Nonprofit case studies

BC SPCA | 2012 Year End Giving

Revenue up 935% & donor engagement increased by 1,940%

BC SPCA’s year-end e-appeals “give them a second chance”  have been flat for the past 2 years (2010-2011). They  were convinced  they hadn’t  realized their  full potential, and  decided to try a different approach for their 2012 year-end campaign.

BC SPCA needed a simple and powerful way to increase their revenue. 

“While we have a very successful online donation program it’s built on supporters coming to us rather than us actively reaching out and engaging them.  I wanted to allow us to engage our donors in a more dynamic way and contributing in ways beyond simply donating. We wanted supporters taking more active roles in building the campaign” said Shoni Field, the BCSPA’s direct response specialist.

The Solution

For the 2012 December campaign, give2gether enabled supporters to give individual gifts and fundraise. Constituents spread the campaign socially, involving their family, friends and all their social connections. Campaign participants:

• Sent emails to their email contact list asking for support 
• Inspired their social network
• Instantly tracked their social impact and fundraising progress

BC SPCA sent the same number and frequency of emails as in the prior 2 years; however the results for 2012 were very different.

“Our Give Them a Second Chance Holiday Campaign succeeded beyond our wildest expectations. Our first goal was doubling what our best e-appeal had raised so I thought it was ambitious; we passed it in 6 days and set a new target!” says Field. “What’s even more encouraging is that I can see how we can build on what we learned about engagement in our first campaign with give2gether, and do even better in our next campaigns.

What professional fundraisers like Shoni understand instinctively is that their constituents can inspire others to simply raise a lot more money.

About BC SPCA

Shoni Field, BCSPA’s direct response specialist http://www.facebook.com/shoni.field

The BC SPCA protects and enhances the quality of life for domestic, farm and wild animals in British Columbia. They are one of Charity Intelligence Canada’s top charities for 2012. Charity Intelligence Canada named only 45 charities and only two animal welfare organizations for their 2012 picks.

Brandeis University Wins the 2010 CASE Silver Award

Brandeis University received a Silver Award in the 2010 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards Program in the category of Technology Applications and Creative Use of New Media. The award was based on Brandeis' successful online fundraising campaigns using give2gether's platform.    

CASE awards recognize outstanding work in the areas of fundraising, alumni relations, communications, and marketing. A total of 2,700 entries were submitted in this year’s contest.

The Solution

The two-part Brandeis fundraising initiative employed social media and give2gether's online technology to engage alumni and empower them to solicit their fellow graduates.

• The first segment of the campaign relied on a brief, light-hearted video featuring the school mascot, Ollie the Owl, in "A Day in the Life of Ollie the Brandeis Student”. The video featured familiar campus individuals and places as Ollie reluctantly rolls out of bed, attends a lecture, gobbles down a pizza, receives a parking ticket, and falls asleep in the library.
• The Campaign’s second segment, the Alumni Video Challenge, asked alumni to submit videos telling fellow alumni about their unique Brandeis story. Through words, images, humor, and music, the videos were designed to remind alumni of their days as Brandeis students. Winners were selected in three categories: best overall video (selected by alumni in the entertainment/marketing world); most popular (based on views); and best fundraisers (based on money raised and number of donors).

“This award speaks to our department’s willingness to embrace new technology and social media to engage alumni and friends,” said Nancy Winship, P ’10, P ’12, senior vice president of institutional advancement. “While viral marketing will never replace face-to-face visits, direct mail, and phone solicitation, it has become a valuable part of our fundraising enterprise, particularly concerning engagement with our younger alumni.”