinars||"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/4"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] Download the Recording Whether you have a fundraising team of 10 or you're a team of 1, there are many other voices that can lift up your mission and cause. The key is to identify the different tiers in your community and the ways that they can amplify your fundraising strategy. Join us as we walk through the different segments within your network and how they can contribute to your movement from outreach, incentives, participation, and…

Why Donors Give

It’s 2020, don’t you know why your donors give? Picture this: It’s 2018 and your fiscal year produced record totals for donors and dollars. Everyone in the office is absolutely stoked, spirits are high, and you decide to roll into 2019 with the same strategy. It worked once, it’ll work again, right? Fast forward: The year is now 2020, your donor and dollar numbers have been on a downward trend for months, your solicitation response rate is dwindling, and traffic to your online giving page is worse than ever. What happened? Why didn’t the trusty ol’ [insert generic plea for…

From One-Time to Lifetime: Keeping Year-End Donors Engaged

[vc_row full_width="stretch_row_content_no_spaces" css=".vc_custom_1580237104127{margin-top: -50px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #2e2e2e !important;}"][vc_column width="1/4"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_btn title="Back to All Webinars" style="classic" color="white" align="center" i_icon_fontawesome="fa fa-arrow-left" add_icon="true" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.communityfunded.com%2Fwebinars%2F|title:Webinars||"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/4"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] Watch the Webinar For many organizations year-end giving is an exiting time of year, bringing in a large number of new donors. Moving into the new year, the question becomes "how do we keep them around?".  Tune in to hear from JD Beebe about ways to steward donors that will result in increased retention rates and happier donors. Register for the webinar below:[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTVCZ3Jhdml0eWZvcm0lMjBpZCUzRCUyMjEyNiUyMiUyMHRpdGxlJTNEJTIyZmFsc2UlMjIlMjBkZXNjcmlwdGlvbiUzRCUyMnRydWUlMjIlNUQ=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="12398" alignment="center" style="vc_box_circle" css=".vc_custom_1578352244805{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}"][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/2"][vc_icon icon_fontawesome="fa fa-home" color="orange" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fthankview.com||target:%20_blank|"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner…

How to Level Up Your #GivingTuesday Stewardship

#GivingTuesday 2019 was a record-breaking year for philanthropy, continuing to gather traction world-wide. With online and offline giving combined, nearly $2 billion was donated on December 3rd, 2019. Online giving increased from $400 million in 2018 to $511 million this year. Online giving is clearly here to stay! Our clients saw a lot of success this year, with 30 organizations raising a total of over $4.6 million from 25,000+ donors. You can see all of our client pages here or check out the stars of the show here.   The first hurdle in fundraising is getting donors in the door, but…

Alumni Engagement: 5 Tips for Retaining Alumni Support

Alumni engagement is all about forming powerful connections that encourage former students to give back. Prior to graduation, they were on campus every day, creating memories to last a lifetime. However, now they’re scattered across the country, making it difficult to maintain those relationships. Alumni members are the heart of your school. Nothing equates to the support and connections they provide. Once that support is gone, it’s nearly impossible to get back.  Ideally, you want to engage alumni from the moment they graduate. Otherwise, their support may slowly fade, leaving you without the emotional and monetary support your school needs.…

The Horrors of Fundraising

Fundraising is a rewarding career, filled with purpose and a commitment to serve the greater good. However, there are many things in a fundraiser's daily life that are mildly horrific. Like hoping for a 2% response rate on fundraising emails... Or knowing that as a majority, hours of meticulous work writing, editing, formatting, and receiving approvals for a direct mail piece will ultimately end up like this... And you know the solution is online giving, but the budget for a platform keeps getting denied... But then it finally gets approved on year three and you start questioning your choices by…

UC Santa Cruz Case Study

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/2" css=".vc_custom_1547599926776{padding-right: 15px !important;}" offset="vc_hidden-xs"][vc_single_image image="11925" img_size="large"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]UC Santa Cruz hosted its 4th Giving Day on February 28, 2019. This event rallied the community around over 175 student, staff, and faculty projects. Learn how they empowered so many stories to grow the program year over year.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTVCZ3Jhdml0eWZvcm0lMjBpZCUzRCUyMjExMSUyMiUyMHRpdGxlJTNEJTIyZmFsc2UlMjIlMjBkZXNjcmlwdGlvbiUzRCUyMnRydWUlMjIlNUQ=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]

4 Ways to Stand Out and Convert Year-End Donors

Ahh the end of the calendar year. A time of changing colors, holiday cheer, and the pressure to make the most of the giving season and reach fundraising goals. While there are often many moving pieces and the potential for overwhelm, this is a great opportunity to try some creative approaches with your giving program. There is a lot of noise at the end of the year. Whether it’s due to tax considerations or that it just seems like the “right” time of year, 31% of annual gifts are made during the month of December. With this knowledge, organizations often…

Community Funded success team members

Digital Dilemmas: Ask an Expert

[vc_row full_width="stretch_row_content_no_spaces" css=".vc_custom_1571835057489{margin-top: -20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #2e2e2e !important;}"][vc_column width="1/4"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_btn title="Back to All Webinars" style="classic" color="white" align="center" i_icon_fontawesome="fa fa-arrow-left" add_icon="true" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.communityfunded.com%2Fwebinars%2F|title:Webinars||"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/4"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] This November, Community Funded hosted a special webinar featuring our incredible team of Success Managers. The team answered questions from our community and provided insighful information about launching a digital giving program, leveraging ambassadors, finding success with a small team, and much more. Download the Success Team Q&A Webinar[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTVCZ3Jhdml0eWZvcm0lMjBpZCUzRCUyMjEyMSUyMiUyMHRpdGxlJTNEJTIyZmFsc2UlMjIlMjBkZXNjcmlwdGlvbiUzRCUyMnRydWUlMjIlNUQ=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="11156" alignment="center" style="vc_box_circle" css=".vc_custom_1570479340624{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}"][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_icon icon_fontawesome="fa fa-home" color="orange" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fcommunityfunded.com||target:%20_blank|"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_icon icon_fontawesome="fa fa-linkedin-square" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fdaniellestella%2F|||"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_icon icon_fontawesome="fa fa-linkedin-square" color="juicy_pink" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Falexlstern%2F||target:%20_blank|"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_cta h2="Success Team: Danielle Evans,…

Southern California Annual Giving Forum

[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] The Evolution of Digital Philanthropy: The Story Marketplace   Join us on November 7th from 8:45 to noon for our first Southern California Annual Giving Forum, hosted by the team at Claremont McKenna College and Community Funded. During this 3-hour session, we will review the evolution of digital giving and discuss the future of this fast-paced giving channel (and provide a relaxed networking opportunity for Southern California annual giving pros!). Jenna Hurley, Community Funded’s new Marketing Associate, will speak about the growth and innovation that propelled UC Santa Cruz’s online giving into a model program during her years…