A/B testing is a reliable strategy for nonprofits but requires time and resources to do it right. We’re here to lay out exactly what goes into the A/B testing process to help your team prepare and budget accordingly. 

The Impact of A/B Testing Your Donation Experience

A common practice to inform the user experience, A/B testing identifies areas for improvement. At Classy, we run these tests often to inform our product innovation and help our nonprofit community optimize donation experiences.

When might a nonprofit complete an A/B test?

Nonprofit organizations may conduct an A/B test to:

• Identify optimization opportunities on donation websites or forms (like colors, buttons, fonts, branding, form fields, etc.).
• Evaluate the conversion rate of embedded versus standard donation forms. 
• Understand donors’ demographics and behaviors better.
• Increase specific campaign goals (like recurring giving revenue).
• Reduce friction in the checkout process (like removing particular contact information requirements).
• Evaluate campaign copy and creative elements to discover which resonates with donors the most.

Other Testing Methods

Sometimes, an A/B test isn’t the best fit, especially when you want to control variables like seasonality. A great example of this is one of the tests we ran at Classy on our embedded donation forms. 

An embedded donation form is a streamlined experience typically deployed as a primary website donation option. Visitors can access the form through a “Donate” call to action (CTA) in the nonprofit’s site header or the primary CTA in the body of the nonprofit’s site. 

Recently, we tested this use case to determine how traffic from more than 500 organizations’ websites fluctuates over nine months when using an embedded form compared to a standard donation form. We examined more than 500,000 unique sessions and compared the conversion performance to a standard donation from the same period in the prior year. 

Here’s a peek at the findings:

• The median conversion lift was three points with embedded donation experiences, which increased to 4.3 points on mobile.
• The revenue per visitor was 29% higher on embedded donation experiences. 

Our industry-wide and organization-specific research helps nonprofits make informed decisions about donation experiences. Then, when it’s appropriate to A/B test, we do plenty of that as well to offer insights into what resonates with donors in the space today. 

7 Things to Know Before You A/B Test Your Campaign

A/B testing can feel like a daunting process with several nuances. That’s why we outlined a few steps to guide your decisions and map out the best path forward.

1. Get Clarity Around Numbers to Set Yourself Up for Success

A clearly defined goal and hypothesis for the test you want to perform is where you want to start. There are several different metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that an A/B test can support. 

Determine your main priority, whether increasing conversion rate, total revenue, revenue per visitor, or any other specific metric that will increase revenue for your nonprofit organization. At Classy, we monitor all these KPIs and more. We often focus on increasing the revenue that each visitor brings into a donation form, which is a holistic metric that considers the conversion rate and donation size. 

Once you have clarity around your goals and the measurement of success, identify your statistical significance level of comfortability to base your decisions. 

Just remember that testing can have challenges, and you may need to test a few times to ensure you can rely on the results. Our team recommends achieving 95% statistical significance before taking the next steps to ensure the results are as accurate and representative as possible.

2. Test Specific Variables First

The variables you test matter, and you want to focus on avoiding testing too many variables simultaneously. For example, if you test the design of a donation experience, adding new fonts and spacing can distort your results and make it harder to know what genuinely drives the increase or decrease in performance.

The only thing that should change between the experiences you test is the test variable. That means keeping things like the logo, title, copy, font, and spacing the same if you want to see the impact of only changing the design. On that note, you want to prevent other A/B tests from running on your website that could interfere with your test results.

3. Consider the Sample Size

The sample size of your audience needs to be large enough to reach statistical significance to achieve reliable results. After all, a test of 15 people doesn’t represent a potential donor base of thousands. A more extensive group representing various thought patterns and scenarios will decrease the probability of randomness and increase your chances of accuracy. 

Additionally, the more sessions a site receives, the faster the A/B test can achieve statistically significant results and reliable insights. That means aiming for as much representation as possible from your testing audience in any scenario. It may take some time, but the bigger, the better.

A general rule is: for a highly reliable test, you need a minimum of 30,000 visitors and 3,000 conversions per variant. If you follow this guideline, you’ll generally achieve enough traffic and conversions to derive statistically significant results at a high level of confidence.¹

4. Produce More Accurate Results With Real-World Conditions

A/B tests should recreate your nonprofit website’s typical traffic patterns and conditions. Think about how much traffic your nonprofit website typically gets over a week and use that number to determine how long you’ll need to run a test to reach statistical significance. 

A minimum of two weeks is a general baseline to account for natural fluctuations. If you don’t see increased traffic daily, the test may need more time to ensure you capture everything accurately. 

5. Invest in a Trusted Testing Program

Several programs can assist with A/B testing. The most popular tool, Google Optimize, is free but will sunset on September 30, 2023. In its place, nonprofits can consider a paid subscription to another tool like Optimizely or Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF. 

These tools offer comprehensive functionality to assist you in launching, monitoring, and analyzing your test. However, it’s imperative to note that a number of resources, rigorous monitoring, and in-depth analyses are typically necessary to harness the potential of A/B testing tools fully. 

Classy makes it easy to duplicate a current donation website and make small tweaks without any back-end coding work. You can then A/B test each campaign URL against the other in your testing platform. We recommend doing a 50/50 split of traffic.

6. Test for Long-Term Data Trends to Capture the Full Picture

Your A/B test can provide insights into a specific change at a particular time. That means you may have to run a series of tests to see trends over time as you begin to think about the bigger picture of your data.

Classy’s product roadmap and path of innovation center on insights from several donation experiences throughout various seasons. We conduct our A/B testing this way for nonprofits to get the full picture and confidently use our findings to inform decision-making.

7. Consider How Each Test Will Impact Your Bottom Line

By now, you understand how much goes into a single A/B test. Naturally, you want to see a return on your cost and time investment, so consider the impact these experiments could have on your bottom line. 

Investing in a fundraising platform that conducts behind-the-scenes testing to ensure it offers the best tools and campaign experiences in the industry could save your staff (and finance team) from extra work or hardship. At Classy, we know these insights are valuable, so we take care of them for you.

When we tested embedded donation forms against standard donation forms on Classy, we saw nonprofits convert donors at a rate of 2x the industry standard. This is one example of the insights that drive our platform and inform the recommendations and coaching advice Classy customers can benefit from as they shape their fundraising strategies. 

When we saw the impact of embedded donation forms through our testing, the conversion results inspired many nonprofits to sign up to experience the impact. 

For example:

• Many Hopes saw a 56% improvement in donations year over year. 
• V Foundation increased conversion by 13 points.
• Feeding San Diego saw a 44% conversion rate.

Find a Fundraising Platform You Can Trust

An A/B test is a valuable tool for your nonprofit to make confident decisions. However, it’s also a costly and time-consuming process that can cause extra work or hardship when doing it alone. That’s where Classy comes in. 

At Classy, we’re committed to testing our products before and after they’re available to customers to ensure each product meets the demands of the sector in the most efficient and effective ways. Additionally, we aim to provide every nonprofit using Classy with the confidence to know every product in our fundraising suite undergoes rigorous testing to the fullest extent, then modified around the results to satisfy donor and nonprofit expectations.

We look forward to continuing to experiment with A/B testing across our platform as we gain more insight into what today’s donors resonate with and what drives them to take action in support of incredible missions like yours.

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien

Article Source

1. “How to Correctly Calculate Sample Size in A/B Testing,” Guess the Test, last modified December 2021, https://guessthetest.com/calculating-sample-size-in-a-b-testing-everything-you-need-to-know.

Classy’s annual Why America Gives report found that one of the top reasons donors reconsider making a gift is because their preferred payment method isn’t available. This is a great indicator of the benefits nonprofits can see when leaning into user-friendly fundraising efforts in the age of social media and QR codes.

Additional data from Why America Gives shows us the social proof:

• The most popular digital wallet payments among U.S. donors are PayPal and Venmo. 
• The flexibility to choose an online donation payment method (e.g., Venmo, PayPal, and credit or debit cards) is a top factor for 35% of donors to return to donate again. 

Classy customers continue to see impressive results when bringing Venmo payments into their diversified payment processing options. This helps these organizations convert more donors and increase the likelihood that donors will return to give again. 

A great example is Many Hopes, which increased donation volume by 56% and individual donors by 53% year over year by introducing Venmo and PayPal into its embedded donation form.

Today, we’ll dive deep into what Venmo for nonprofits is all about and how to use it for everything from donations to event registration with Classy Pay. 

What Is Venmo?

Venmo is a popular mobile payment service known for fast, safe, social payments between friends and family. It’s captured the interest of 83 million customers as a seamless way to send, spend, share, and manage finances using their phone numbers.¹

How does Venmo work?

Venmo’s peer-to-peer model makes splitting payments and transferring funds easy without a physical wallet. When Venmo users receive money, they can transfer it directly into their bank account.

There are also options for instant transfers with a small fee, but most payments arrive promptly to the recipient’s account before being transferred elsewhere.

Over a million merchant websites and apps accept Venmo to simplify customer payments. The growing community of merchants that offer Venmo at checkout includes Uber, Ticketmaster, Stitch Fix, and Hulu.

Many nonprofit organizations followed the lead of these savvy for-profit organizations by offering PayPal and Venmo donations as part of a more modernized fundraising strategy. We’ll show you how these organizations do it and how you can too.

Benefits of Using Venmo for Nonprofits

Enabling donors to access the Venmo payment platform on your donation forms makes the supporter journey more relevant, engaging, and intuitive. Here are the top three benefits of using Venmo for nonprofits:

1. You Support the Conversion of Page Visitors to Completed Donations

Payment methods that feel familiar to page visitors can help improve conversion rates. As mentioned earlier, this simple payment reconciliation positively impacts donor satisfaction.

How do I make a donation using Venmo?

A donor who wishes to use their Venmo account to complete their gift of any donation amount can click on the Venmo button at checkout to open the Venmo app. Then, they can log in (if not already logged in through the app), choose which account their donation will come from, and confirm the transaction. Since many people already have their Venmo usernames and password stored on their mobile devices, donors save time and avoid friction.

Meanwhile, simply having the PayPal option on your donation pages can increase conversion rates.

2. You Encourage the Acquisition of New Donors

Venmo can help organizations reach more by tapping into new donor segments that feel more comfortable transferring money through the mobile app. Offering Venmo can also help increase donors’ trust in your organization because they’re confident they’re giving through a legitimate app. 

Which donors prefer Venmo donations?

Our Why America Gives report explored the importance of payment options among different generations of donors. It revealed that younger donors especially trust newer payment options. 

Additionally, the report consistently showed that PayPal and Venmo are in demand as preferred payment methods. With digital wallets becoming the standard, we anticipate this preference will only continue to grow.

3. You Have Help Managing Your Venmo Business Account

Venmo Charity Profiles and Venmo for Business are great ways for organizations to deliver a polished profile and professional experience when collecting payments through Venmo—PayPal offers similar benefits for PayPal business accounts. While business accounts don’t require monthly fees, there are transaction fees. 

You can skip the account setup and additional fees by accepting donations through both platforms via a seamless plug-in to your donation form, which Classy Pay offers. 

How to Set Up Venmo for a Nonprofit: FAQs

How can nonprofits accept Venmo donations?

Classy Pay integrates with Venmo to give organizations more flexibility and control. This gives supporters one of the best possible donation and checkout experiences through a single platform.

Venmo is part of Classy’s integration with the PayPal Commerce Platform. Once a Classy customer activates the PayPal processor, they can enable Venmo with the click of a button in Classy Manager. 

Classy’s Venmo integration offers individuals the choice to donate through their desired payment methods across many fundraising campaign types, including:

• Website donations
• Peer-to-peer fundraising
• Fundraising events (virtual, hybrid, and in person)
• Crowdfunding campaigns

How do I get started with Venmo on Classy?

You’ve seen the success of our PayPal and Venmo pioneers. Now, it’s your turn to offer these payment methods through Classy Pay. Organizations that have already activated PayPal in Classy Pay can enable Venmo by simply checking a box in the payment processing portal.

However, if you want to get started with Classy Pay for the first time, check out our detailed overview and follow up with an exploration of the entire Classy donation platform by requesting a demo.

Take Advantage of Forward-Looking Fundraising

Fundraising that scales in the modern age of giving and well into the future requires world-class conversion and simple transactions. At Classy, we’re all about empowering nonprofits with connected fundraising experiences that help them reach larger audiences, take advantage of new engagement opportunities, and grow supporter lifetime value. 

That includes everything from the functionality within our fundraising platform, like Venmo and PayPal payment options, to the seamless integrations we offer with your customer relationship management and email marketing platforms. We’re here to help you build a comprehensive fundraising experience from start to finish with the tools that convert passionate supporters into life-long advocates for your cause.

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien

Article Source

1. “About Us,” Venmo, last accessed July 11, 2023, https://venmo.com/about/us/.

Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) understands the critical value of establishing lasting supporter connections and adopting the right technology to initiate and nurture each relationship. That’s why BPL partnered with Classy to further cultivate its community and increase awareness of the infringements on teens’ First Amendment rights through its Books Unbanned program.

Who is Brooklyn Public Library?

Brooklyn Public Library serves 2.5 million individuals across 61 locations throughout Brooklyn, New York. The nonprofit offers free resources and services that include literacy programs, lectures, resume and career help, computer centers, and teen internships.

Additionally, BPL received an Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries, for its Outreach Services department and efforts to serve Brooklyn’s most vulnerable populations.

What is the Books Unbanned program?

Books Unbanned is a program BPL launched in response to the increasingly coordinated and effective effort to remove books from schools and libraries. The program offers free Brooklyn Public Library electronic library cards to teens and young adults aged 13 to 21, anywhere in the United States, in a valiant effort to defend the freedom to read.

Brooklyn Public Library Delivers Curated Giving Experiences With Classy’s Comprehensive Fundraising Suite

Now, with its fundraising suite of choice, Brooklyn Public Library is ready to scale. By implementing tools like program designations and embedded donation forms (along with recurring giving, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer, and event fundraising campaigns), BPL has demonstrated its commitment to optimizing the overall giving experience for everyone involved so they can raise more to do more.

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien

Security is essential on any platform, especially when dealing with payment data. As a result, a technology stack to protect your nonprofit and its loyal donors is non-negotiable. Today, we’ll cover why proactive security measures are critical to sustaining your donors’ trust. 

Read on to discover a few ways to improve your nonprofit cybersecurity hygiene and stay ahead of any potential risk. Hear exclusive insights from GoFundMe’s Chief Information Security Officer, John Downey, on protecting your organization and its valuable supporters and simple lessons he’s learned throughout his two-decade-long career in computer software and security.

What Is Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting your systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks.² Assessing nonprofit cybersecurity expands beyond protecting your systems to safeguard the people who support your organization.

There are several different cyberattacks, but three of the most common include:

• Phishing attacks: Stealing sensitive information by sending fraudulent emails that resemble emails from trusted sources
• Denial of service (DoS) attacks: Triggering a crash to make a network inaccessible to its intended users
• Malware attacks: Using malware software to gain unauthorized access or cause damage to a computer

The information you’ll learn about in this post will help you protect your nonprofit against each of these types of attacks under the larger umbrella of cybersecurity.

Why Cybersecurity Matters for Your Organization

The Numbers in 2022³

• 1,802 total data compromises 
• 422,143,312 total victims 

The Long-Term Value

Security and stability lead to deeper donor trust, potentially resulting in recurring donations. When you consider retention, donor confidence also impacts their likelihood of returning and giving again. Preventing data breaches reduces the risk to your nonprofit’s reputation and the costs associated with a data security breach.

Among the different costs of a breach in 2022, lost business represented the largest share at an average total cost of $1.42 million.⁴ Keep reliability at the forefront of every organizational decision and consider how you can continue taking the necessary steps to uphold the highest security standards.

5 Actions to Protect Your Nonprofit Organization From Security Threats

There are several cybersecurity measures your organization can take to protect its community. In our interview with John Downey, he shared a few simple recommendations to start with:

1. Be wary of unfamiliar emails or texts sent to your personal or work devices

This is one of the most common ways that phishing attacks occur. An attacker pretends to be an executive or founder of your organization and asks for personal information, such as your credit card, Social Security number, password, or protected company data.

One way to check if this is a hacker is to look at the sender’s email address. Often, the email address will have the same prefix but not the same domain name as your organization.

For example, if your CEO’s email address is jsmith@organization.org, the hacker’s email address may be jsmith@1245.com.

