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Volunteers of America: Giving Tuesday

Volunteers of America

Project Description

#GivingTuesday is here to stay! Charity Dynamics helped the National Office of Volunteers of America get a head start on their Year End giving season by developing an integrated #GivingTuesday Campaign that leveraged social media, website and email to increase revenue year over year by 47%. Additionally, the organization’s National Office wanted to empower local Affiliates so Charity Dynamics created a #GivingTuesday Toolkit and social media assets that Affiliates could download and use in their own fundraising efforts.

Project Details

Client Volunteers of America 
Skills Strategy, Fundraising

VOA Challenge

Challenge

  • Volunteers of America wanted to do more than raise money. It also wanted to engage its supporters in its “ministry of service” as part of #GivingTuesday efforts.
  • The organization has 32 independent Affiliates, many of who have their own fundraising efforts. Volunteers of America wanted to empower those affiliates – especially those with limited staff or fundraising resources – to have their own successful #GivingTuesday.
  • VOA was evaluating its overall branding and messaging and was interested in learning how images would impact giving on their website

Approach

  • Charity Dynamics’ first email effort for VOA National audience, sent in advance of #GivingTuesday, featured an opportunity for recipients to send an email “Welcome” message to clients who would be visiting VOA’s Affiliate Offices on #GivingTuesday.
  • The Second email was all about giving, with targeted segmentation that recognized key segments, such as supporters who had sent a Welcome Message or those who had made a gift in previous Giving Tuesdays. VOA’s final email, sent the day after.
  • #GivingTuesday, closed the loop, thanking donors and giving those who hadn’t participated one last chance to give.
  • Charity Dynamics worked with National to develop a #GivingTuesday Toolkit with fundraising ideas for Affiliate Offices and prepared social media assets for their use.
  • VOA also used #GivingTuesday as an opportunity to start EOY light box image testing on its website, featuring one that depicting a vulnerable abandoned child in need of help and one that showed a happy child enjoying the holidays thanks to being helped by the organization.
VOA Approach
VOA Outcome

Outcome

  • Overall, National raised 47% more funds on #GivingTuesday than it had in the previous year. VOA’s email strategy paid off in a big way with 24% more gifts and a higher average gift leading to a 76% increase revenue over 2015.
  • VOA Affiliates had access to high quality marketing materials, ensuring that messaging throughout the organization was coordinated and true to the organization’s brand.
  • Finally, VOA gained valuable information that their supporters were more motivated by positive imagery that communicates donor impact.

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