"We’re a fully virtual story, but we’re really, really, really excited about continuing to use the platform for hybrid events and in-person events. We know the system can do it, and we’ve got the confidence that the system will be able to adapt. We’ll be able to replace all of the stuff we’ve done in the past with a system that we really have a lot of confidence in. What’s next is really exciting for us."
Products
Key Features
Instant Buys
Raffles
Donation
Ticketing
312
Administrative work hours saved
90x
ROI using GiveSmart
40,000+
Girls served since 1985
Virtual fundraising is now vital for any charity’s success. Today, accepting digital donations is the standard for nonprofits.
But why settle for the minimum?
In June 2020, Pace Center for Girls adopted GiveSmart as their fundraising management tool in response to the need for a digital fundraising solution that could work for their multi-chapter structure, scale as they grow, and deliver more than expected.
With 22 communities – and counting – Pace’s central office needed a solution that could work for local, central, and volunteer staff. The fundraising and events of each community vary, and the staff bandwidth is, in some cases, minimal. They were looking for a digital fundraising solution to serve their donors better and support their communities.
Challenge & Solution
Then came March of 2020, and with it an expedited need to find a technology that could fully support virtual fundraising.
Many communities had depended almost exclusively on fundraising events and hed been successful with them. And while Pace had success soliciting donations to bridge the gap caused by the cancellation and postponement of fundraising events, it became clear they needed a new solution and fast. Some donors truly prefer an event-style engagement opportunity.
Many of the options they were considering would have required multiple technologies to fundraise and stream, or to fundraise and communicate. With GiveSmart, they found that it “not only did the thing you wanted it to do”, but it was an easy-to-use solution. Fundraising, ticketing, auction, streaming, texting, emailing, and reporting can all be easily managed for each fundraising site from a single intuitive Backstage dashboard. And, with a highly customizable homepage, communication and promotion were simple and effective.
With a fully-featured fundraising solution, what else is possible?
| Pace Center for Girls | Compared to Avg. User | |
| Campaigns Ran* | 29 | +1443% |
| Dollars Raised* | $200,058 | +130% |
| Transaction Fees Covered* | $4,376 | +478% |
| Donors Registered* | 1,879 | +74% |
| Donations Received* | 442 | +591% |
*June ’20 – June ’21
Time is funding.
Pace Center for Girls was looking for a solution that would work best for virtual fundraisers and support their fundraising when returning to in-person events.
They found GiveSmart to be the best, and it paid off in ways they were not initially expecting.
Results
One place their staff found to be a huge time-saver was in the checkout process. With GiveSmart, you can run all transactions – auction payments, paddle raise pledges, raffle ticket purchases, and more – in one fell swoop.
The ability to settle all balances with the simple click of a button eliminated the headache(s) of having to track donors down and instead allows the organization to focus on cultivating donor relations. Text message communication before, during, and after an event is another feature that helps maintain supporter engagement. And with GiveSmart, text messages can be scheduled in advance, freeing up staff time for other tasks. Pace had multiple events on the same evening, and this feature allowed for fewerstaff to be hands-on with logistics.
Pace even hosted a few text-to-donate donation campaigns, in which they texted past donors with an ask to give again. It was so successful that they did it over and over!
Not only were the time savings an added benefit, but the opportunities those freed-up hours gave them to cultivate donors and strategize for additional, stronger fundraisers are priceless. In an industry with traditionally short staffing and staff wearing many hats, a tool that truly saves time is invaluable.
Benefits of virtual events
While the temporary loss of in-person events was a challenge, and virtual events cannot authentically replace every element, there are some benefits. The cost of events can be prohibitive and ultimately not worth the investment if the return is uncertain. Virtual event costs are much, much lower when venue, sit-down dinner, flowers, and other costs are not a factor.
The opportunity to expand your reach is another significant benefit of events with a virtual component. Guests are not limited by geography, travel plans, babysitter schedules, or calendar conflicts. Pace saw an increase in out-of-state donors and an influx of first-time donors. With the right strategy and future offerings, those donors can continue to give to and advocate for their mission.
At the ready
Nonprofits have very little room to take risks. New investments are scrutinized to protect donor dollars. Having robust technology already in place enabled Pace to try new campaigns and events.
GiveSmart subscribers get access to unlimited campaigns. So, if there is something your junior board wants to try, or you want to start up a mid-year text-to-donate campaign, you can.
Fundraising is constantly evolving. Not so long ago, peer-to-peer fundraising was reserved for select events. And now? Charities are finding lots of success with voting competitions and adding peer-to-peer elements to their galas.
With hybrid fundraising becoming the new standard and in-person events a tried-and-true revenue generator, there are steps all nonprofits should consider to stay relevant.
It’s all about contactless …
Contactless interactions are here to stay. Consumers prefer them. Your guests have limited time to spend at your event. Don’t make them spend it in line!
With GiveSmart, you can easily run a contactless check-in. From assigning bidder numbers, tables, and groups to seamlessly collecting payment information during pre-registration, your technology should evolve with the times, too.
And with batch charging, electronic invoices, contactless checkout, and auction item pickup, checkout is easy. Dynamic reporting allows your staff and volunteers to pack up items for the winner, making item pickup or drop-off easy.
A system that offered continuity was essential to Pace. How could they not only keep things going but also reach further?
The additional engagement methods that GiveSmart offered met that need. The system is highly configurable, easy to use, and easy to teach. Plus, the number of resources available and the responsive support center make campaign setup and execution easy and engaging. And, the reporting from every campaign is archived, so when it comes to planning, organizations have all of the historical data they need to strategize.
Pace knew they would be returning to live events. After their experience with GiveSmart, they quickly affirmed that this technology will be something they continue to use long-term because it makes fundraising much easier for staff, volunteers, and supporters.
The fundraising landscape will constantly be changing. The ability to manage multiple campaigns effectively and efficiently from anywhere, on any device, at any time is the wise choice to best prepare for whatever may come next.