2. Do not click unknown links or download attachments in any personal or work communications

Clicking links or downloading attachments in emails and text messages can lead to downloading malware on your computer or phone. 

One way to check if a link is trustworthy is to hover over the link. You’ll see the full link pop up in the left corner of your browser. If the website’s domain doesn’t match your organization’s or the company allegedly reaching out to you, don’t click the link.

3. Flag suspicious activity or phishing attempts that appear risky

Sending suspicious emails to your IT team is another red flag. If you don’t have an IT team, you can report the email as a phishing attack to your service provider. For example, with Gmail, you can mark the email as spam, which notifies Google that this is an unwanted email. You can also report the phishing email to Google.

4. Update your password on any platforms you use, particularly ones that store sensitive information

If you have the same password for all your work accounts, it’s time to update them. Try a password management app or implement a single sign-on (SSO) tool for a more secure experience.

SSO is an authentication tool that allows users to sign into multiple applications with only one set of credentials. Typically, SSO software requires users to update their passwords regularly with more robust password qualifications. When paired with multifactor authentication (MFA), you see the best of both worlds regarding password security.

5. Ensure your fundraising platform follows security best practices

While there are numerous actions your organization can take to improve security, your fundraising software should also prioritize and be proactive in its security measures. We deep dive into those platform security considerations below.

6 Cybersecurity Considerations for Your Fundraising Platform

Security should be a key consideration throughout your fundraising software evaluation process. Here are six questions to ask when deciding which platform is best to protect your organization and its donors.

1. Does my fundraising platform have a data security team?

Your days are busy at a nonprofit, whether coordinating fundraising events or analyzing donor behavior. It’s essential that you find a donation platform that serves as an extension of your team to help get everything done.

When you evaluate different fundraising software providers, determine whether they have a department focused solely on platform security and policies. Since it’s unrealistic to monitor your online fundraising platform 24/7, finding the right people and tools to serve as your eyes and ears can provide much-needed peace of mind.

We Practice What We Preach

Classy and GoFundMe have an Information Security and Privacy team, in addition to a Risk and Compliance team. We prioritize having the technology and industry expertise to protect our global nonprofit organizations proactively. In addition, we know that supporting our customers behind the scenes allows them to focus on what matters most—their mission.

2. What governance policies and security training does the platform have?

Promising to respond and rebuild in the case of a data breach is not enough to gain donors’ trust. Find a platform with proactive policies to protect your organization’s information at all costs.

Ask about the platform’s level of compliance and explore its coding principles to ensure each platform feature is secure. In addition, make sure the platform’s team receives regular training to remain up to date on the most effective security procedures.

We Practice What We Preach

Independent auditors evaluated Classy and GoFundMe systems, which passed the highest security protocols set by PCI DSS. In addition, Classy leverages industry standards, such as the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10 Principles, in its software development lifecycle. The entire staff completes security training annually, and developers must undergo recurrent secure coding training.

3. How does security influence the platform’s development?

The infrastructure of a fundraising platform informs the security level of your organization’s and donors’ data. You’ll want to look at the fundraising platform’s architecture and ask about it in conversations with any vendors you consider.

When you look at your fundraising platform’s architecture, consider if it’s hosted on-premise or in the cloud. If it’s hosted on the cloud, you benefit from a software-as-a-service (SaaS) environment, which affords your nonprofit the latest technology without worrying about upgrades.

We Practice What We Preach

Classy uses a secure cloud architecture and multiple security measures to protect sensitive data. These include:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS) Virtual Private Cloud
• PCI Level 1 Certification
• 24/7/365 security scanning and threat monitoring
• Network-level vulnerability scanning
• Annual penetration testing
• Web application firewall (WAF) and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) protection

We also build security into the foundation of all our products and services. This includes load balancer-based compute isolation, role-based access control, secure logging, static and dynamic code analysis, and OWASP secure coding principles. Using tokenization, encryption, and key management, Classy never stores credit card information and always protects other sensitive data.

4. How often is the platform scanned and monitored for potential issues?

Regarding sensitive data, you’ll always want to know how it’s stored, who can access it, and what protocols are in place to ensure no leaks. A security breach can happen quickly, so you’ll want to be sure your fundraising platform monitors for issues constantly.

We Practice What We Preach

Classy uses 24/7/365 monitoring, leveraging an intrusion detection system (IDS), network-level scanning, and WAF. We also know from Classy’s State of Modern Philanthropy report that 30% of our platform’s donation volume occurs between Giving Tuesday and New Year’s Eve. This fuels our desire to take specific steps to deliver a secure, stable, and reliable giving platform for all our customers.

In addition to maintaining reliability, readiness, and security throughout the year on the Classy platform, we take the following preemptive measures heading into the peak giving season:

• Completing an annual audit for PCI Level 1 Certification for the highest accuracy and readiness
• Partnering with a team of AWS solutions engineers who maintain an all-day, live-mission control room to monitor platform activity in real time on Giving Tuesday and other major giving days 
• Scaling of our infrastructure preemptively for Giving Tuesday to add servers to our cluster, which helps to support our best-in-class infrastructure security and highly available architecture with automatic scale protocols
• Pausing on product development between October and January proactively to recognize the critical period for fundraising and ensure all products and features work as expected

5. Are there any audits in place to ensure continued compliance?

It’s critical to consistently reevaluate your protocols to ensure compliance with the highest standards. That starts with understanding how your fundraising platform addresses audits and stays up to date with the latest compliance measures as the world of security technology continues to evolve.

We Practice What We Preach

By putting in place and adhering to procedures and standards, Classy and GoFundMe ensure our platform and systems keep our partner organizations’ data safe and secure. 

As mentioned, we conduct regular audit reviews that adhere to the OWASP Top 10 Principles when developing and implementing features and security controls. Our development and engineering teams also undergo recurrent secure coding training.

Leading up to Giving Tuesday, Classy also conducts a well-architected audit of best practices in partnership with AWS and Cloudflare.

6. What technology does the fundraising platform use to ensure secure payments?

Security on any platform is essential, especially when dealing with personally identifiable information and payment data. Donors want to know that their payment information is secure, regardless of which method they find easiest to make a donation.

As more nonprofit organizations offer diversified online payment processing options for supporters, it’s essential to ask how vendors transfer that data and emphasize security regularly.

We Practice What We Preach

Regarding nonprofit payment processing, Classy Pay offers the secure and trusted payment options of PayPal, Venmo, and cryptocurrency through Coinbase. We’re also preparing to launch SSO this summer, so users can eliminate weak passwords and increase security. 

We select best-in-class payment processing vendors to integrate into our payment solution, then thoroughly evaluate their security measures. In addition, Stripe Radar implements blocking and reviews rules for fraud protection, while the Classy team audits suspicious and fraudulent activity regularly. We also prioritize a timely response to any incidents, internally and externally.

Raise More, Do More With Secure Software

Balance nonprofit transparency and security, maintain trust with your donors, and feel confident in the stability and reliability of your platform. 

Whether your organization is evaluating new technology or exploring proactive ways to uplevel its policies, take the proper steps to protect your community and safeguard its mission. 

We’d love to help you get started with more information about the Classy and GoFundMe policies. Plus, our customer care team can answer any other questions that come to mind.

Article Sources

1. “How Many Cyber Attacks Happen Per Day in 2023?” Techjury, last modified February 27, 2023, https://techjury.net/blog/how-many-cyber-attacks-per-day/#gref.
2. “What Is Cybersecurity?” Cisco, accessed June 8, 2023, https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/what-is-cybersecurity.html.
3. “2022 Data Breach Report,” Identity Theft Resource Center, accessed June 8, 2023,  https://www.idtheftcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ITRC_2022-Data-Breach-Report_Final-1.pdf.
4. “Give.org Donor Trust Report | 2021,” Profiles in Charity Trust and Giving, Give, accessed May 31, 2023, https://give.org/docs/default-source/donor-trust-library/2021-donor-trust-report.pdf.

The Classy Awards 10-Year Anniversary

Classy is dedicated to helping nonprofits raise more by providing innovative, secure technology and trusted fundraising insights grounded in comprehensive research and data analysis. We also take time every June to elevate the accomplishments of the sector we serve. 

The Classy Awards has grown to become one of the largest social impact awards in the world, celebrating nonprofits tackling fundamental challenges, like food insecurity, human rights, disaster relief, access to quality education, and public health. This year is particularly special, marking the Classy Awards’ 10th anniversary. 

Each of this year’s 11 Classy Awards winners left a lasting impression in 2022 with nearly 1.5 million people and animals served in 34 countries.

A Look Into the Winner Selection Process

Selected by our Leadership Council, this year’s Classy Awards winners include 10 organizations honored for social innovation. Additionally, we honor one organization with the People’s Choice Award, determined by public vote. 

The 2023 Leadership Council features 26 distinguished social sector leaders and nonprofit executives. This year’s Leadership Council hosts an impressive collection of top minds, representing the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Doctors Without Borders, Shriners Hospitals for Children, GlobalGiving, and Direct Relief. 

Meet the 2023 Classy Award Winners

People’s Choice Award

The People’s Choice award, determined by public vote, highlights the innovation and impact of a nonprofit making incredible contributions to our society.

Winner: Days for Girls International

Program: Menstrual Health Teacher Training, Education, and Products in Cambodia

Days for Girls works with the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (MoEYS) to eliminate gaps in Cambodia’s menstrual health (MH) education. The project aims to increase access to timely, culturally appropriate MH and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education among students. 

By equipping teachers with the training they need, the program helps them teach students comprehensive MH and SRH education. Days for Girls also provides washable, locally produced menstrual pad kits to meet students’ MH management needs. 

Following the success of a pilot project in 2022, the project looks forward to equipping 600 teachers with the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver MH education to 15,000 fifth and eighth grade students across several provinces by 2025. 

Social Innovation Award

Winner: 412 Food Rescue

Program: Food Rescue Hero

Food Rescue Hero is a people-powered technology platform that effectively redirects surplus food from landfills to those in need. The app alerts volunteer drivers about excess food nearby and guides them to the assigned delivery destinations. 

Since 2016, the program has empowered 49,000 volunteer drivers to redirect more than 137 million pounds of excellent food from the waste stream to those who need it. 

Food Rescue Hero, based in Pittsburgh, measurably impacts food insecurity with 15 partner organizations across North America. In support of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 2, 12, and 13, the nonprofit strives to scale food recovery in 100 cities by 2030.

Winner: Animal Rescue League of Boston

Program: Wellness Waggin’

The Wellness Waggin’ is a mobile veterinary clinic that provides low-cost wellness exams for owned pets. It operates at four sites hosted by our partner, Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD)—a human service organization that assists people living at the poverty level. 

Designed for people and animals, this program aims to serve those who may not otherwise have access to a veterinarian due to location, cost, inflexible work schedules, limited/low English proficiency, or other factors. The Animal Rescue League of Boston also provides animals with preventative care to improve their health and decrease the need for emergency visits (which could lead to surrender or euthanasia).

Winner: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Program: BIG Futures

Big Futures is a college and career readiness initiative to equip young people for post-secondary success through mentorship, education, and access to critical opportunities. 

This nationwide movement comprises a network of programs delivered by 122 local Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies. The goal is to empower every kid on the path to graduation with a plan for their future and mentorship opportunities with lifelong impact. 

It provides young people with life skills by engaging them in resume writing, mock interviews, career panels, college visits, workplace visits, job shadowing, and aptitude exploration. Many Big Futures participants can access scholarship and internship opportunities through innovative corporate partnerships.

Winner: Crisis Text Line

Program: Play Everywhere

Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, high-quality, confidential mental health and crisis intervention via text, web chat, and WhatsApp in English and Spanish. Texters send a message to 741741 to connect to a volunteer crisis counselor, who receives 30 hours of comprehensive training that includes de-escalation techniques, active listening, collaborative problem-solving, and safety planning. 

The organization uses machine learning and data analytics to triage conversations by severity, not time. All conversations are overseen in real-time by clinically trained supervisors with degrees in mental health-related fields who provide additional support when necessary. Conversations end when the texter is in a safe space and feels empowered to identify and use their coping mechanisms.

Winner: Everyone for Veterans

Program: No-Cost Comprehensive Dental Care Program

Everyone for Veterans (E4V) collaborates with civilians and professionals to provide a no-cost comprehensive dental care program and other services to veterans and their families nationwide. The organization recruits dental professionals to provide pro-bono dental services in the communities where the veterans live. 

Veterans often spend a lifetime at low-cost dental clinics but never accomplish a healthy dental state. E4V’s comprehensive care model not only resolves veterans’ current dental issues but sets them up for long-term oral and overall health, breaking the cycle of perpetual urgent care.

Winner: Fistula Foundation

Program: Fistula Foundation

Fistula Foundation employs a dual approach to reach as many women as possible with healing care, as the only cure for fistula is surgery:

1. Partner directly with in-country hospitals and providers that understand how best to serve women in their communities. Along with funding fistula repair surgery, the program helps build the infrastructure needed to expand fistula care.
2. Create and operate integrated, comprehensive Fistula Foundation Treatment Networks (FFTNs) to eliminate suffering on a national level, increasing access to timely, quality fistula treatment and post-operative care. 

Each FFTN achieves this goal by deepening the collaboration between local service partners to form a network that shares responsibility for caring for women with fistula across the country.

Winner: Gravity Water

Program: Gravity Water Systems

Gravity Water systems, from Gravity Water, work in schools in rural communities lacking safe water access. The organization’s technology combines rainwater harvesting, elevated storage, and gravity-fed filtration, providing schools with a source of safe water to rely on. 

In addition to providing safe drinking water, Gravity Water’s technology allows schools to run entirely off rain, increasing the school’s climate resilience and water security. Built by local community members using local materials and skill sets, Gravity Water’s systems ensure every project enables community empowerment and is resilient over time.

Winner: Hope Foundation for Women and Children of Bangladesh

Program: Hope Field Hospital for Women

The Hope Field Hospital for Women, established in 2018 by the Hope Foundation, delivers on-site free lifesaving and essential medical care for refugee women and children—including in the surrounding communities of the Rohingya settlements in Bangladesh.

Considered a Safe Haven, the hospital saves lives daily, primarily through its 24/7 obstetric emergency services. This hospital is the only one of its kind open 24/7 to attend obstetric medical emergencies such as C-sections in the refugee camps, where about one million people live in very poor and challenging conditions.

Winner: Refugee Women’s Alliance

Program: Domestic Violence Program

The Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA) Domestic Violence Program caters to all immigrants and refugees. With nearly one in four foreign-born residents of King County, Washington, the culturally and linguistically-responsive services the domestic violence (DV) program offers are crucial. 

The program delivers the community with culturally competent, trained providers to support survivors and their children as they seek safety and rebuild their lives. Together, DV Program staff speak 24 languages and dialects—the most of any DV provider in the Pacific Northwest. 

Last year, ReWA’s Domestic Violence Program served 700 survivors worldwide, including Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, South America, and East Africa.

Winner: TACT

Program: Teaching the Autism Community Trades

Teaching the Autism Community Trades (TACT) offers career tracks in carpentry, welding, automotive mechanics, electrical, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Its team also conducts workshops offering introductory lessons in various trades and formats for ages 5-18 and older. 

TACT’s programs lead to employable individuals and lasting careers that are fulfilling and suited to each person’s strengths. 

Celebrating the Impact of Our 2023 Winners

Congratulations to our 2023 Classy Award winners who join a prestigious group of nonprofits embracing new ideas and illustrating the potential to drive change in our society.

Leveraging the right technology mobilizes connection and helps elevate your unique mission through impactful storytelling. Additionally, with access to clean, comprehensive data, you receive a full picture of each supporter and discover better ways to strengthen those relationships at scale.

Over the last decade-plus, Classy’s product focus has been on creating meaningful connections through giving and empowering nonprofits to take advantage of every opportunity to interact deeply with donors.

To meet the nuanced needs of the nonprofit sector, today’s fundraising platforms must deliver best-in-class technology to support organizations in the ways they deserve. From native marketing integrations to long-standing CRM partnerships, and collaboration with modern analytics tools, leveraging the right tech stack means you can count on intentional, purpose-built offerings that grow and scale as you do.

Today, we’re sharing what we know at Classy to be the most critical elements of connected fundraising, and how our product is evolving to remain in lockstep with the needs of the sector.

What Is “Connected Fundraising” and Why Does It Matter?

When Classy builds an integration, we understand that your organization’s front-end and back-end experiences must work together. At the same time, we ensure our and our partners’ solutions remain within our respective areas of expertise.

