"Although our team was hesitant to sign up with GiveSmart, because it was something new and different, we’re glad we did. The platform proved to be dynamic, user-friendly and will take your event to the next level."
Products
Key Features
mobile and online giving tools
text-to-donate
live event thermometer
peer-to-peer fundraising
Facebook Live
$190,000
total raised
$14,000
raised via text-to-donate
+30%
over goal in peer-to-peer fundraising
Black Tie & Boxing is an annual fundraising event consisting of a cocktail hour and formal dinner alongside a series of live, sanctioned kickboxing/MMA-style matches. As a West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation fund, proceeds from the Black Tie & Boxing event go towards the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Year over year, the event proved successful, but the Black Tie & Boxing team knew it had the potential to reach more members of their community and raise more for Type 1 Diabetes.
Challenge & Solution
Black Tie & Boxing partnered with GiveSmart to incorporate mobile and online giving tools, including text-to-donate, a live event thermometer, peer-to-peer fundraising, and Facebook Live. The Black Tie team launched a Fight Club-themed peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, inviting fighters in the community to sign up and train for the event. Fighters shared their peer-to-peer fundraising page with family and friends and even attended a pre-event weigh-in at a local brewpub.
In addition, text-to-donate instruction cards were placed on all the tables and general admission seats at the event, while Black Tie displayed a live event thermometer on-screen next to speakers. This made it easier for attendees to submit donations in any amount without cash or check. The sold-out event was also broadcast via Facebook Live to include supporters who could not attend.
Results
After incorporating GiveSmart’s mobile, online, and live-event fundraising tools into the Black Tie & Boxing gala, year-over-year revenue increased substantially, and they raised over $190,000. With peer-to-peer fundraising, fighters shared the event to help sell out the event. The addition of text-to-donate and a live event thermometer doubled donations compared to previous years. The extra revenue generated using the platform and tools allows the Black Tie team to advertise more widely in the coming years. By partnering with GiveSmart, Black Tie & Boxing attracted new supporters and event attendees (both on and offline) and raised significantly more year-over-year.