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Advocates for Children
Challenge
Solution
Advocates for Children, a nonprofit dedicated to treating and preventing child abuse in all forms, holds one of its annual fundraising events each April during Child Abuse Awareness month. For April 2020, the Advocates for Children team planned a Gourmet Graze & Raise gala instead of their usual live auction with dinner. The Advocates for Children team worked for seven months to create a new event concept consisting of five local chefs competing for “Best Chef.” However, two weeks before the competition, the event had to be postponed due to COVID-19. Advocates for Children decided to move their in-person event to the fall and hold a virtual version of the Gourmet Graze and Raise on the original date. The team then needed a way to inform their sponsors and supporters who had already contributed and purchased over $10,000 in tickets of the event changes.
Renee Shields, Advocates for Children’s Development & Special Projects Associate, reached out to [GiveSmart] for advice on pivoting portions of the Gourmet Graze & Raise gala into a virtual event. Renee used all of the information already part of their fundraising campaign to quickly create an Event Page. Advocates for Children president and CEO Rachel L. Castillo then went on Facebook Live from her home during the originally scheduled date of the Gourmet Graze & Raise event. She displayed the Event Page on the television behind her and announced the winning chef and team, determined by the amount raised through peer-to-peer fundraising. Thanking the event committee and sponsors, Rachel also explained how Advocates for Children responded to COVID-19 and why they still urgently needed support. She asked viewers to use text-to-donate, sharing that all who did would be entered to win a giveaway from the participating local restaurants.
Impact
With the help of their [GiveSmart], Advocates for Children successfully transitioned part of their in-person fundraising event into a virtual one. Text-to-donate software made it easy for viewers to submit donations from wherever they were watching. Those who did not attend the live stream could still view a recording, as the video was directly uploaded to their Event Page. With shelter in place and children not at school, there was an increased risk for child abuse and the financial strain many families experience. Because of the virtual event, Advocates for Children could communicate with their donor base that they needed their support now. This also gave the team a chance to thank the event committee, sponsors, and local chefs that participated.
Advocates for Children, provides support and services to children who have been the victims of abuse or neglect. With an array of programs and services, Advocates for Children provides evidence driven, national and statewide programs that focus on working directly with young people and their families.
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Disclaimer: This case study originally featured a nonprofit that used MobileCause. MobileCause is now fully integrated into the GiveSmart platform. All mentions have been edited to reflect the new naming conventions.
The legacy feature set, staff assistance, and training continue to support thousands of nonprofits in raising billions of dollars. We invite you to check out GiveSmart Fundraise, Events, and Donor CRM today.