Solutions that go too wide often stray from their core competency, lacking long-term product innovation with outdated user interfaces for donors and staff. This is why we routinely see customers migrating away from all-in-one solutions, instead opting for integrated solutions that deliver a comprehensive and thoughtful experience for every stakeholder.

Classy’s high pace of innovation, coupled with robust CRM, analytics, and marketing integrations, ensure you can leverage your data as a strategic asset now and in the future, all while keeping it accessible and centralized within the context of your tech stack.

Connected fundraising experiences allow you to facilitate unified donor journeys and personalize them to reflect the needs and interests of each individual. Getting the right data from the right touchpoints helps you achieve a fundamental understanding of how donors engage with you, opening the door for your team to turn that moment of generosity into a lifelong relationship.

Elevate Your Impact With Connected Technology

According to Classy’s 2023 State of Modern Philanthropy report, supporters who engage with multiple campaign types (e.g., crowdfunding, peer-to-peer, fundraising events) are 4x more valuable than supporters who participate in a single campaign.

Understanding who those highly-engaged supporters are, which channels they prefer, and how to reach them is only possible with connected technology. A set of comprehensive fundraising tools paired with best-of-breed integrations makes it possible to facilitate, organize, and oversee all donor touchpoints without losing anything in the shuffle.

That 360-view aids informed decision-making on how to acquire, convert, and retain your loyal donor base for the long term.

See It In Action With Classy

CRM Solutions

Since Classy’s inception, we have integrated with CRMs that empower nonprofits to personalize interactions at scale. Our long-standing partnership with Salesforce has grown to become the deepest integration in the industry. With bi-directional sync and an upcoming integration to its new Nonprofit Cloud on our roadmap, we remain committed to propelling the sector forward, together.

As technology evolves and the CRM landscape changes, we are expanding our offerings with a new beta integration to Microsoft Dynamics Fundraising and Engagement (F&E) solution. Microsoft’s recent launch of Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofits (MC4N) provides new options for the sector, and Classy is committed to investing in partners invested in you.

Additionally, our native integration to Zapier is entering a closed beta phase this summer, enabling you to send your transaction, supporter, and campaign data to the CRM you prefer.

Analytics & Tracking Solutions

Beyond CRM, Classy integrates with analytics partners like Google Analytics 4 and Meta Conversions API (Meta CAPI) to power learnings from your supporter traffic.

Understanding the impact of digital fragmentation on nonprofit fundraising and the unique set of challenges that come with the sunset of third-party cookie tracking, analytics can help unlock new ways of collecting data while respecting your donors’ privacy.

This data helps determine how supporters want to hear from you and the multiple places they may be engaging with your cause, allowing for more informed communication. Leveraging data from analytics integrations also helps power ad personalization, optimization, and measurement so you can extract the right touchpoints to deliver compelling supporter experiences.

Marketing Solutions

Delivering engaging, stand-out storytelling does not stop at CRM and analytics capabilities. With native marketing integrations like Mailchimp and Constant Contact, and strong partner-built solutions like Klaviyo, you can segment donors by cohorts to send personalized, relevant communication that resonates.

Alongside your analytics and CRM integrations, you learn which stories your supporters connect with the most, and where they are listening. From work-in-progress stories to storytelling with real-life images, you are well-prepared to share your organization’s work from start to finish.

The Future of Integrations With Classy and GoFundMe

Together, with our integrated partners, Classy is here to support your end-to-end fundraising experience. With a deeply-rooted commitment to industry-leading CRM, analytics, and marketing integrations, your needs will always come first, while also ensuring your supporters receive nothing less than a world-class experience.

Our goal is to work across vendors to establish deep partner relationships that serve the distinct needs of the nonprofit sector, so you can focus on your mission. Classy and GoFundMe are testing ways for nonprofits to tap into the millions of donors engaging across our platforms so you can make an even greater impact.

Article Sources

1. “2022 Fundraising Showed Substantial Weakness Through Q4,” Research & Reports, AFP, last modified April 16, 2023, https://afpglobal.org/2022-fundraising-showed-substantial-weakness-through-q4.

At Classy, we believe effective online fundraising begins with world-class conversions, but it doesn’t end there. It’s also about connecting people with your mission through impactful storytelling and taking your donors on an end-to-end journey.

Classy’s comprehensive fundraising platform empowers nonprofits to build lifelong relationships from moments of generosity. How we do that is unique from Classy competitors, which we’ll expand on below, but our goal to help nonprofits advance their causes is a through line.

Learn more about Classy’s fundraising solution versus Classy alternatives and how our technology empowers thousands of the world’s top nonprofits to amplify real-time impact.

Evaluating Nonprofit Platform Alternatives to Classy

There are several factors to consider during your nonprofit software evaluation, and the process can quickly become overwhelming.

Today’s nonprofits can power their fundraising efforts through a comprehensive nonprofit fundraising solution or buy into a set of individually-sourced point solutions that, together, make up a comprehensive tech stack. These point solutions may include online donations, crowdfunding, event management, payment processing, or donation forms, all sourced from different software providers.

At Classy, we know that cohesion across various giving experiences builds connection and trust with supporters. Offering the right experience to the right donor at the right time fuels conversions, amplifies donors’ levels of support, and keeps them coming back. We’re so confident we shaped our product suite around it.

Classy’s diversified fundraising platform offers a comprehensive, customizable set of tools that fuel a holistic strategy. In addition to our world-class direct giving experience, Classy offers virtual, hybrid, and in-person events, online peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, and recurring giving.

Outside of Classy, there are options for additional fundraising management tools, like customer relationship management or CRM donor management software, email marketing technology, and volunteer management tools. Many software programs, like Virtuous and Salesforce, integrate seamlessly with Classy.

Point Solutions: The Risk of Going Too Narrow

Point solutions are software built to solve a single problem. This applies to fundraising technology when platforms zero in on one aspect of the online giving process, like direct giving or event ticketing.

While a program may excel in that singular area, it often leaves nonprofits managing multiple fundraising tools to build a complete tech stack. This introduces a complexity tax for staff and supporters, leaving staff to learn multiple tools and supporters struggling with donation management.

For example, a recurring donor that’s also a peer-to-peer team captain now has two different systems to manage fundraising activity.

The cost of managing multiple tools quickly adds up, resulting in decreased efficiency, return on investment, and donor satisfaction.

All-in-One Solutions: The Risk of Going Too Broad

All-in-one platforms, seemingly the simplest solution, often try to be everything to everyone at the cost of innovation and user-friendly experiences. The idea of a one-stop shop sounds alluring, but the typical reality of going too wide in your solutions could render your efforts fruitless in achieving any of your goals.

For example, it’s hard to be a best-in-class CRM, digital fundraising, marketing, and financial management platform all at the same time. The use cases for an email tool and CRM are totally different from fundraising platform. For that reason, we don’t recommend selecting a tool that does everything because we don’t believe it’ll serve your team or do what you need.

Rather than evaluating potential fundraising platforms solely for the breadth of solutions, it’s critical to evaluate the depth of each product within that fundraising suite as well.

Threading the Needle With a Comprehensive Fundraising Platform

Classy balances breadth and depth to provide a online donation platform solely focused on digital fundraising that offers comprehensive tools to engage and nurture donors in diversified ways.

Again, sustainable fundraising is about offering the right experience to the right donor at the right time. With Classy’s comprehensive direct-giving solution, complete peer-to-peer experience, world-class recurring donation platform, and industry-leading nonprofit fundraising event software, organizations can double their revenue and double their impact.

In Classy’s 2023 State of Modern Philanthropy report, we found that supporters who participate in multiple campaign types are 4x more valuable than supporters who participate in a single campaign. By increasing engagement across numerous campaign types on Classy, your organization has the potential to keep donors more involved and more loyal to your cause.

Additionally, every donor who gives on Classy can access a supporter dashboard. From their dashboard, they can keep track of their donation activity, resend themselves receipts, and edit any recurring giving plans or fundraising pages in one place. This empowers supporters to self-serve, which frees your team to focus on other priorities.

Why Today’s Nonprofits Prefer Classy

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the impact of channel fragmentation on nonprofits’ ability to connect and effectively communicate has become more pronounced. Successful nonprofits can cut through the noise by offering elevated stories, emphasizing the impact supporters have in driving their missions forward, and using data to inform supporter engagement.

Classy knows that every nonprofit’s story is unique and their giving experiences should be, too. Our platform maximizes flexibility and configurability, placing your story front and center while driving connection to every supporter:

• Our direct giving experiences integrate seamlessly with your website to drive 2x-industry standard conversion and revenue.
• Our events platform helps create memorable, authentic experiences, deeply connecting your supporters to your story and impact while empowering them to engage in other ways.
• Our peer-to-peer solution extends your reach beyond your network of supporters to theirs, driving increased supporter acquisition.
• Our GoFundMe partnership aids in realizing the full potential of peer-to-peer fundraising and its role in the overall giving landscape.

Classy also supports integrations to the leading CRM and marketing platforms, which allows you to carry the personalization of your marketing all the way through to your giving experiences.

Each of these experiences, when woven together, helps engage donors across multiple touch points. We know this is key to driving donor acquisition and building a loyal supporter base to increase donor lifetime value.

Discover What Classy Can Do for Your Nonprofit

Personalization and connection matter more than ever. To unlock the generosity of new and existing supporters, you first have to learn how to engage with them through various giving experiences that resonate online and offline.

We encourage you to request a demo of our product to see how it works and what it can do for your nonprofit. Classy Academy is another resource at your fingertips that provides step-by-step coaching on how to take advantage of all our world-class features.

After all, your donation button is your nonprofit’s main call to action (CTA). Standard guidance on showcasing your donation button for online giving includes ensuring it is easy to find, links to the correct page, and stands out using contrasting colors—but it doesn’t end there. 

Today, we’re showing you how to further strategize its usage across your different online fundraising efforts. An intentional approach helps your story reach more ideal supporters and makes visitors more likely to take action as they digest and engage with your page.

Below, we look at creative ways to format the best donation button across different fundraising campaign types, with examples from five nonprofits that bring the donor experience to the next level.

1. Peer-to-Peer Campaigns: Focus on Strategic Placement and Visual Distinction

Peer-to-peer fundraising tools allow supporters to fundraise on your behalf. A donation button on your peer-to-peer campaign helps you collect even more one-time (and recurring) gifts for your campaign. 

Since these two CTA buttons—to fundraise or donate—live on your campaign page, you want to distinguish them visually. That could mean using color variations, separating sizing, or adding a contrasting visual that guides a page visitor to the options you offer.

One example comes from Texas Appleseed, a nonprofit working to “promote social and economic justice for all Texans by leveraging the skills and resources of volunteer lawyers and other professionals to identify practical solutions to difficult systemic problems.” The nonprofit’s peer-to-peer fundraising campaign helped it raise over $35,000.

At the top of its campaign page, Texas Appleseed highlights the opportunity to fundraise and donate. The “Become a Fundraiser” CTA leads the two with a transparent background and white outline that grabs visitors’ attention. 

Next to it is the highly visible donation button in red. Each CTA’s visually distinct yet grabby design catches the eye. The strategic proximity of these two buttons—visible at the top of the fold when a supporter lands on the page—gives supporters multiple opportunities to help the nonprofit reach its goal.

Farther down the campaign page, the nonprofit elevates the peer-to-peer component by listing some of the campaign’s top fundraisers and including the headline “Support a Fundraiser” to encourage donors to give directly to a peer’s personal fundraising page.

Pro Tip: By placing a donation button strategically alongside your CTA to fundraise, you can engage more donors by offering options for how they can participate in your peer-to-peer campaigns.

2. Crowdfunding Campaigns: Vary Your Donation Button Options

Crowdfunding campaigns allow for maximum creativity with your donation button. Below are two nonprofit examples that varied donation button options across Classy crowdfunding campaigns.

Incorporate Multiple Types of Donation Opportunities

Classy customer Houston Ballet started a crowdfunding campaign to keep its company dancing despite significant challenges resulting from COVID-19. The crowdfunding page featured a clear goal to raise $5 million, and the nonprofit incorporated three different donation opportunities, all supporting the overall goal.

First, the page displays a visually contrasting Donate Now button next to its progress bar on the campaign’s homepage. The placement creates a quick, easy way for donors to see social proof that others have supported the cause, and they can immediately take action as well.

Farther down the page, the campaign uses impact blocks to suggest how different levels of donations can help support the nonprofit during these times. It uses imagery in line with its brand and includes specific details on how the donation will make a difference, such as home-training gear and digital academy classes.

In the final section of the campaign page, the nonprofit includes a Become a Fundraiser button that encourages supporters to start fundraising pages to make an even more significant impact.

Pro Tip: By offering multiple donation buttons that cover various styles and fundraising types throughout your crowdfunding campaign, you give your supporters choices for how they can help you meet your goal. Your donation buttons progressively tell your campaign’s story as the supporter scrolls through your page.

Leverage Impact Blocks to Showcase Recommended Donations

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley provides healthy meals to anyone who needs one within its community. When the pandemic put a pause on its collection of in-kind food donations, the nonprofit started a crowdfunding campaign to fill the gap in its operations and keep the momentum flowing online.

The initial donation button for Second Harvest of Silicon Valley’s campaign is easy to find on the campaign landing page in bright orange, placed next to a short video showcasing some of the nonprofit’s beneficiaries.

Next on the page is an overview of the  nonprofit’s story, which highlights how its food distribution process looks different this year. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley explains how supporters can give a monetary donation for a particular item instead of in-kind food drop-offs.

Impact blocks show donors how different gift amounts translate to specific food items typically provided in kind. For example, the $50 impact block has a graphic of a roast chicken and says you can “fill the barrel” with 85 pounds of a whole chicken. 

The visually engaging custom illustrations, complete with donation buttons in orange, are specific to its branding. You can get creative with visuals that speak to your audience and draw attention with Canva or other design platforms.

Pro Tip: By adding creative impact blocks with donation buttons on your crowdfunding campaign, you provide a fun way for supporters to understand the tangible impact of their donations. If you hit a creative rut, explore these eight simple designs you can create for free using Canva for Nonprofits. 

3. Fundraising Event: Pair One-Time Donation With Registration

In registration with fundraising, you want your supporters to register for your event and start fundraising. For example, for ticketed events, your primary CTA is to buy a ticket.

Special Olympics Washington created a registration with a fundraising campaign page on Classy for its Polar Plunge challenge. On the campaign landing page, donors see a Register button alongside the donation button in the center of the hero block, under the event logo. 

Farther down the page, the nonprofit again pairs a registration button with a donation button next to a progress circle, inspiring people to join those who have already contributed and taken action.

Pro Tip: By distinguishing your registration and donation buttons visually, you inspire participants to donate more at that moment and people who can’t make your event but still want to support.

4. Recurring Giving Campaigns: Pair Donation Button With Powerful Language

Neighborhood Homework House started a recurring giving campaign to fund its mission to support students in its community. Its initial donation button pairs with text branded around the nonprofit organization’s recurring donations campaign. It explains, “For as little as $10 a month, you can rewrite the future of a generation of Azusa students.”

Below the initial donation button is additional text describing the power of small donations and that you can start supporting now by giving up small monthly expenses. 

The campaign then incorporates impact blocks that showcase examples of things a supporter could skip each month to donate to the nonprofit instead. For example, a supporter could choose to donate their $40 tank of gas or $20 meal delivery.

Pro Tip: By shaping your donation options around your recurring giving story, you build a case for your supporters to join your campaign.

6 Bonus Tips to Round Out Your Donation Process

As you set up a donation platform that converts supporters into loyal donors, here are a few last items to check off your list to complete the experience.

1. Offer suggested donation amounts to guide people and collect donations that make a real impact based on the programs you run
2. Think about offering as many payment options as possible outside of just credit cards, such as trusted transaction apps like PayPal and Venmo
3. Leave a checkbox that lets donors opt in to cover their processing fees and give the maximum gift to your mission
4. Provide an easy way for donors to share their actions for good on social media to build cause awareness through their Facebook page or other accounts
5. Consider embedding your donation form directly on your webpage with a simple modal, widget, or pop-up
6. Test the whole process as if you are a potential donor through different mobile devices and browsers to make it as smooth as possible

Think Creatively About Your Donation Button to Increase Supporter Engagement

Strategic use and formatting of online donation buttons can increase support across different campaign types. Think creatively about what types of donate buttons to use, how to place them, and ways to brand them to your mission to engage your audience and encourage donations.

