the 20 most innovative giving days
DESCRIPTION
EverTrue presents the most innovative giving day campaigns conducted by academic institutions from 2013 to 2014.TRANSCRIPT
via Flickr Creative Commons
WHY A GIVING DAY? From small independent preps to higher ed institutions, schools across the country have caught on to the
giving day craze like never before…
And for good reason.
These powerful fundraising
marathons – usually 24 hours long – have become a fun way to rally alumni and donors for quick, yet
impressive, results.
via Flickr Creative Commons
via Flickr Creative Commons *Schools alphabetized by name.
Riding on the ever-popular #GivingTuesday trend, Antioch College celebrated the holiday with a fundraising game of their own. After making a gift, donors could vote for one of nine projects headed by student groups and college departments. The winning project, Diversity Training and Resources, was awarded $5,000 in
funding.
Antioch College
#GivingTuesday 2013
$25,575 in
24 hours via Wikimedia Commonsvia Wikimedia Commonsvia Antioch College
– Maureen Devine-Ahl, Senior Director of Advancement at Antioch College
“
via Wikimedia Commons
ASU’s second-annual Mark It Day revolved around a strong online and social strategy that made use of campus celebrity and mascot “Markie the Sunspot.” Whenever alums donated, they would add a Markie pin at their locations on an interactive map – a simple yet fun incentive that madealumni excited to give. And Markie, of course, made his rounds on campus to
take some glamor shots with students!
Arizona State University
Mark It Day 2014
$3 million in
48 hours via markitday.asu.edu
A well-designed and superbly executed social media campaign, BU Giving Day aimed to engage alumni online with the tagline, “What can you do in a day?” By providing alums with a collection of sample tweets, Facebook posts, cover photos, profile pictures, and Instagram photos related to #BUGivingDay, BU made it almost effortless for Terriers to
spread the word.
Boston University
Giving Day 2014
$1 million in
24 hours
via Wikimedia Commons via Wikimedia Commons
Although the official window for giving lasted for 24 hours, Bowdoin didn’t limit its outreach to the day of the event. The school kicked everything off with a five-day photo challenge leading up to the special day, leaving alumni to create the social media buzz: using the hashtag #BowdoinOneDay, alumni posted photos of their favorite Bowdoin
memories for a chance to win prizes.
Bowdoin College
BowdoinOne Day 2014
$272,000 in
24 hours
via Wikimedia Commons via Wikimedia Commons
This wildly successful campaign was broadcast live on air and online through WCRU, Colgate’s student-run radio station (a favorite among alums). The programming featured famous alumni like Red Sox announcer Joe Castiglione and Green Bay Packers President Mark Murphy.
Colgate University Colgate Day 2013
$5.1 million in
24 hours via Colgate University
– Murray Decock, Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Colgate University
“
via Wikimedia Commons
This acclaimed campaign was the highest-grossing 24-hour campaign by a higher ed institution – but not without a stellar online strategy. With livestream events about global issues, a creative social media push, and matching fund games and prizes, Columbia Giving Day inspired unprecedented support from alumni and donors.
Columbia University
Giving Day 2013
$7.8 million in
24 hours
via Wikimedia Commons
Georgetown turned giving into a game for this 27-hour online campaign, pitting seven different cities against each other to see which alumni group could raise the most. A vibrant website and steady social media buzz kept the challenge engaging and exciting. The winner? Chicago, with 37.41% of the city’s alumni donating.
Georgetown University
City Challenge 2013
$529,000 in
27 hours
via Kimbia.com
This outstanding one-day social media campaign pitted Hobart College against William Smith College in an arcade-style online boxing match, complete with an e-prize pack for alums of the winning college. It was an epic battle, but in the end, William Smith seized the victory with a whopping 1,235 entries!
Hobart and William Smith Colleges Quake on the Lake 2013
2,005 gifts in
24 hours
via Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Houghton College’s One Day Giving Campaign was rooted in a strong, unified message that spoke to Houghton’s alumni: “We Are All Houghton.” Through social media, the college owned the hashtag #onehoughton, posting photos of students listing their future ambitions on whiteboards and thanking donors. Plus: there’s an excellent campaign video
that brought it all together.
Houghton CollegeOne Day Giving Campaign 2014
$746,304 in
24 hours via Houghton College Facebook
How did K-12 prep McDonogh School increase young alum participation from 15% to 20% in one day? Simple: social media. McDonogh knew exactly what would resonate with alumni on Eagle Day and used amazing content like videos (featuring beloved teachers), photos, and statistics to spread the message. There were also cool prizes
for sharing the content and giving!
McDonogh School
Eagle Day 2013
$6,845 in
24 hours
via Wikimedia Commons via McDonogh School Alumni Facebook
– Katie Blaha, Alumni and Special Events Coordinator at McDonogh School
“
via McDonogh School
It was no accident that this Dedham, MA prep school increased its alumni participation rate from 22% to 34% in just one day. Nobles Rally Day was an epic effort, complete with 3 videos spoofing SportsCenter commercials, a social media takeover, and a phonathon. The school also organized on-campus activities, including a dress-down day, mascot
photoshoot, a countdown board, challenges, and prizes galore.
