Fundraising and Engagement Snapshot<\/h2>\n
![\"St.](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/SVDP-1024x466.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
- \n
- Number of campaigns on CauseVox: 11<\/li>\n
- Active CauseVox campaigns: 4<\/li>\n
- Total funds raised: $125,000<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
About St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Joseph County<\/h2>\n
\u201cThe St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Joseph County is an organization dedicated to serving those in need by providing food, clothing, financial assistance, and educational courses,\u201d Anne explained.<\/p>\n
Although their two standalone thrift stores closed over the past year, they\u2019re still dedicated to raising awareness and serving over 50,000 members of their community.<\/p>\n
In the 2018 fiscal year, the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Joseph County is focusing their development efforts on donor retention and new donor recruitment.<\/p>\n
Solutions To A Common Problem<\/h2>\n
Small budgets, limited resources, overworked staff: these are just some of the common problems nonprofits across the world face every day, and St. Vincent de Paul is in the same boat. \u201cWe lack resources, both capital and human, to get everything done that we want to get done in a day,\u201d Anne explained.<\/p>\n
Her solution to this problem is technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever platform we use, it has to be simple enough that our staff can create impactful campaigns in a short amount of time, and that our donors find it easy and convenient to use.\u201d<\/p>\n
After searching high and low, and trying a few different platforms out for size, Anne believes that in CauseVox, \u201cwe have found a winner!\u201d<\/p>\n
What Else Matters In A Platform?<\/h2>\n
In addition to needing a platform that\u2019s user-friendly for all parties, Anne was also eager to find a service that looked professional and blended in with the organization\u2019s main website but didn\u2019t cost an arm and a leg.<\/p>\n
The first online fundraising company she worked with didn\u2019t quite fit the bill, literally.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the platform worked for us, the cost was exponentially high,\u201d she explained. Anne knew she wanted to continue with peer-to-peer campaigns, but she couldn\u2019t justify the high costs. Finding an alternative platform was the next step, and she quickly found that CauseVox fit her budgetary needs. \u201cCauseVox has an easier to manage platform, was cheaper, and overall, a good fit for our needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over time, Anne discovered that, in using CauseVox, peer-to-peer wasn\u2019t her only online fundraising option. She found that Everyday Donation Pages were also a great tool to help capture donations all year long, even outside campaign windows. \u201cWe love the ability to create both campaigns and donation pages based on our needs,\u201d said Anne.<\/p>\n
Lessons Learned & Takeaways<\/h2>\n
Throughout the past three years, Anne and her team have learned the best ways to attract donors online. These are some of her favorite techniques, many of which are also online fundraising best practices.<\/p>\n
Using Impact Metrics<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201cOur donors really loved the impact metric we have started to use for #GivingTuesday. We measure our progress by the number of people served through the campaign. On average, a $34 donation can help one person. This has helped us to meet our goals for #GivingTuesday.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
Dollars don\u2019t tug at a donor\u2019s heartstrings, but impact does. Many nonprofits use impact metrics to help donors understand the true, human impact of their donation.<\/p>\n
Promoting Personalized Fundraising Pages<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201cWhen running peer-to-peer campaigns, it\u2019s really good when fundraisers personalize their pages and tell people why they are fundraising for our cause. This helps donors identify with the fundraisers more.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
Setting up a fundraising website takes a minute. From there, personal fundraisers can share their unique giving story to help encourage their friends and family to get involved in the cause.<\/p>\n
Social Sharing<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201cThe social sharing buttons have helped a lot in social media. It allows us to spread the word about our campaign and get others involved while still driving traffic to our fundraising sites.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
Every CauseVox fundraising page comes pre-set with social sharing options. With the click of a button, fundraisers share their campaign page on social media and through email. At the same time, donors can also share the campaign on their handles. This sort of exposure is what helps elevate campaigns exponentially.<\/p>\n
Elevating Year-End Efforts<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201c<\/strong>We incorporated #GivingTuesday into our year-end campaign. It\u2019s on the same day as an event we run for members of our organization, a Family Reunion, of sorts, and a great opportunity to talk to people face-to-face.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
St. Vincent de Paul Society\u2019s multi-pronged approach to year-end fundraising is definitely worth mentioning. In combining their traditional year-end campaign with #GivingTuesday, and a supporter appreciation event, the organization organically capitalizes on the excitement of the season. They also add multiple non-ask touchpoints throughout the season, particularly around Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n
The organization typically shuts down during the week between Christmas and New Years, arguably the busiest time for donations. However, Anne and her team have found that online fundraising gives them the freedom to be home for the holidays, and still watch the donations roll in.<\/p>\n
Easy Integrations<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201c<\/em><\/strong>We\u2019ve had success incorporating the CauseVox page on social media, email, and even our old-school communication. The integration is great and easy. \u201c<\/em><\/p>\n
Nonprofits use many avenues to communicate with supporters, but Anne found that CauseVox made integrating their old systems with the new ones easy.<\/p>\n
Future Fundraising<\/h2>\n
After seeing the phenomenal results of peer-to-peer fundraising firsthand, Anne and her 8-person team at the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Joseph County are \u201call-in\u201d on online fundraising.<\/p>\n