As you build your donor-centric fundraising strategy, Classy has your back.

The Importance of Water Organizations

To see just how valuable water organizations are, consider these three statistics from water.org

• 771 million people ( 1 in 10) lack access to safe water
• 282 million people spend more than 30 minutes retrieving water each time they need it
• More people have a mobile phone than a toilet

Clean water is a basic necessity for life, but it’s not a reality for most of our global population. The need to eliminate this threat continues to grow, so we celebrate the nonprofits working tirelessly to save lives and transform societies for the better.

These water organizations provide hope for those who need it most and create a seamless path for people to do their part in addressing the global water crisis through advocacy, education, and action.

15 Water Organizations That Make Clean Water a Reality

1. Generosity.org

Generosity.org is a water organization committed to ending the clean water crisis in developing countries.

By empowering and equipping individuals through the spirit of generosity, we help them become self-sufficient and inspire in them the same spirit of helping their neighbor; ultimately paying it forward. We believe that generosity changes people, and changes the world. Our goal is to move from a place where communities rely upon us, to a place where communities utilize the tools we provide to become proud and progressive stewards of their own destiny. Our dream is to make our role obsolete. That’s how we change the world.

To date, Generosity.org has completed over 800 water wells in 20 different nations to help them access clean water.

2. Pure Water for the World

Pure Water for the World provides children and families in Central America and the Caribbean with the tools and education to develop sustainable water, hygiene, and sanitation solutions.

We love how the organization directly connects fundraising dollars to impact. This immediately helps potential supporters see how their donation or peer-to-peer fundraising campaign will make a difference for the people it serves.

Pure Water for the World has partnered with more than 750 communities throughout Haiti and Honduras. It provides critical resources and education to ensure safe water, improved sanitation, and adequate hygiene are pillars of their communities.

Explore the Tools These Organizations Use to Raise More

3. Blood:Water

Blood:Water is a water organization that partners with African grassroots organizations to bring clean water and HIV/AIDS support to one million people in 12 countries.

Founded by the multiplatinum, GRAMMY® Award-winning band Jars of Clay and activist Jena Lee Nardella, the organization serves as a call to personalize the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa.

To fit every community’s varying needs, Blood:Water provides various solutions. From toilets and handwashing stations to services preventing mother-to-child HIV/AIDS transmission, local partners get to choose the solutions that best serve their communities. These leaders then activate and educate the people around them through meetings, local support groups, and training sessions.

Since its launch in 2004, Blood:Water has worked with 33 partners and brought clean water to nearly one million people in 12 countries.

4. Water for Good

Water for Good works with communities in the Central African Republic to establish sanitation best practices, improve agriculture, and empower people to create sustainable clean water access.

The organization connects underserved communities to locally-owned water businesses, a supply of spare parts, and government oversight.

In 2022 alone, the organization initiated or completed a total of 59 new water points, 1,936 service visits to pump water, 12,977 miles traveled by its maintenance team, and 1,121 water points served.

5. Hope of Life International

Hope of Life International is a faith-based water organization dedicated to serving vulnerable children and families in Guatemala.

The organization outlines how its efforts and community support can help prevent deaths due to diseases like typhoid and cholera. 

Hope of Life International drives home the value of each donation with the message that it only takes one dollar to provide a child with clean water for a year. Thanks to donor support, the organization has distributed over 100 water filters and sponsored over 5,000 individuals.

6. Splash

Splash is a water organization that serves disadvantaged cities. It works with local governments and businesses to educate children about effective hygiene practices and trains local organizations and businesses to maintain toilets properly.

The organization creates these safe water projects through strategic partnerships with local entities to solidify long-lasting solutions. Existing technology and supply chains used by commercial markets—such as those of top-notch restaurants and hotels—inform Splash’s strategies to bring the same high-quality care to families in need.

Today, Splash reaches over 999,088 kids in China, Nepal, India, and Ethiopia.

7. Lifewater International

Lifewater International is a Christian water development organization that serves vulnerable children and families in remote and rural areas of East Africa and Southeast Asia.

The organization’s staff live in the areas they serve. They help community members drive change from household to household by actively participating in the development process and teaching underserved communities how to build their home latrines, drying racks, and handwashing stations.

8. Planet Water Foundation

Planet Water Foundation serves schools, children, and rural communities worldwide by installing water filtration systems and launching health education programs.

The organization’s filtration systems, called an “AquaTower,” trap bacteria, viruses, and other harmful matter to provide 1,000 people with 10,000 liters of clean water daily. Children can also wash their hands with soap dishes mounted around the structure.

Planet Water Foundation installs these systems in just one day. After that, community members can help clean each AquaTower to prolong its life span, simplifying the maintenance procedures. Additionally, the affordable initial cost makes this a sustainable solution.

The organization supports more than 3 million people in 26 countries.

9. Water4

Water4 is a water organization on a mission to eradicate the world’s water crises through local, missional businesses and fostering independence. It empowers people through faith and education around long-term sustainability to help communities solve their challenges with a solution that lasts.

The organization has a signature “WaSH” training program that helps communities understand the importance of washing their hands, preparing food safely, and storing water to support good hygiene. This helps them introduce the social and health impact to the individuals. The organization also empowers local heroes through business development programs.

To date, Water4 has completed 9,518 water projects, providing 2,131,399 people with safe water and educating 759,223 people in the process.

10. Safe Water Network

Safe Water Network is a water organization that works to build affordable, locally-owned water systems for communities in Ghana and India.

While the organization provides the tools to use these systems, referred to as “Safe Water Stations,” community members eventually take ownership of them and operate them as small businesses. Instead of being perceived as beneficiaries, individuals are consumers and business owners.

To help cover operating and maintenance costs, each station sells water. Safe Water Network then provides the education and equipment to manage these stations and the technical services and monitoring necessary to keep them in top condition. The organization also continues to improve this model by partnering with experts in academia and the public and private sectors for new insights.

To date, Safe Water Network has reached 20 million people through technical assistance and sector engagement and plans to create access to safe water for 50 million people by 2026.

11. Thirst Project

Thirst Project is a water organization that educates students about the clean water crisis and mobilizes them to take action.

The organization travels to secondary schools and universities across the United States to activate those believed to be the real game changers: young supporters. Thirst Project also encourages students to start Thirst Project Clubs to raise awareness about the cause within their schools.

In addition to raising awareness, Thirst Project has roots in India, Uganda, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Kenya, and Colombia. It focuses primarily on building hand pump wells that typically last over 40 years.

12. The Last Well

The Last Well is a faith-based organization on a mission to bring safe water to all Liberians.

No country has been able to provide clean water to all of its citizens nor eliminate water-borne diseases or sicknesses. The Last Well aims to change that narrative for the entire nation of Liberia.

To date, The Last Well has completed its original 12-year, $31 million mission to bring clean water and the good news of the gospel to Liberia.

13. Hope Rising Together

Hope Rising Together (formerly Let Them LOL) is a water organization that serves Sierra Leone. It builds wells to provide poverty-stricken communities with access to safe water.

After 10 years as Let Them LOL, Hope Rising Together emerged to renovate the Malting Silos in the heart of Buffalo, N.Y., into a community center.

Hope Rising Together has completed over 145 wells, bringing water to 53,633 people in Sierra Leone.

14. WaterAid

WaterAid is a water organization transforming lives by providing clean water, hygiene, and sanitation hardware to the world’s most vulnerable and remote communities.

Founded in 1981, WaterAid is part of a global federation that works in over 30 countries. From the hardware of taps, pipes, and toilets to hygiene education, climate resilience, and maintenance, WaterAid’s projects work for the long term. 

Providing access to clean water that’s close to home saves hours for those collecting water for their families. This frees up precious time for girls to go to school, and people can work and start businesses. However, clean water is just the beginning: it unlocks potential and empowers people to thrive.

The work of WaterAid has reached 28.5 million people with clean water, 29 million people with decent toilets, and 27.8 million people with hygiene education to date. WaterAid has a bold, new strategy to reach 400 million people in the next decade to end the water crisis.

15. charity: water

charity: water is a water organization that helps bring clean and safe water to families worldwide by partnering with experienced local organizations that build sustainable, community-owned water projects.

Founded in 2006 by Scott Harrison, a former New York City club promoter, in less than a decade, charity: water has become a leader in the nonprofit sector and a fundraising powerhouse.

The organization heavily emphasizes documenting and sharing the details of its work, keeping its ratings high among charity watchdogs and allowing supporters to get an inside look at who it has helped.

charity: water helps fund water, sanitation, and hygiene (“WASH”) programs for rural communities worldwide while monitoring, evaluating, and maintaining programs to operate sustainably for years to come.

To date, charity: water has funded 120,784 water projects in 29 countries to serve 16,835,671 people.

Water Organizations Hydrate the Future

These water organizations and associated campaigns push the envelope to bring safe and clean water to communities everywhere. At Classy, we celebrate organizations championing environmental sustainability and other aspects that bring natural resources to people worldwide.

Article Sources

1. “Key Water.org Facts,” water.org, accessed or last modified 2022, https://water.org/documents/223/FY22_Key_Water.org_facts.pdf.

Today, we’ll cover the value of elevating nonprofits’ impact, how to submit your Classy Awards nomination, the benefits of being a Classy Award winner, and more.

What Are the Classy Awards?

Sitting at the core of every nonprofit’s mission is eradicating a critical problem. However, without awareness, advocacy, and resources, that goal is out of reach.

Started in 2009, the Classy Awards have grown to become the premier awards for the social sector. Decided by the Leadership Council, a well-respected group of social sector leaders and influencers, the Classy Awards bring together groundbreaking nonprofits to recognize the achievements driving social change.

Classy’s goal is to provide nonprofits the platform deserved to elevate their causes, grab the attention of new donors, and strengthen relationships with existing supporters. The benefits of being a Classy Award recipient (which we’ll cover below) can fuel your fundraising efforts, strengthen your organizational impact, and get you closer to your goals.

Key Benefits of Being Named a Classy Award Winner

Public Recognition

Joining the community of Classy’s premier nonprofit award winners presents opportunities for awareness and exposure of your organization to larger audiences.

Thanks to our partnership with Upworthy, winners will be featured on their website and social media channels, which collectively have over 16 million followers across platforms.

Winners will also be featured in a dedicated media relations campaign and provided tools to share the achievement with their network.

Collaborative Passes

Classy Award finalists receive two complimentary passes to Classy’s in-person 2023 Collaborative conference on June 7-8, 2023, in Philadelphia, and invitations to attend celebrations throughout the event.

Community of Leaders

All finalists are evaluated by our Leadership Council and have exclusive opportunities to build connections with these individuals and other members of the nonprofit community at Collaborative.

In addition, being recognized as a top organization of the year naturally increases donors’ trust in your nonprofit. It can also help re-energize your employees to continue charging toward your goals. Your staff members’ increased pride and motivation make a perfect recipe for greater organizational impact.

The Fine Print

Eligibility

Organizations must verify 501(c)(3) status and have a headquarters in the United States.

Programs

Classy Awards are awarded to organizations at the programmatic level and must have at least one year of measurable results. A program is a specific initiative that addresses a social or environmental problem, relies on dedicated resources and budget, and has a strategy to achieve distinct goals.

Criteria

All nominees are scored on knowledge of the problem, innovative approach, ability to solve the problem, and overall effectiveness.

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Be Named One of the 2023 Nonprofits of the Year

Utilizing innovative ideas, creative technologies, and organizational effectiveness is no small feat. That’s why the sector’s accomplishments in these areas deserve celebration.

Take advantage of this opportunity to elevate your team’s impact to greater audiences and inspire other nonprofits to celebrate their accomplishments.

We’ll detail everything you need to know as a first-time or returning attendee and the brand-new details that will make the 2023 experience even more memorable (if that’s possible!).

Collaborative 2023: The Full Experience

What is Collaborative by Classy?

Collaborative by Classy brings together forward-thinking nonprofit professionals and social sector experts for a two-day experience. Together with the brightest minds and best fundraisers in the industry, we uncover the ideas that will propel our sector forward and unlock the world’s generosity.

In 2022, we hosted over 293 organizations live in Philly. The hype was real about how valuable it was for nonprofit leaders and changemakers to reunite in person and build relationships lasting far beyond the closing remarks.

Our team left feeling reenergized and got to planning the 2023 event right away. We’re so happy to announce that registration is officially open to all.

The Conversations

Join us June 7-8, 2023 live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the rare opportunity to step outside the day-to-day and meaningfully engage with other nonprofit leaders. Embrace the opportunity to share your goals and challenges to continuously adapt to the ever-changing giving landscape and collectively brainstorm ways to evolve to meet growing demand. Collaborative is your community.

It’s the place where the most forward-thinking, inventive nonprofit leaders assemble for intentional learning experiences that leave them ready to raise more for their missions and ultimately do more good in the world.

The event series is known for hosting a diverse group of experts, such as:

• Anna Rathmann, Executive Director at the Jane Goodall Institute USA
• Abby Maxman, President of Oxfam America
• Becky Morphis, Vice President of Thought Leadership at Fidelity Charitable
• Reshma Saujani, Leading Activist & Founder of Girls Who Code and Marshall Plan for Moms
• Benjamin Lloyd Crump, Esquire, Founder, and Principal Owner, Ben Crump Law
• Joan Garry, Principal and Founder of Joan Garry Consulting and Nonprofit Leadership Lab

Collaborative is more than your average conference. It’s where a lifelong network of the sharpest and most innovative minds in the industry become a powerhouse community, united in the mission to solve the world’s most challenging problems.

The event series begins with the marquee event in June and continues with year-round opportunities to connect with fellow nonprofit leaders. Take advantage of the opportunity to engage in timely conversations about the latest industry trends, priorities, and relevant events.

Don’t Miss an Update: Sign up for updates on all things Collaborative.

The Venues

Collaborative by Classy 2023 will be returning to the Fishtown neighborhood. We’ve incorporated Philly’s vibrant culinary, art, and music trends to mark the occasion in style.

Check out a few of the live event spaces you’ll experience this year:

The Fillmore

Punch Line

Brooklyn Bowl

Travel and Accommodations

How does staying in the nation’s first modern skyscraper sound to you? Book a room at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, within walking distance of the city’s best sightseeing spots, restaurants, and bars.

We’ll offer a complimentary shuttle once you’re there to get you to our venues on time and without worry.

What’s New in 2023

You already know we’re passionate about making this year the best experience yet, so here’s a first glimpse at what’s in store to uplevel Collaborative by Classy for 2023 attendees:

Two Conference Days: Enjoy timely discussions about the latest fundraising and technology trends streamlined into two impactful days. We encourage all attendees to take advantage of the ample networking opportunities to build connections and expand their circle.

An Additional Venue: Get yet another unique space to connect at the Brooklyn Bowl, located on the same block as the Fillmore and Punch Line (No stuffy conference halls here!)

New Hotel for Attendees: Complete the experience with a center city-located hotel to rest and regroup between events or keep the conversations going over a workout or spa date

Collaborative Block Party: We couldn’t kick off the experience without a welcome party that truly makes a statement. Celebrate with us as Collaborative by Classy takes over the block with plenty of networking, entertainment, and experiential learning opportunities at your fingertips

Classy Awards Winner Announcement: Celebrate the impact of the social sector and be the first to find out who the 2023 winners are before they’re announced widely

We Can’t Have Collaborative Without The Classy Awards

The Classy Awards celebrate the innovative work of the social sector, recognizing the impact nonprofit organizations have on solving the world’s most pressing challenges. Starting in 2009, the Classy Awards have grown to become the premier awards for the social sector. Determined by a well-respected group of judges, the Classy Awards bring together groundbreaking nonprofits and impact leaders to recognize the achievements driving lasting change around the globe.

The 2023 Classy Award winners will be announced at Collaborative and will have the opportunity to attend exclusive, celebratory events over the course of the two days.

Stay Up to Date

Check back for updates and follow us on social media to stay up to date on the latest Collaborative announcements @connectatcollab.

Uncertain times can either ignite people to help the rising demand for support or cause them to pull back. To get the clarity nonprofits seek, Classy surveyed 1,000 US donors. Unsurprisingly, our report found that the 2020 pandemic introduced an air of resilience in uncertain times that showcased the strength of the social sector and those who fund it.

Whether it’s an unforeseen health crisis or a changing economy, our data continuously points to donors who do their best to give when their communities need it most. Here, we’re digging into our September 2022 survey of 1,000 nationwide donors to showcase their shared takeaways about how the economy impacts their giving behaviors.

