How We Helped a Florida Nonprofit Triple Its Giving Day Goal

Rai Masuda • August 10, 2017
Big Dog Ranch Rescue, the largest no-kill shelter in Southeastern Florida, sought Achieve’s expertise in reaching their goal of raising $50,000 on the 24-hour online giving day, Great Give 2017.

Big Dog Ranch Rescue wanted to improve their results on single-day giving campaigns such as #GivingTuesday and the Great Give 2016. To create and implement a strategic approach to the Great Give 2017 and reach its goal, Big Dog Ranch Rescue sought the expertise and guidance of Achieve.

Achieve approached Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s Great Give goal with a multi-week, multichannel campaign leveraging email, social media, advanced donor cultivation, stewardship and more.

Prior to devising the Great Give campaign strategy and plan, the Achieve team undertook an initial in-depth analysis of Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s current digital landscape and recent fundraising performance to better understand the organization’s donor demographics, successful messaging and more.

Combining fundraising expertise with the results of the discovery phase, the Achieve team developed and executed an integrated multi-channel campaign for the Great Give 2017. Launching four weeks prior to the giving day, the campaign included weekly emails and social ads segmented by donor and audience, website graphics and pop-up messages, an advanced donor cultivation strategy for the Big Dog team, an ongoing stewardship plan and more.

The campaign theme, “Save 500 Last Day Dogs in 30 Days,” was based on Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s highest donor impact level, $100, which funds basic necessities for rescuing one dog in need. Throughout the campaign, the Achieve team tested concepts and monitored progress and donor engagement on an ongoing basis, making adjustments in real-time to ensure optimal response rates.

In all, the Great Give 2017 campaign was a resounding success for Big Dog Ranch Rescue. Thanks to advanced donor cultivation efforts, the organization raised 95% of the goal prior to the Great Give, totaling nearly $48,000 in donations and pledges. This amount was nearly $20,000 over the pre-Great Give benchmark goal of $29,000.

On the giving day, Big Dog Ranch Rescue brought in $84,898.17 in donations, pledges, prizes and in-kind awards – not including a $50,000 match by a generous donor. In all, the organization raised $182,580.97 from 584 donors for the Great Give 2017. In addition, Achieve succeeded in bringing 173 brand new donors to the organization, as well as converting 188 lapsed and non-donors into donors.

Campaign Highlights: 
  • Exceeded the $50,000 goal by more than three times (including donations, pledges, the match and an in-kind prize)
  • Raised nearly $175,000 more than Great Give 2016 and over $150,000 more than #GivingTuesday 2016
  • Acquired 173 new donors through Great Give campaign
  • Converted 188 lapsed donors to donors (145 LYBUNTs, 43 SYBUNTs)
  • 88% of pre-Great Give donations converted directly from email or Facebook/Instagram (68% from email; 20% from social)
Interested in building a movement with your supporters? 

About the Author
Rai Masuda

Whether your goals are awareness, engagement, or fundraising, Rai utilizes best practices in messaging, design and technology to move your audience to act. With over 10 years’ experience in leading marketing strategy and execution, he ensures that your constituents receive the right message at the right time. Rai’s multichannel approach to campaigns helps organizations develop a deeper understanding of what resonates, and more importantly, what doesn’t resonate with their audience.New Paragraph

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