Noble & Greenough School
Rally Day 2014
$136,512 in
24 hours
via Noble & Greenough School
– Greg Croak, Director of Graduate Affairs at Noble & Greenough School
“
via Noble & Greenough School
“Opportunity Granted” was the theme of Purdue’s 24-hour online giving day, which truly accomplished what it set out to do. University groups competed for the highest participation; the Class of 1967 was able to raise the most money, but it was the Class of 2013 that made the most gifts. The day also featured a campus BBQ and a special livestream of
university-wide initiative Purdue Moves.
Purdue University
Day of Giving 2014
$7.5 million in
24 hours
via Kimbia.com via Wikimedia Commons
– Amy Noah, Vice President for Development at Purdue University
“
via Wikimedia Commons
The original goal was to get at least 1,001 donors in order to secure a $100k challenge grant, but just three hours in, that goal was met. So SCU raised the stakes and posed a second $100k challenge! The team leveraged email and social media throughout the day with the key strategy of encouraging alums to give to the university programs
they were most passionate about.
Santa Clara University
All In For SCU 2014
$795,785 in
24 hours
via Wikimedia Commons via Wikimedia Commons
– Mike Wallace, Associate Vice President for Development at Santa Clara University
“
via Wikimedia Commons
A 24-hour campaign with (an extra) charitable twist, “Thanks 4 Giving” gave Susquehanna constituents an opportunity to not only donate to the university but to also cast a vote for an organization – Habitat for Humanity, Hurricane Relief, or Snyder County Food Pantries – with each gift. In the end, all three charities got enough votes for
project funding from the university.
Susquehanna University
Thanks 4 Giving Day 2013
$470,673 in
24 hours
via Wikimedia Commons
The power of 24: In this original campaign, UE asked alumni to make a gift of $24 and then ask 24 friends to also make a gift, all within the span of 24 hours. The campaign was played out entirely online and ended up being a big hit – UE was able to raise thousands of dollars for student scholarships.
University of Evansville
UEGive:24 2014
$6,361 in
24 hours via Wikimedia Commons via Wikimedia Commons
The first ever Notre Dame Day, a global celebration of the university’s mission, featured an incredible 29-hour live webcast with interviews, performances, challenges, and other activities meant to bolster school spirit and encourage donations. It worked: Notre Dame Day was a resounding success with 20,000 broadcast viewers!
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame Day 2014
$900,000 in
29 hours
via Wikimedia Commons
Carolina set out to raise one dollar for every undergraduate student on campus – a total of $31,288 – in their second annual Cocky’s Countdown campaign. With a fun three-part video series featuring its beloved mascot Cocky, the university had no trouble meeting (and exceeding) that goal. The videos put a playful spin on why alums should give in
about a minute each.
University of South Carolina
Cocky’s Countdown 2013
$34,560 in
36 hours
via Zimbio.com
Talk about star power — UT’s super-charged #BigOrangeGive campaign sent daily video endorsements from UT celebs like Peyton Manning, Dolly Parton, and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. Combining that with a great social media effort, UT hit the jackpot, doubling its goal of $125k.
University of Tennessee,
Knoxville
Big Orange Give 2013
$250,105 in
125 hours via University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Thanks to amazing planning, W&L Give Day exceeded expectations. With the campus decked out in Give Day gear, the festivities included an ice cream party, a student band, and a “Giving Suite” where faculty, staff, and coaches answered phones and took donations. And we can’t forget the social media: #WLUGiveDay took off on Facebook and Twitter, engaging alums with
creative photo and video content.
Washington & Lee University
Give Day 2014
$1.4 million in
24 hours
via W&L Alumni Twitter
– Skylar Beaver, Director of Annual Giving at Washington and Lee University
“
via W&L University
A daylong giving challenge that brought in a record-breaking number of gifts, “One Tribe One Day” activated the entire W&M community in support of giving. The day of fun included a campus carnival for current undergrads, a Senior Class Gift Picnic, and alumni parties in eight cities across the US and London (with prizes for attending!).
College of William & Mary
One Tribe One Day 2014
$150,000 in
24 hours
via Kimbia.com via William & Mary
About EverTrue
EverTrue is the world’s leading Social Donor Management platform. Since 2010, EverTrue has been on a mission to build relationships in pursuit of a better world. Today, more than 200 nonprofit institutions use EverTrue’s software, services, and support to develop better data, deeper relationships, and richer insights on their donors. EverTrue’s Social Donor Management software – the first of its kind – includes middle-of-the-pyramid donor identification, prospect prioritization based on capacity and propensity, industry and affinity insights through social media integration, and powerful reporting and analytics all in one platform. EverTrue is headquartered in Boston, MA and is a Bain Capital-backed company.
About EverTrue
EverTrue is the world’s leading Social Donor Management platform. Since 2010, EverTrue has been on a mission to build relationships in pursuit of a better world. Today, more than 200 nonprofit institutions use EverTrue’s software, services, and support to develop better data, deeper relationships, and richer insights on their donors. EverTrue’s Social Donor Management software – the first of its kind – includes middle-of-the-pyramid donor identification, prospect prioritization based on capacity and propensity, industry and affinity insights through social media integration, and powerful reporting and analytics all in one platform. EverTrue is headquartered in Boston, MA and is a Bain Capital-backed company.