7 Takeaways From Donors About Charitable Behavior in an Uncertain Economy

1. Donors Are Concerned About the Economy

We found that nearly half of US donors share a pessimistic view of the economy. And while the remaining group of donors is mainly neutral, we see that 29% still have optimism for what’s to come.

Uncertainty of any kind in the economy is likely to cause concerns, significantly when prices are rising around us. People are exposed to constant news coverage and projections that seem to share different forecasts for what’s to come, which can also cause people to air on the side of caution.

However, as you go through these takeaways, you’ll see that charitable giving isn’t always a reflection of how a donor views the economy.

2. The Majority of Donors Made Changes to Their Lifestyle

It’s natural to see people take proactive steps to secure their financial position, especially in times of economic uncertainty. It’s crucial for nonprofits to understand this when crafting appeals during economic fluctuations.

We saw that 77% of donors made financial changes to their lifestyles in response to the economy, with 22% making changes they considered significant. Bloomberg’s insights mirrored this, showcasing that US consumers are considering a tighter spending budget for the 2022 holiday season.

While for-profits may see significant changes in how people spend their money, nonprofit organizations could see daily spending cuts in donations.

3. The Cost of Giving Doesn’t Mirror the Cost of Living

Americans are stepping up to meet the increased demand for support from nonprofit organizations and seeing the importance of their contributions. Coming in at the highest percentage we’ve seen in the last four years, 90% of US donors plan to meet their generous giving levels from 2021 or increase it for the 2022 season.

And when more communities need support, the call to help seems to resonate more with donors who see an opportunity to make an impact. So despite constantly changing financial situations, it’s still critical for nonprofits to consider asking for donations. What we hope you take away, however, is that donors are ready to help when they find organizations they trust and rely on to help solve challenges that resonate with them.

4. Many Donors Intentionally Save Money to Donate

Wonder why we see increased giving potential as more donors express concerns over the economy? It makes more sense when you see how they make their donations possible, even in times of financial strain.

We saw that 39% of donors made minor changes and sacrifices in their daily expenses to ensure they had funds to donate in 2022. Across the board, we also saw that over half of donors plan for donations in their budgeting.

Understanding how US donors prioritize their giving behaviors over their personal costs gives us a window into why they continue to give. Next, we’ll share a deeper look into the internal motivations that keep charitable giving top of mind.

5. A Subset of Passionate Donors Will Increase Contributions

Over a quarter of all US donors plan to give more in 2022 than they gave in 2021. We asked that group of donors why they plan to donate more to help nonprofits craft thoughtful, relationship-building strategies.

The Top Reasons Donors Will Give More in 2022

1. The donor’s passion recently increased
2. The need for donations recently increased
3. The cause’s relevance recently increased

This year’s report also separated loyal donors, who give a recurring gift or gave at least three times in the past five years to the same organization, and passive donors. Loyal donors not only plan to give donations 4x the amount that passive supporters plan to give in 2022, but they’re also more resilient in the face of financial stress.

As you dig into the full report online, you’ll see just how to connect with loyal donors and ways to convert passive interest into long-term relationships that can sustain your organization through any future uncertainties.

6. Options Keep Donors From Canceling Donations

Not all donors can continue to give at the amounts they might have if their financial situations hadn’t changed. Still, it’s essential to see that many will change their donations over canceling them entirely.

When you think about recurring contributions, in particular, each cancellation regularly impacts the predictability of income. That’s why we asked donors what would prevent them from canceling a monetary donation.

The responses show that donors would not cancel if the organization offered them the ability to change the donation amount (e.g., reduce the donation by 50%) or the donation frequency (e.g., bimonthly to monthly). These small changes add up when you can retain donors through more challenging times and invite them back to give more as they feel comfortable doing so.

7. Donors Are Showing Nonmonetary Support

There’s value in the way donors step up to the plate to provide nonmonetary support too. In fact, 56% of surveyed donors have already shown nonmonetary support to organizations they feel connected to or plan to by the end of 2022.

Why America Gives showed everything from volunteering time and physical goods donations to advocating to spreading awareness of a cause from today’s donors. This is why it’s a great time to lean on supporters to fill gaps through volunteer time and food or clothing donations. That way, you’re still building relationships and igniting their inner passion for helping, keeping your organization top of mind when they talk to their friends and family or decide to donate a monetary donation again in the future.

Build Loyalty That Outlasts Economic Fluctuations

As you build your new year strategies and determine the best way to stay connected to donors, we’re here to help. Find all the insights we’ve shared here today and so much more to help you foster loyalty among new and existing donors in Why America Gives 2022.

In just one year from Classy’s last US donor survey, the country faced an international humanitarian conflict, controversial legislative changes, devastating natural disasters, and 40-year-high inflation rates. These all raised the demand for relief from nonprofit organizations and some important questions about how individual donors would take action to continue funding that crucial work.

Before heading into the busiest season for online donations, we went right to the source for clarity: 1,000 U.S. donors shared their charitable giving plans, loyalty to organizations, and motivations.

Giving Intentions From 1,000 of Today’s US Donors

Hearing directly from today’s donors helped us glean new insights for nonprofits looking to establish relationships that result in long-term support. And while digging into the psyche of donors who contribute monetary gifts to nonprofits and individuals, we saw just what distinguishes loyalty and passive support.

With that, we measured the impact of economic uncertainty and timely events on expected giving patterns, emotional drivers, preferred relationship-building channels, and what establishes deep connections to nonprofits.

An Optimistic Outlook on Loyalty in Economic Flux

Why America Gives 2022 found that while Americans remain ready and committed to making a difference with their wallets, major donors still outpace individual households in giving monetary donations to nonprofits across the sector.  Still, our report findings offer an optimistic view into how donors help to solve challenges that make them feel passionate.

Here’s what the data shows:

• America is activated to make a difference, with 90% of US donors willing to give the same as in 2021 or more by the end of the year, despite nearly half sharing a pessimistic economic view
• Loyal donors are the key to long-term results, expecting to donate at levels 4X higher than passive donors and showing more resilience when faced with financial stress
• Passive donors are looking for organizations to match their values, with 59% who give to an individual in need seeking more information about charities that support a similar cause
• The generational divide changes giving expectations and the way nonprofits can retain loyalty among donors of all ages

What to Expect From Future Giving Behaviors

While expectations for charitable giving are strong as we close out 2022, the prospects going forward are equally promising. This is especially true as loyal donors are eager to donate again to causes and organizations they feel passionate about in the new year. With that, we hope you’ll use our findings to foster your strongest community of support yet.

The donor experience is a long-standing priority at Classy. However, we recognize that not all fundraisers approach the experience the same way. One of those special circumstances is tribute fundraising to collect donations in memory of those who have passed or are ill.

In many instances, fundraising has a playful and gamified nature. We saw the opportunity to evolve this experience for tribute fundraisers—small changes that can make a big difference for supporters. Today, we’ll talk about four ways fundraisers can create a meaningful donation experience when fundraising for a memorial or tribute.

How Nonprofits Set Tribute Fundraisers Up for Success

Tribute fundraising allows donors to raise money on behalf of someone. At Classy, we ensure the funds donated go directly to a nonprofit that can help support further research and development or work to help other people struggling with a similar circumstance.

Nonprofits have a few options when collecting donations in memory or tribute. The first step is to create a branded memorial or tribute peer-to-peer campaign to give fundraisers a starting point. From there, supporters can customize their fundraising page to speak to exactly who the fundraising will benefit.

You can then promote these campaigns on your website to give visitors an easy way to become fundraisers. Once set up, anyone can start a fundraising page and know the funds collected will go directly back to your charity.

The Importance of Tribute and Memorial Donations

Tribute giving continues to be one of the most popular forms of giving. Across all demographics and even for some organizations, it makes up the largest percentage of overall donation volume.

Simply put, donors are motivated to donate on behalf of someone else because people feel called to support those they know. This is especially true when their donation is in tribute or memorial of someone. In our recent survey of US donors, nearly a quarter said donating as a memorial to someone is their primary motivation for giving.

Online Giving Trends of 2022 also found that tribute giving made up over 25% of gifts for each generation of donors, increasing to 41% for Baby Boomers.

(Source: Nonprofit Source, 2022)

People Are More Likely to Donate When Their Friends and Family Ask

The psychology of peer-to-peer giving shows that people are more compelled to give when supporting someone close to them. Our upcoming Why America Gives report showed how many donors make decisions based on their inner circles. We saw 71% of donors say their primary cause awareness is their friends and families.

People Want to Have an Evolved Tribute Fundraising Experience

Understanding the importance of this giving category, Classy introduced more control for fundraisers to customize their fundraising page when choosing to fundraise in memory or honor of someone else.

While nonprofits can create a peer-to-peer campaign focused on fundraisers raising in memory or as a tribute, fundraisers can also take the extra step to brand their individual fundraising page specific to their beneficiaries. Fundraisers can then tweak any existing peer-to-peer fundraising campaign by electing to fundraise in honor of someone.

Below, we’ll talk about how you can make sure memorial donations are thoughtful and some ways we’ve made it easier on the Classy giving platform.

1. Make It Easy to Create a Tribute Fundraising Page

People may not know that they can create a fundraising page to tribute someone. To increase awareness, as you bring fundraisers through the process of creating a peer-to-peer fundraising page, present a simple way to indicate that the page is, in fact, to honor someone else.

Classy enables this through a check box functionality. This way, before setting a fundraising goal, adding start and end dates, and customizing the page’s information, supporters can enter the process confident that the page will reflect their intentions.

2. Provide Flexibility Around Fundraising Goals

Some supporters who choose to create a tribute fundraising page to collect donations on behalf of someone who’s passed away or is sick may not want to set a fundraising goal. Instead, they may ask for anything their community can contribute.

Classy Tribute Fundraising Pages help supporters in this scenario, with features like a goal and leaderboards displaying top donations removed. This way, only the organizer sees the total raised. That allows the supporter to decide if they’d like to share the results and when the fundraiser should end.

3. Bring the Honoree to the Forefront

Modern fundraising pages let supporters customize their headlines and photos for a personal touch that resonates with their network. So when someone hosts a tribute fundraising page, you’ll want to make sure there’s a straightforward way to show them they can put the honoree’s name and photo there instead.

Instructional text will help guide a supporter to input the name of the individual or group they’re raising money for and offer them the option to bring more personalization through a photo they choose. That way, each page visitor can quickly see the person they’re donating to and the person who invited them to the page.

4. Take a Softer Approach to Page Language

When someone raises money on behalf of someone in need, it’s essential to acknowledge that their position can be challenging. One way to ensure the experience is thoughtful, from start to finish, is to add language tweaks from a typical peer-to-peer fundraising page.

These may be subtle but will mean a lot to the supporter creating their tribute fundraising page. One place Classy includes these tweaks for nonprofits is within fundraising tips displayed during the process. Another is in the instructions about adding an image to reflect the action of this specific fundraiser audience. You can also consider making these language tweaks in the emails you send to fundraisers upon the campaign launch and completion.

Offering Every Supporter a Great Experience

Supporting the sector that changes the world each day means knowing what modern donors need and helping nonprofits attract, convert, and retain more funds.

When supporters have a great experience, they pass that onto those who support their fundraisers, reflecting to your organization. With these small touches to your support experience, you’ll add intentional and thoughtful details that people will always remember.

Ready to explore Tribute Fundraisers on Classy?

Get ready to turn passive supporters into donors with a donation experience that streamlines the checkout process.  We found that Classy customers using an embedded checkout form during giving season saw up to a 28% improvement in revenue per site visitor.

As mobile traffic increases across our platform, embedded giving is an incredible tool to help simplify the mobile donation experience and urge supporters to complete their donations. You can start with a simple and mobile-optimized checkout form, which we’ll walk you through below.

What Is Embedded Giving?

Embedded giving experiences provide website visitors with a complete donation form without leaving your site for a separate donation page. Instead of needing to click on a separate donation page to start their transaction, they can begin right away on your home page.

There are two different ways of approaching embedded giving:

• Modal embeds or pop-up donation forms that display when people select your donate button
• Direct (or in-line) embeds where you place your form on a page in-line with other elements

We developed Classy Embedded Checkout from standard Classy donation forms, so nonprofits get many of the same benefits they’re used to on the Classy platform, from branding to donor tracking.

The ROI Nonprofits Gain From Embedded Checkout

When nonprofits focus on what modern donors want to see, they see results. Many Hopes turned to Classy’s embedded checkout forms to bring their own custom-giving experience to life for their supporters on any device they choose.

Here’s a glimpse at what Many Hopes achieved between December and April of 2021, and the same period in 2022:

• 56% YoY increase in donation volume
• 53% YoY increase in individual donors
• $975 average gift size using the popular payment option, PayPal

We’ll walk you through some easy ways to set up your embedded giving experience so you can achieve similar results.

5 Ways to Make Giving Easier With Embedded Giving

A good donor experience provides a great first impression. Delight new donors with embedded giving, and offer a reliable process that long-term supporters are happy to come back to. When you take away the confusion of where to navigate on your donation sites, you’ve already increased the chances of a completed transaction. Here are a few other tips to help you make the most of embedded giving.

1. Hook Visitors With an Attractive Look and Feel

Modal donation forms feel modern and showcase the simplicity of the minimal-step process right away. Branding your donation modal to match your website helps donors feel like they’re never leaving that experience. The consistency also shows them that you’re professional and trustworthy.

It’s also helpful to include your donation modal alongside a strong narrative. Highlight the impact of your work and provide them an avenue right then and there to join your cause. As people become more passionate about what their donations are accomplishing, they may also be more likely to share it. Word-of-mouth is how 67% of donors were most likely to find out about new causes in 2021.

Quick Tip

When you’re building your donation modal, bring your brand to life. Mirror the look and feel of your website by selecting from your brand’s color palate and language, as Many Hopes did in the example above. You can set it up with a self-serve option, using very little code, so it’s simple to get up on your site.

2. Empower Donors to Use the Device of Their Choice

It’s far less likely that donors would opt out of a donation opportunity when they feel familiar with the purchasing process. Think about the experiences surrounding donors daily with modern services and brands using intuitive apps. Now imagine you can offer donors a similar experience when they come across your site on their phones.

In 2021, most campaign types on Classy saw over half of the donor traffic come from a mobile device. Open your donation process to support mobile donors so you can capture all the people who land on your page. It’s important to consider how easy it is to donate while people are balancing work schedules, travel, or other moments of their on-the-go lifestyles where a desktop is not accessible.

Quick Tip

Look at how much traffic your campaigns typically receive from mobile devices or tablets. Consider directing donor traffic from social media platforms or physical QR code advertisements to the page on which you embed your donation modal to continue the seamless mobile experience.

3. Make Payments a Breeze

Like consumers, donors light up when they see a way to save time with a trusted payment option. Modal donation forms sync up to apps that likely already store their information, such as PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. Donors also told us that a top reason they would reconsider a donation is if their preferred payment option isn’t available.

People like easy. Boost conversion for mobile traffic by clarifying that you offer the mobile payment they want to use. Nonprofits saw mobile conversion improve by more than 2 points after activating Venmo on Classy Pay in 2022.

Different payment options also broaden your reach to audiences across younger generations. We saw that 72% of millennials selected PayPal and Venmo as their preferred payment options. Those numbers demonstrate the value of simply having these logos greet them on your checkout modal.

Quick Tip

Include the payment options that your donors resonate with most. Elevate different gift amounts and frequencies to be accessible for varied financial situations. When you use Classy’s embedded checkout, you can feel confident donors have the most optimized user experience, avoiding payment fatigue.

4. Nudge Donors to Complete and Uplevel Their Donation

We’ve all become distracted during the online payment process, abandoning our cart to respond to a text message or another notification. Globally, the average shopping cart abandonment rate is 71.49% with e-commerce brands losing an estimated $18 billion in revenue. 

Consider how many donors land on your donation page and begin the checkout process to then get distracted because they don’t have their credit card on them or they’re late for an appointment. Setting up cues or nudges that remind the donor of their intended donation is important to recapture the donor’s attention and guide them back toward their cart. 

Nudges can also persuade donors who select a one-time donation to become recurring donors instead. We’ve seen how valuable recurring donors are in creating predictable revenue for organizations. In fact, the average one-time gift is about $168 on Classy, and the average monthly recurring gift is $30. While the recurring gift size is smaller, recurring donors typically give for one to three years. One year of a $30 monthly donation would bring in $360—roughly 2X the average one-time gift.

Quick Tip

Activate Classy’s Abandoned Cart Nudge and Recurring Nudge for your embedded checkout so that donors are more likely to complete their donation and become recurring donors. 

5. Simplify Employer Matching

A donor wants to make the most significant impact on your cause or a challenge you’re looking to solve. When you can offer to double their donation, that impact is even more enticing.

Employee donation matching encourages workplace giving. It also broadens awareness of your cause among larger organizations that can become corporate sponsors, volunteers, or major donors down the road.

Offering an employer donation match option on your donation modal gives donors a quick way to see if their organization can match their contribution. It can also be a great tool to prompt timely giving. Most visitors see the donation match as an opportunity to make the biggest difference toward your cause.

Quick Tip

Integrate a matching gift tool into your embedded checkout experience to prompt donors to search for their employer to match their donations. Stay up to date on how Classy is offering more capabilities with partners like Double the Donation.

6. Bring Recurring Giving Opportunities Into the Spotlight

We already know donors love choices, but especially when their financial circumstances may shift, an option to automate a smaller gift over time can be appealing. Did you know 56% of donors feel a recurring gift enables them to continuously support the organization, and 47% like the option because it makes more of an impact?

A recurring donation option on your modal donation form puts the option right in front of donors who might not have known it was possible. Donation pages already bring in the most average recurring revenue; including regular giving on your donation modal can yield excellent results.

Quick Tip

Present your recurring gift option with various giving frequencies to appeal to any donor’s financial situation. Classy lets you offer monthly, weekly, daily, bi-weekly, quarterly, and annual options all on the same form. This way you can put the power in your donors’ hands, and the predictable income in yours.

Get Started With Embedded Giving on Classy

Are you ready to delight your donors with a modern giving experience? We hope you see the value in offering this simple option that only takes a few steps to set up. Bring your website visitors into your donor community, and stay up to date on new donation modal updates from Classy to continue to raise more for your cause.

Activity tracking is also making a tremendous impact on peer-to-peer fundraising. Whether the event is a run, walk or ride, or conducted in person, virtual or hybrid, activity tracking offers nonprofits numerous ways to encourage and engage their participants in their event training and fundraising. It also offers participants the more engaging experiences and digital tools that they have come to expect in their fundraising efforts.

From tracking progress to connecting with others, those fundraising efforts are conducted primarily in the mobile sphere and in mobile apps in particular. This makes sense given that Americans spend an average of 4.1 hours per day on their mobile devices, according to the 2022 App Annie Intelligence State of Mobile report.

Accordingly, nonprofit organizations are increasingly reaching their peer-to-peer fundraisers exactly where they are—on their mobile devices. So we’ve seen that integrating activity tracking into the mobile fundraising mix to increase engagement opportunities has been a natural progression, albeit a fairly recent one.

Activity Tracking Is a Solution to Engage Donors

In 2020 as nonprofits turned to virtual events due to the coronavirus pandemic, Classy partner Charity Dynamics, which provides digital marketing and fundraising solutions to nonprofits, recognized the need for organizations to help keep their participants engaged and connected with their event community. 

Activity tracking was a natural part of this solution. Training for a run, walk or ride event can be a tough ask for a lot of fundraisers, particularly if they’ve never done a race (competitive or otherwise) before.

Tracking their physical activity—steps taken, miles walked or run or ridden, and so on—can help them stay on target to reach their training goals. In fact, recent research from the University of South Australia shows that people who use activity trackers walk up to 40 minutes more per day than those who don’t (and stay motivated to continue exercising more). 

Charity Dynamics developed the activity tracker Boundless Motion as part of its Boundless Fundraising® mobile app solution and launched it in May 2020. Boundless Motion integrates seamlessly with Classy’s peer-to-peer fundraising platform, allowing organizations to implement the tracking features that best work for their audiences.

Features That Empower Fundraising

Through Boundless Motion, event participants engage with a number of features that are designed to empower their training and fundraising, such as:

• Gamification
• Corporate Sponsorships
• Leaderboards
• Participant Challenges
• Fitness Tracker Integration

Peer-to-Peer Engagement

Event participants can track their progress on the event and team leaderboards and challenge other participants or team members to hit certain fundraising or activity goal. They can also cheer each other on within the app or share their progress on their social channels for even greater encouragement. 

Team captains can rally team members through personal messages within the app and provide coaching and fundraising tips as participants train up to an event.

Activity Tracking Helps Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers Raise More

By increasing participant engagement, activity tracking is already having an immediate impact on fundraising revenue as well, ensuring that it will remain part of the peer-to-peer fundraising fabric. Last year, of active fundraisers in a national walk/run program who used Boundless Motion, the average dollar amount raised totaled $1,130 per fundraiser (versus $270 per active fundraiser without the Boundless app). 

With event participants increasingly turning to mobile fundraising and virtual communities (even as events themselves return to in person), the relationship between activity tracking and peer-to-peer fundraising can only grow stronger. Organizations can create the perfect virtual fundraising and training center right on their participants’ phones.

I am proud to look around and see a company unparalleled in its combination of relentless obsession over customer success, its focus on exceptional product and engineering innovation and excellence, and its ambition to radically transform individual giving for the most important sector on earth.

We have spent several years working together to build a team of incredible technologists that are supported and celebrated for delivering ever-greater value for our customers. Just over a year ago, we began conversations with the leadership team at GoFundMe out of a collective view that we could bring even more attention and support to the incredible causes fundraising on our platform. 

Several months into this partnership with GoFundMe, I am more convinced than ever of the potential and promise of this combined company. As part of my extended responsibilities, I am assuming the position of Chief Operating Officer of GoFundMe. This dual role as President of Classy and COO of GoFundMe recognizes the important part nonprofits play in the combined organization’s strategic focus and orientation.

Partnering with me is Eric Pannese, who is being elevated to serve as our new Chief Product and Technology Officer, and Chris Silver, who is joining the Classy executive team as Senior Vice President of Marketing. Together, along with Chief Growth Officer Marc Ferris and SVP of Engineering Shantanu Bose, we will continue to serve this space and build the fundraising technology that we believe this sector deserves. 

During my years with Classy, I have been enormously proud of the technological and organizational milestones we have delivered for clients, including the acquisition and launch of Classy Live (formerly Fondi), our delivery of Classy Pay, the launch of new payment methods such as PayPal, Venmo, and cryptocurrency, and most importantly, supporting over $5 billion dollars processed through our platform. Our rapid innovation continues unabated with our embedded checkout experience, new revenue-driving features such as abandoned cart and recurring upsell nudges, and the development of robust, native integrations for data and analytics tools, including Google Analytics 4, Meta Conversion API, and Salesforce. 

Over the past several months, I’ve also gained a tremendous appreciation for the sophistication and care the GoFundMe team takes in helping people help each other. The two companies have collectively raised billions of dollars to help nonprofits and individuals raise more for good. 

Classy and GoFundMe are uniquely positioned to build more connection points with individuals passionate about a cause. We believe that no matter the cause, there are individuals and communities interested in supporting nonprofits, if only they were aware of the impact these organizations were having. Ultimately, we want to connect every citizen philanthropist with the causes and organizations they care about. 

Just last week, we launched a pilot program to connect passionate GoFundMe donors with incredible Classy nonprofit customers supporting similar causes. The learnings from this pilot will be used to build a more robust program where the community of 100+ million engaged individuals can be connected with nonprofits working on causes they care about at scale.

It is truly awe-inspiring to see the ambition, reach, and impact of our combined organizations. Together, Classy and GoFundMe are changing the giving landscape and becoming the most helpful place on earth. 

Nonprofit organizations leverage Meta and other online platforms to connect with supporters, often using targeted advertising. Whether it be fundraising on Facebook for a cause or finding new volunteers in the area, these efforts are powered by data to provide the most relevant message at the right time to the right audience.

That being said, the digital advertising ecosystem is quickly changing. Online users increased privacy expectations, regulations from governments, and changes coming directly from large tech platforms like Apple, have impacted the way that nonprofit organizations can collect and use data. 

For example, one of the biggest changes has been how web browsers have changed their policies around third-party cookie tracking, which has traditionally been the way that most online platforms track users online. It’s expected that by the end of 2023 most browsers will fully block all third-party cookies automatically. 

It’s clear that the nonprofit sector must move away from third-party cookie tracking and look to new ways of collecting data while also respecting privacy. Without additional tracking options, nonprofit organizations could experience a drop-off in results from their digital marketing efforts. 

These additional forms of tracking need to ensure that:

• You can still reach people who have shown interest in your organization
• Ad targeting is showing to the right audiences
• Ad platforms (that thrive on data) are able to perform to their fullest potential
• Measurement and reporting are accurate

So, what can your organization do about this ever-changing landscape? Thankfully, organizations like Classy, which understand the value of accurate data, are taking steps to build more reliable connections with ad platforms. This first step is a Classy partner integration with a tool called Conversions API, or CAPI for short. 

What is Conversions API?

Conversions API is a Meta business tool that creates a direct connection between your marketing data and Meta. This new tool lets organizations share key web and offline events, or customer actions, directly from a server to the Facebook pixel (known as server-side tracking). Server-side tracking allows advertisers to move third-party cookies away from your website or app into server-side processing via the cloud, which improves the performance and measurement of Facebook ad campaigns.

Some of the benefits of CAPI include:

• More Accurate Data: The Conversions API can help you measure ad performance and attribution across a prospective supporter’s full journey, from discovery to conversion. This helps you better understand how digital advertising impacts both online and offline results.

• Improved performance: Because CAPI doesn’t rely solely on 3rd-party cookie tracking (like the Meta pixel), your organization will be able to leverage the full power of Meta’s advertising capabilities. The more data you can feed the ad platform, the faster it will learn, leading to improved results. 

• Data Control: Conversions API gives organizations the ability to control what data is shared and when. This means that organizations that store lots of user data can control what is shared with clients to add another layer of security.

How Does Meta’s Conversion API Work?

Take the example of your nonprofit advertising during year-end on Meta. You’re trying to drive as many donations as you can and report back to your team the success of your campaign efforts. If you are unable to record a completed donation or registration event with the Meta pixel because a user has opted out of tracking, the Classy integration works alongside the Meta Conversions API to send a parallel, server-based event to Meta with extra data that can be used to help identify the event. That way you can see exactly how many donations your campaigns truly generated from Meta.

In the instance that a donation or registration occurs and an event is received by Meta from both the Conversions API and the Meta Pixel, Meta will then ‘deduplicate’ one of the events and recognize one event has occurred. Alternatively, if a user has opted out of tracking, then an event will only be sent to Meta through the Conversions API. This means that this method of tracking will help organizations more accurately measure conversions like registrations or donations regardless of whether or not a user has opted out of tracking.

Easily Implement CAPI With Classy

 Meta recommends getting started with CAPI in two ways: either directly, by using your own in-house developer resources, or alternatively, by leveraging a partner solution. If you are a nonprofit organization that has an in-house developer or has the bandwidth to set up CAPI on your own, you can find Meta’s guided instructions for the process here.

If you don’t have an in-house developer, but you’re a Classy customer, you’re in luck! Recognizing the need for nonprofits everywhere to be able to easily set up Conversions API, Classy has developed its own server-side event tracking solution that allows partner agencies and Classy customers to retrieve the data needed to optimize their online fundraising strategies. Classy’s solution to the Conversions API is incredibly accessible compared to the many alternatives of setting up CAPI with Meta. Setting up Conversions API with the Meta Pixel can also ensure more accurate data, data control, and accurate data sharing.

Without Classy, one of the larger hurdles for setting up CAPI is implementing and creating your own server-side event solution to send data to Meta. There are also data requirements for what information you need to send Meta in order for the Conversions API to work. Without developers and or the time, this can be a deterring factor for organizations who want to use Meta’s Conversions API.  

With Classy, this piece is all handled by Classy’s implementation team. Upon completing the setup of the Meta Conversions API within your Meta Business Suite, you just need to connect your Pixel ID and API Conversions Token to your Classy account. Classy will then send the events and necessary data points that Meta requires in order to properly recognize and deduplicate events.

Safely Track Data With the Classy CAPI Integration

The launch of Conversion API is a massive win for the nonprofit sector. Not only will it help organizations more accurately track results from Meta campaigns, but it will help change the way other platforms like Google, Amazon, and LinkedIn safely track users’ information. As mentioned above, there are a lot of benefits to server-side tracking, and based on current privacy and data trends, we expect to see server-side tracking become a more relied upon solution.

For most organizations, implementing the Meta Conversions API will be the first step toward server-side tracking, but remember you don’t have to go on this journey alone. Make sure you’re taking advantage of this simple-to-use Classy CAPI integration to ensure more accurate data, improved performance, and data control for your nonprofit. 

You might have heard about updated Mastercard rules. While these changes are no longer applicable to nonprofits and donations, Classy considers it best practice to conform to consumer regulations. We’re here to explain why you should feel confident that your nonprofit still prioritizes the recurring donor experience when you partner with Classy.

This year, Mastercard enhanced its cardholder experience with new requirements around subscription billing models. Our team at Classy is constantly improving the platform to help you facilitate a fantastic recurring giving experience for your donors, which includes allowing donors to give how and when they want.

What Are the New Mastercard Rules?

Mastercard asked any subscription merchant or organization conducting recurring payment transactions to adjust their practices. These rules aim to add transparency for cardholders and reduce chargebacks.

Nonprofits aren’t required to apply these rules but doing so can only improve the experience recurring donors have with their organization, and therefore impact the rate at which they convert and retain them.

How Mastercard’s Merchant Rules Impact Nonprofits

While at the start, we believed Mastercard’s latest updates would also impact any nonprofit organization offering a recurring donation option, they no longer apply.

However, a recurring donation is similar to a subscription as it regularly charges a donor’s card on an automatic frequency such as daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annually.

Nonprofits can create better experiences similar to for-profit services and subscriptions by applying the rules Mastercard laid out:

1. Disclose full subscription terms at the time of a recurring gift subscription, including the price that will be billed and the frequency of the billing (for example, “You will be billed USD 9.95 per month until you cancel the recurring donation.“).
2. Send a confirmation by email or another electronic method when a donor enrolls in a recurring donation plan that provides the subscription terms, a transaction receipt, and clear instructions about canceling the subscription. Cardholders may choose to opt out of receiving these notices.
3. Offer an email or electronic reminder for payments that process six or more months apart, such as a semi-annual or annually recurring gift. Nonprofits should notify a donor on this type of plan or recurring gift frequency at least seven days, but no more than 30 days before the billing date, and include the subscription terms and instructions on how to cancel.
4. Provide instructions for canceling a recurring gift online or precise information on how a donor can cancel their donation online (such as a “Manage Subscription” or “Cancel Subscription” link on the merchant’s home page).
5. An online cancellation method easily accessible for donors to manage and end their recurring donation as they see fit, at any time they wish to do so.

You’re Covered With Classy

Classy’s strategy for recurring giving is about much more than being compliant. Classy’s technology creates great giving experiences for supporters, which includes the ability for donors to give how and when they want. It’s why we’ve invested, and continue to invest so much into our recurring giving product set.

Classy’s platform allows donors to manage their subscriptions through the supporter hub, and we’ve launched capabilities like multiple plan frequencies and plan end dates, which give them even more flexibility. We also have plans to enrich the supporter hub with more features like temporary pause options and reactivate options. All of these features are aimed at giving recurring donors the best experience, which drives retention.

Prioritizing the donor experience means investing time to explore what today’s donors want and need. A large portion of that experience is maintaining trust with donors as they give to various nonprofit organizations. We pride ourselves on offering features and proactive measures that naturally support the Mastercard merchant rules.

To ensure we are compliant with the regulations set forth by Mastercard, we will make the following updates by November 2022:

1. Email notification to donors 7 days prior to processing payment for recurring giving plans with frequencies that are six months apart or longer, inclusive of semi-annual and annual donations
2. A required “manage your donation” content block for all recurring giving emails sent to supporters

This email will be enabled and triggered for all existing campaigns so that no action by the organization is needed. However, organizations will have the option to customize the email template just as they currently do for other email templates within a campaign.

Your Trusted Partner for Recurring Giving

Recurring giving at Classy is so much more than remaining compliant. We prioritize innovation and scalability for nonprofits to invite donors to give in the way that works best for them. We recognize the value that nonprofits receive from predictable revenue streams and offer them tools to effectively establish and manage strong recurring donation programs.

Some recent updates we’ve made include additional recurring frequencies, end dates, intuitive donation management tools for donors, and mobile payment options like Paypal. We’ve also made recurring giving available through embedded checkout experiences to give donors the easiest path to provide a lasting impact. Take a look at the example below.

We’ve consistently measured recurring donation trends on our platform through our annual report, The State of Modern Philanthropy to understand the ROI of our investments. We also conducted third-party research in our Recurring Donor Sentiment Report to hear from donors themselves about what drives excellence in recurring giving experiences.

The collective research we do between our data collection and conversations on the ground with nonprofits helps us introduce new functionality that keeps recurring giving ever-evolving with modern technology and the donor landscape. Valuing incredible recurring donor experiences means we already have in place many of the aspects Mastercard is now requiring. We will continue to prioritize the evolution and improvement of the donor experience so you can build trusting relationships with your donors that lead to loyal supporters.

Get Ready to Raise More This Giving Tuesday

We’ve seen through Classy’s platform data that 10x more donors are acquired on Giving Tuesday compared to an average day of the year, and supporters convert at double the rate.

The potential for Giving Tuesday 2022 will only grow as more people become aware of the global giving day. We also see more nonprofits getting creative with fresh ideas to make it memorable for their donors. The donors you acquire on this day can fuel your fundraising efforts through the year-end giving season and into the following year as you retain the relationships you’ve built.

An Example of Giving Tuesday Success

Broadway Cares raised 153% more between Giving Tuesday 2020 and 2021 by strongly emphasizing giving the day its own campaign.

Classy customer or not, we’re giving you our top resources to plan, build, and execute your campaign this year in one go-to site.

What’s Inside Your 2022 Giving Tuesday Resource Site?

We make it easy for you to raise more with over 25 timely resources to create a campaign that builds excitement to attract new supporters and convert them to donors. Tap into your supporters’ desire to give and make the most of the  year-end giving season with access to:

• Timelines, checklists, templates, and best practices
• Examples of successful year-end giving strategies
• Proven donation trends and predictive insights
• Expertise from Classy Academy coaches

Your Partner for Giving Tuesday

Thousands of nonprofits launch their campaigns on the Classy fundraising platform. Our powerful, flexible, and secure technology provides the features you need to move the needle with the scalability to handle your biggest giving days.  See how Classy can help you this year.

An Overview of Fundraising Campaign Types

We’ll take a look at five different campaign types at your disposal when you use a modern fundraising platform like Classy. These include:

• Donation Pages /Donation Websites
• Crowdfunding
• Peer-to-Peer
• Ticketed Events
• Registration with Fundraising Events

Choosing the right campaign type is vital to your fundraising success. Your decision affects the entire marketing and communications strategy that you’ll use to rally and engage supporters.

For example, the call to action you’d include on a donation form would be along the lines of “make a one-time donation.” For a peer-to-peer campaign, you’d change that to something like “sign up to fundraise on our behalf.” If you want to lean heavily on storytelling through photos and narrative text, or explain the power of different gift amounts through impact blocks, you might lean toward a crowdfunding campaign where people can come to donate.

Below, we’ll explore the different use cases and nuances of each campaign type and provide actual Classy campaigns examples. First, let’s go over how you can determine your nonprofit’s primary focus to help decide which type is right for your first campaign.

The Value of Using Multiple Campaign Types

It’s important to state that it can be highly effective for nonprofits to use multiple campaign types throughout the year to capture new donors and audiences according to how they’d like to give. Our annual report, The State of Modern Philanthropy, outlines how valuable a multi-campaign approach can be to a well-rounded fundraising strategy. 

As you go through the list of campaign type options, think about which combination can help you reach your target donors and raise the funds you need at various milestones throughout the year. You’ll see proof points and sentiment from Classy customers to help you envision your organization’s next successful campaign.

What’s Your Campaign Focus?

To ensure you choose the right Classy campaign type, determine your organization’s focus or top priority. This isn’t the end-all-be-all of your fundraising strategy but rather something to guide your first campaign.

Start by exploring the most immediate need that brought you to use Classy in the first place. For example, you might want to establish your main donation button on your website and build a landing page that serves as a place for someone to donate.

Define specific goals and desired outcomes

Your goal will help you choose the best-fit campaign to get you there. The key is to be as specific as possible. It could also be a good idea to envision the end of the campaign and your desired outcomes. Get clear about the donation volume you’d consider a success, how many donors would participate, the ideal length of your campaign, and how many supporters you want to build relationships with throughout the process for future campaigns.

Once your team agrees on its focus, it becomes much easier to create cohesive messaging that helps supporters understand how they can contribute to your work. Each section below begins with a sample focus statement before exploring the different campaign types and examples from real nonprofits.

Donation Page

“Our nonprofit simply needs to gather donations and build a supporter base.”

A donation page can stand as your landing page. Supporters can arrive, read a short section on your work, and complete their donations. Your nonprofit can link to your donation page from your main website through a donation button. 

From there you can take the following action to get donors to your donation page:

• Include it in your monthly email appeal for donations
• Add a promotion within your newsletters
• Create online ads 
• Develop social media posts
• Write timely blogs
• Include the URL on pieces of direct mail

Flexibility of Donation Pages

With a donation page, you can collect either one-time or recurring donations. You can offer the frequency and the donation amounts listed on the form. Further, you can use pass-through parameters to have a pre-selected donation amount automatically populated when someone lands on the form. 

Offer more choices on your donation pages with modern payment options like Venmo, PayPal, cryptocurrency, digital wallets, and ACH bank transfers. Classy also offers an embedded checkout experience with a pop-up modal that can be placed on your website to simplify the experience for your donors. 

Many Hopes brought an embedded checkout experience to their donation website to see a year-over-year donation volume increase of 56% and a $975 average gift size specifically through the PayPal option.

For example, look at how Casa Central built its donation page to be engaging enough to draw someone in yet still strong enough to stand on its own.

Donation Page Classy Campaign Example

The ROI of Donation Pages

Donation pages powered by the Classy fundraising platform bring in the most average recurring revenue of all campaign types from automated repeat donations. They also have the least amount of canceled recurring contributions in the first year from the original recurring donation compared to all other campaign types.

Crowdfunding

“Our nonprofit needs to gather donations, build a supporter base, and tell our organization’s compelling story in the process.”

A crowdfunding campaign is built for storytelling. With this campaign type, you can inspire support for your cause with a robust narrative that ultimately drives people to donate.

Crowdfunding campaigns are the landing page before someone gets to your donation page. It’s meant to draw people in, teach them about your nonprofit, show the impact their gift will make, and steward them to complete a donation. Nonprofits often use video, rich imagery, and well-written copy to accomplish this.

Crowdfunding’s Value for Community-Based Campaigns

While a crowdfunding campaign works well for story-driven appeals, it’s also ideal for time-bound appeals that fundraise against an optional, public-facing goal. You can’t do this on a donation page. In addition, when you run a crowdfunding campaign that’s bound to a set duration of time, it can create a sense of urgency to donate.

Additionally, when someone donates, you can thank and encourage them in real time on the comment wall of the campaign page. This public-facing engagement opportunity shows supporters that you and your team are grateful for the support.

It also lends an element of social proof to the campaign. With a donation page, you cannot see who’s donated, how many have donated, or gauge any sense of momentum. Here’s a campaign by Water4 that puts all of these best practices to use.

Crowdfunding Classy Campaign Example

Crowdfunding for Recurring Giving

Donation pages can effectively include a recurring giving option, but you can also use a crowdfunding campaign to build a dedicated recurring giving program. The only things that change are the call to action, which shifts the focus from a one-time donation to a monthly recurring donation, and the timeline. Recurring giving programs are often evergreen. Operation Broken Silence built a recurring giving program in this fashion.

Recurring Giving Crowdfunding Classy Campaign Example

The ROI of Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding campaigns have the highest percentage of donors on mobile devices who are visiting from social media platforms. We also see that crowdfunding campaigns are the second most common way a donor returns to give a second donation. 

Peer-to-Peer

“We want to empower people to fundraise on our behalf.”

A peer-to-peer fundraising campaign page may look similar to a crowdfunding campaign, but it has a different call to action. Instead of asking someone to donate, a peer-to-peer campaign instead asks them to sign up to fundraise on your behalf.

Some peer-to-peer campaigns will offer both options and invite supporters to donate or sign up to fundraise. That way, people can still give to your cause even if they don’t want to build a personal fundraising page.

Create a Central Hub for Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Your main campaign page serves as a central hub from which supporters build their personal fundraising pages. Fundraisers will then send out their personal pages to their networks, asking people to donate.

All donations to personal fundraising pages link back to your main campaign page and increase your fundraising progress toward the goal. The true value here lies in that network effect.

As individuals reach out to their friends, families, and coworkers to share their fundraising pages, your nonprofit gets exposed to new audiences that may not have heard about your mission before. Peer-to-peer fundraising can also net your organization higher overall fundraising totals.

That’s because someone who starts a personal fundraising page can often raise more from their network than they can donate out of pocket. Not everyone can donate $100 at once, but many people have 10 friends who can each donate $10. Look at how Volunteers of America built their page.

Peer-to-Peer Classy Campaign Example

Year-Round Peer-to-Peer Campaigns

While most peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns are time-bound, like most crowdfunding campaigns, you always have the option to leave it on year-round. In these cases, you would call it a year-round peer-to-peer campaign.

Beyond that, you can build your peer-to-peer campaign as a DIY fundraising campaign, which lets supporters fundraise on their own terms and time, like Room to Grow did. Someone can donate their birthday, wedding, athletic event, or another major life milestone.

DIY Peer-to-Peer Classy Campaign Example

The ROI of Peer-to-Peer

An individual’s fundraising page brings in 20 donors on average, so your campaign could potentially reach 100 donors if even five people participated. We also saw that the average amount raised by each participant’s fundraising page in 2021 increased by 34% on average from 2020.

Events

“I want to hold an event that activates my entire community of supporters.”

Classy offers two different ways your nonprofit can tap into the power of events. First, you can choose a ticketed event, which allows you to sell tickets to your event—our online ticket sales for nonprofits feature makes this easier than ever. Second, you can choose registration with fundraising, which combines the peer-to-peer fundraising campaign with a ticketed event campaign. With the addition of Classy Live, these events can now be run virtually or enhanced in-person with mobile features.

Ticketed Event

A ticketed event is what you’ll want to choose for any event that you want to sell admission tickets for, like a gala. You can control the total number of tickets you want to sell, as well as the types of tickets you offer supporters.

You can also create special promo codes to pass out and attract additional attendees. Last, you can include a “Donate” call to action so that anyone who can’t attend your event can still make a donation to support like the High Fives Foundation did.

Ticketed Event Classy Campaign Example

Registration with fundraising is similar to the ticketed events campaign type, but it mixes in an element of peer-to-peer fundraising. Often, nonprofits will use this campaign type for endurance events like 5Ks, marathons, and run/walks.

Participants can still pay for admission to the event, but there’s an option for them to create a personal or team fundraising page as well. Some will also use this peer-to-peer functionality as a gate to entry for the event.

Someone must fundraise a certain dollar amount to guarantee their registration in the event. You can use this example from the Sacramento SPCA to inspire your own campaign.

Registration With Fundraising Classy Campaign Example

The ROI of Events

Not only are events seeing tremendous year-over-year donation volume growth after the pandemic years of 2020 through 2021, but registration with fundraising events converted at the highest rate of all campaign types. We also see ticketed events bringing in the highest percentage of donations over $1,000.

What Classy Campaign Type Will You Choose?

No matter which Classy campaign type you choose, it’s helpful to view your campaign as an iterative work-in-progress that can always be improved. One of the biggest keys to success is to have a defined focus before you start that drives a strong first version that can be improved upon later.

When you understand the call to action and are confident in the campaign type you need, you’ve done the hard part. That way, you won’t spend hours designing a page only to realize you’ve chosen the wrong type.

For more ROI related to specific campaign types on Classy, visit The State of Modern Philanthropy report. If you’re interested in learning more about how Classy can power your online fundraising efforts, please reach out to us. Good luck!

All organizations that currently use Google Analytics will need to migrate to Google Analytics 4 before then to avoid any interruptions. What’s more, data will be non-transferable between UA and GA4—meaning that it is critical to get your organization set up with GA4 well ahead of the deadline in order to retain as large of a backlog of data as possible in your new property. The good news is that there are many advantages to GA4, including its focus on data privacy, simplified data model, more flexible events, and more user-friendly interface.

This post is designed to give you a basic understanding of GA4 and show you how to get off on the right foot so that your organization can continue to benefit from Google’s best-in-class analytics tools.

What is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4 is billed by Google as the “next generation of Google Analytics.” In the most basic sense, it is a new type of property that is added to your existing overall Google Analytics account. Key features include:

• Revamped look-and-feel and simplified menu structure, which should help make insights more accessible to the average user
• Designed to focus on privacy and future ways to track users that are not based on browser cookies
• Built-in machine learning and AI that helps surface key insights based on user data
• More flexible events structure that allows for up to 25 parameters (UA is limited to three rigid parameters: Category > Action > Label)
• Tight integration with Google’s ad products to help optimize campaign performance

Differences Between UA and GA4

There are three primary differences between Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4. 

Account Structure: Unlike UA properties, a GA4 property does not offer multiple views. This means that any filtering of the data must be done within the GA4 property using the “comparisons” or “explorations” features. You may not be able to filter the data in the same way you are used to in UA, and may need to restructure your setup into multiple GA4 properties, depending on the complexity of your setup.

Data Model: UA organizes data based on sessions, whereas GA4 organizes data based on events. What this means is that UA has a hierarchical or nested data model and GA4 has a flat data model. There are advantages to the flat model. Namely, that all events exist side-by-side (sessions included), so they are easier to access and report on. This is also a reason why data is non-transferable: because the two platforms structure data in different ways. 

Event Schema: Both UA and GA4 support events, and both platforms allow you to add additional pieces of information that are sent along with those events. However, the structure for events in UA is strict: you can provide a value for “Category,” “Action,” and “Label,” as well as send a value and other custom information.

 In GA4, the structure for events is much more flexible: you can send up to 25 parameters along with your events, and you get to specify what those parameters are named, instead of having to adopt relatively vague terms (Category, Action, Label). This will allow users to create parameter names that are much more self-explanatory and pass many more parameters back with a single event, providing more insight and giving the user additional ways to break down the data.

Automatic Collected Events: Once your GA4 property is active, you’ll immediately track a number of standard events. Whereas Universal Analytics only provided metrics such as Time on Site, Bounce Rate, and Pages Per Visit as standard engagement metrics, GA4 takes a more intelligent approach. The out of the box events tracked include:

• Scroll rate
• Site search
• Video engagement
• File downloads

Custom conversions you may have set up previously for UA using a platform such as Google Tag Manager (GTM) will likely need to be recreated for GA4. Thankfully, there is a corresponding GA4 event tag type that is available in GTM. While you can simply make a copy of your existing UA event tags and change the tag type to GA4, we recommend taking the opportunity to think through how you can improve on the events you have set up by leveraging the 25 custom parameters you now have available in GA4. 

For additional information about the differences between UA and GA4, review Google’s official help documentation.

How to Implement Google Analytics 4

Implementing GA4 will depend on the platform and, in some cases, whether or not Universal Analytics is already installed. No matter the case, the first step is to create your new GA4 property in your existing Google Analytics account.

Website

If your website already has a Google Analytics (Universal Analytics) property installed, use the GA4 Setup Assistant wizard and follow these steps to collect data using your existing tags. (You must be using the gtag.js snippet on your site for this method to work properly.)

If you are using Google Tag Manager on your website, you can follow these steps to use the GA4 Configuration tag type to implement GA4. 

Classy

You have two options for implementing GA4 across your Classy account:

1.) Using Classy’s Native Google Analytics 4 Integration (Standard)

This method is preferable if you are not currently using GTM across your Classy account, want a simple way to install GA4, and are happy with the way that data (including transactions) currently populate with Classy’s UA integration.

1. Visit GA4 Property
2. Copy Measurement ID (under Admin > Data Streams > Select Stream > Measurement ID)
3. Log into Classy
4. Select Apps + Extensions
5. Choose Google Analytics 4
6. Paste Measurement ID
7. Press Enable Google Analytics 4

Note: If you enable Classy’s Google Analytics 4 integration, your account will not be eligible to use Google Tag Manager due to a Google limitation.

2.) Using Classy’s Google Tag Manager Integration (Advanced)

This method is ideal if you want to begin or maintain the use of GTM across your Classy account while also implementing GA4. It is also worth considering if you would like to customize the way that events and/or transactions flow from Classy into GA4, as you will have control over parameters and variables.

Follow our guide for step-by-step instructions on how to use GTM to install GA4.

When to Get Started With GA4

Google will be sunsetting Universal Analytics by July 1, 2023. You technically have until then to implement Google Analytics 4, but you shouldn’t wait. You don’t want to begin at square zero come July 2023. In order to have at least a year’s worth of data to compare back to, we recommend implementing GA4 for your organization by July of 2022.

For more information on GA4, check out our webinar, How to Unlock Better Reporting Using Google Analytics 4 and Classy.

This post was written by Classy’s partner Media Cause. Media Cause is a mission-driven marketing and creative agency that helps nonprofits grow and accelerate their impact. We take a people-first approach to developing powerful creative, scalable growth strategies, and targeted communications that connect with individuals across their entire supporter journey: from awareness and recruitment to fundraising and advocacy, and every touchpoint in-between.

In fact, this platform switch presents a perfect opportunity to re-engage this critical group of donors and even acquire greater levels of support.

Below, we discuss how you can make this migration as streamlined as possible, seize this opportunity to reconnect with your recurring donors, and create a targeted outreach plan that inspires supporters to recommit to your cause. Here’s what you need to know to get started.

3 Simple Steps to Migrate Your Recurring Donors

Many nonprofits are quick to feel intimidated by the idea of a recurring donor migration and what it might encompass, but the process is not as complicated as it seems.

There are three clear-cut steps for your organization:

Step 1: Email your recurring donors and ask them to set up recurring donations (according to the frequency option they desire) on your new Classy campaign.

Step 2: Cancel these donors’ old recurring gifts in your previous platform.

Step 3: Call any recurring donors who have not yet set up new donations on your Classy campaign, and ask them to make donations over the phone. Your staff can manually enter in these new donations and cancel those in the former platform.

The great news is that this process is not only simple, but it also has the potential to transform into a major donor stewardship event.

Pro Tip: Classy makes it seamless to migrate donors from your existing platform. Learn about these migration opportunities and more.

A Stewardship Opportunity You Can’t Miss

The recurring donor migration process can become a unique opportunity for your team to personally re-engage this vitally important cohort of supporters.

Each targeted email or phone call creates the opportunity for a meaningful touchpoint that reconnects your recurring donors with their impact on your mission. The direct calls, especially, are moments to remind them of the real people behind your brand and share person-to-person interactions that can deepen those connections.

Use these messages to call to mind:

• The milestones your donors have helped you reach so far
• How their ongoing support will impact your programs moving forward
• Any upcoming initiatives their donations will directly support
• The people and personalities behind your mission
• How upgrading their gift can make an even greater difference on the lives of those you serve

You can also explain to donors how this transition to Classy will give them even greater flexibility and control over their own recurring subscriptions. On Classy, they’re able to customize their payment frequency, the dates they’re charged, their payment method, and even the end dates for their gift plans. Let your donors know how your organization deeply considered their needs and wants when deciding your platform transition.

Overall, understanding that this is a stewardship opportunity beckons another layer of strategy. Get smart with your messaging by segmenting your outreach.

Segment Your Outreach

An intentional, segmented outreach plan will ensure customized messaging that creates a positive experience for your donors. Whether you organize supporters by their credit card expiration dates, or the size or frequency of their donations, consider how each touchpoint can serve as a piece within a larger, personalized narrative versus a one-off administrative message.

Here are three ways you might segment your recurring donors.

Group 1: Recurring Donors Set to Expire in the Next 30 to 60 Days

Email this group of recurring donors and let them know that their card is about to expire. Ask them to start a new donation with their most up-to-date information through your brand new campaign or recurring giving donation page on Classy.

This message is also an opportunity to upgrade donors’ gift sizes. Thank them for their continued support and ask if they might consider increasing their donation by a certain amount. Be sure to demonstrate what that additional support would mean to your organization in terms of impact.

You can also use this outreach as an opportunity to be transparent and further develop your brand’s voice. Consider communicating to your donors why you’re updating your recurring giving program, what you need from them to help it succeed, and outline the benefits both your supporters and beneficiaries will receive from the change.

Group 2: Your Recurring Donor All-Stars

While their credit cards might not be set to expire anytime soon, the next group to consider could be your “all-stars.” To assess which recurring donors you have the strongest relationships with, segment your list by the length of your relationship, donation amount, or by how often they open your messages.

If you decide to sort your donors by length of relationship, consider referring to them as your “founding members” to make them feel like they’re part of an exclusive group. Let them know you’re revamping your recurring giving program, and you’re reaching out to personally invite them over. Thank them for their longtime support and walk them through setting up a gift on your new Classy campaign.

This could also be an opportunity to introduce any new perks for your recurring donors. Consider what else you could provide to help strengthen their connection to your team. Exclusive content? Specific impact updates? Branded swag? Position the transfer and relaunch as a way of saying thanks and offering new benefits to increase the chance donors will engage.

Group 3: Recurring Donors You Don’t Know as Well

After you’ve reached out to your all-stars, it’s time to reach out to your recurring donors with whom you don’t have quite as much history, or as strong of a relationship.

Introduce your new recurring giving campaign and acknowledge the work your supporters helped make possible thus far. As with the previous groups, let them know how your new program is an improvement and how it offers them even more flexibility with their payment methods, frequencies, and overall subscription plans.

Communicate how you’d like to take this opportunity to learn more about them. In addition to making a donation on your Classy campaign, perhaps you can ask them a survey question or two to help you better understand how you can serve them as valuable members of your community.

Ready to Migrate Your Recurring Donors to Classy?

Migrating your recurring donors to Classy can be a seamless process. Just as importantly, it offers you the chance to personally connect with your supporters and rejuvenate their passion for your mission.

Let them know how your recent change in platform will also improve the flexibility and control your recurring donors have over their own giving. Strategic planning and communication can turn this necessary transition into a stewardship opportunity that yields even greater, long-lasting rewards for your organization.

Warn to learn more about how you can not only transfer, but ultimately up-level your recurring giving campaign? Talk to a Classy expert today.

The donation page experiences that lead to deeper donor trust and more completed transactions are the ones that feel consistent with all other campaign pages a donor may engage with from a particular nonprofit organization. To achieve consistency across your nonprofit campaigns, unite your nonprofit website and main donation button with the software powering your events, crowdfunding, and peer-to-peer fundraising efforts.

The Power of Your Donation Page

Your donation page is likely a year-round source of revenue for those looking to take action outside of specific campaign periods. In 2021, we saw how important an online donation page is to acquiring and retaining recurring donations.

Here’s what The State of Modern Philanthropy 2022 revealed:

• Donation pages bring in the most recurring revenue on average compared to all other campaign types, at $15,534 per campaign and a median of $707
• When a donor made a second donation to any campaign in 2021, either to the same organization or a new one, 60% did so through a donation page

8 Tips to Elevate Your Donate Page Design

Frequently, an organization’s donation page is its own worst enemy in getting site visitors to complete their gifts. There are a few essential donation page best practices that, if followed, make it pretty straightforward to entice donations from both one-time and recurring donors.

Here, we’ll cover eight great donation page examples with easy-to-implement donation page best practices that you can test out right after reading this post.

Donation Page Best Practice #1: Keep It Short

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your donation page can feel overwhelming. Share enough information to motivate supporters to donate without inundating them with too much information.

You’ll also want to think about the number of fields you ask someone to fill out. Are they all necessary? If not, consider cutting back to make the process simpler.

Ask questions that help strengthen your relationship with each donor. We see a creative example of this from the Blocking Hunger Foundation. This nonprofit tracks each donor’s birthday for future engagement opportunities.

Limit the amount of copy, images, media, and links on your donation page to only what’s necessary. If you have a lot to say and show, organize content logically to make it easier for readers to follow.

Blocking Hunger Donation Page Example, Powered by Classy

Donation Page Best Practice #2: Write a Great Headline

Your donation page should have an attention-grabbing headline that reminds donors of why they were compelled to give in the first place. Lean on action-oriented words to communicate the importance of donating to your organization at that moment, with an amount that will be truly impactful.

When you present potential donors with a clear value proposition, they’ll be more likely to follow through.

If your donation page visitor reads nothing else on the page but the headline, ask yourself:

• Would that individual still be motivated to donate?
• Would they understand precisely how important that donation is to your organization?
• Would they feel that their gift is critical right now?

Many Hopes Donation Page Example, Powered by Classy

Donation Page Best Practice #3: Add Recurring Gift Options

There’s a difference between adding a recurring gift button to your donation page and building a recurring giving experience. Encourage supporters to explore the possibility of expanding their impact through regularly scheduled donations on the campaign type that brings in the most recurring revenue on average.

They could choose to donate on a  monthly, weekly, daily, annually, quarterly, bi-weekly, or semi-annual basis to best align with their own preferences.

When you put the power in your donors’ hands, you’re more likely to get someone to opt into your recurring gift program.

From there, add a suggested donation amount for each frequency. Below are the average gift amounts we saw when analyzing over 12 million donations in The State of Modern Philanthropy 2022.

• Average monthly recurring donation amount: $31
• Average quarterly recurring donation amount: $73
• Average semi-annual recurring donation amount: $82
• Average yearly recurring donation amount: $100

Days for Girls Donation Page Example, Powered by Classy

Donation Page Best Practice #4: Customize the Text on Your Call to Action Button

You might be surprised to learn how much the text on a button can affect click-through and conversion rates, ultimately determining your donation potential.

A call to action should draw people in with total clarity on what to do next. In most cases, you likely want your donation page visitors to complete your online donation form. You may also feature buttons on your page to sign up for a newsletter or follow you on social media.

The key is to narrow in on the essential task: donating. Use language that emphasizes the ease of your donation process, like “you’re just one click away,” or “our toolkit will provide you with everything you need to succeed.”

Try experimenting with different button text to see what resonates. For example, instead of “submit,” try:

• Donate Now

• Make a Difference

• Send Your Gift

• Stand Up for Children

• Save the Environment

Forever Green Donation Page Example, Powered by Classy

Donation Page Best Practice #5: Add a Compelling Visual Aid

Humans are visual creatures. If your donation page doesn’t already include a visual element, add one to show potential donors why they should support you and how their gift will impact your mission.

Your nonprofit donation page should serve as a natural extension of your website. The simplest place to start is by weaving your existing brand elements into your donation page. Carry over your organization’s distinctive logo, colors, font, imagery, and overall style to maintain your aesthetic.

Ask your fundraising software provider about enabling domain masking and plugging in photos or video that bring your brand to life. StacheStrong did this in a way that invites new donors into their story, then asks them to contribute to it.

StacheStrong Donation Page Example, Powered by Classy

Donation Page Best Practice #6: Prioritize Your Mobile Experience

Donation pages received 56% of traffic from mobile devices in 2021. The more organizations adopt, optimize, and promote their donation pages as accessible on any device, the more we expect that number to rise.

Knowing the potential impact of engaging and converting millennial donors, it is especially crucial to adapt to shorter attention spans and simple experiences.  Offering the most robust fundraising software that is automatically mobile-optimized is a great first step.

It’s always a good idea to test your donation page experience on various devices to ensure every visual, text box, and button works without a hitch.

Arkansas Children’s Donation Page Example, Powered by Classy

Donation Page Best Practice #7: Make It Simple to Pay

There’s nothing worse than an abandoned cart. Still, it’s the reality for brands and nonprofits alike as consumers have more expectations around a seamless checkout. Remove friction from the payment process by offering your donors multiple ways to give through ACH bank transfers, digital wallets, PayPal, Venmo, and cryptocurrency.

Each payment method has its unique value, so including all of them on your donation form brings you the most benefit. Quickly remove barriers at checkout and include several ways to pay with a four-step, fully-branded donation pop-up modal.

Modern payment options built for mobile experiences will shape conversion potential in the years to come. Our research shows that one-time donations made through PayPal were 30% higher than credit card donations for organizations who activated it during the giving season, and conversion lifted by four points on average. Classy recently launched Crypto Giving, and we can’t wait to see its impact on the most significant months of giving this year.

Saprea Donation Page Example, Powered by Classy

Donation Page Best Practice #8: Use a Multi-Channel Marketing Approach

Once you’ve put the time and effort into optimizing your donation page, make sure to get it in front of as many eyes as possible. We found that users navigating directly to fundraising campaign pages was the top driver of traffic in 2021, followed by organic social media sharing.

The more times you can get your donation page in front of your audience, the better. Understand the power of word-of-mouth marketing and influencer trends rising on social platforms to bolster your efforts and deepen people’s connection to your cause.

Consider providing the same concise language you use for your donation page to your loyal supporters or social communities to share with their networks. Each touchpoint can leave an imprint on your community and, over time, eventually move them from consideration to action.

Leverage Your Donation Page to Attract, Convert, and Retain More Donors

It’s time to make your donation site a fundraising powerhouse. You may just be a few steps away from creating a long-term donation revenue machine that runs right alongside your timely and seasonal efforts.

Find out how to optimize more of your campaigns with Classy platform data collected across 54,000 active campaigns in The State of Modern Philanthropy 2022.

The world of cryptocurrency donations is quickly evolving. With Crypto Giving built into the Classy platform, nonprofits can confidently capitalize on another innovative payment technology to attract new donors and drive meaningful impact. 

Top 3 Reasons to Accept Crypto Donations at Your Nonprofit

In 2021, the value of the crypto market soared from $965 billion to as much as $2.6 trillion. Now sitting around $2.1 trillion, it’s clear that the digital currency is here to stay. 

Despite the market’s recent volatility, cryptocurrency offers an incredible opportunity for nonprofits to reach a new group of philanthropists who can help propel the sector forward. 

Knowing that crypto has solidified itself as an important part of our economy, here are three reasons why your nonprofit should consider adding the digital currency to your list of flexible giving options.

1. Donors Want Options

The data from our 2021 Why America Gives report proved that flexible payment options are non-negotiable for many of today’s donors. In fact, the option of multiple payment options was one of the top factors donors say lead to an excellent donor experience. 

It’s also important to note that donors give more when they have choices. Our findings from The State of Modern Philanthropy 2022 report proved that nonprofits using modern payment options on Classy see larger gift sizes on average than those that don’t. Specifically, the average one-time donation was nearly 1.5X more when nonprofits offered ACH, PayPal, and digital wallet payments. 

2. Crypto Presents a Win-Win for Donors and Nonprofits Alike

An estimated 295 million people worldwide now own cryptocurrency, with Bitcoin and Ethereum growing particularly quickly. Now is the opportune time to bring cryptocurrency into your donation experience to attract the millions of philanthropic investors looking for a place to give. 

The key to attracting this new donor audience is to first make them aware that they can donate cryptocurrency directly to the nonprofit of their choosing. Classy is the first to offer this functionality natively within its platform. We intend to make it just as easy to give and accept crypto donations as it is to give and reconcile donations made with PayPal or credit cards.

In addition, crypto donations present a unique win-win opportunity for both donors and nonprofits. Not only do crypto investors receive major tax incentives, but nonprofits receiving these donations avoid tax on the donated asset.  

From 2019 to 2020, crypto donations to donor-advised funds (DAFs) at Fidelity Charitable more than doubled from $13 million to $28 million. The 2021 value of total cryptocurrency donations is over $300 million, and that number is only expected to grow. 

3. Millennial Investors are Hungry to Give

Cryptocurrency donations offer the unique opportunity to attract a younger and more diverse demographic that skews toward philanthropic giving. In fact, young people are 4X more likely to hold cryptocurrency than older generations.

Data shows over 35% of millennial investors own cryptocurrency, and those who don’t are likely to consider investing in it within the next year. Plus, nearly nine in ten Millennials say charitable giving is an important part of their lives. 

Data also shows that young crypto donors are more likely to be nonwhite. According to Pew Center Research, Asian (23%), Hispanic (21%), and Black (18%) adults are more likely than White adults to say they have ever invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency.

If nonprofits can do their part in marrying Millennials’ interest in digital currency with their charitable values, donation potential will skyrocket. 

Make Crypto Easy With Classy

What Is Classy’s Crypto Giving? 

We’ve teamed up with Coinbase to offer nonprofits a seamless way to accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USD Coin on their Classy donation forms. 

How Does It Work? 

We want to make it just as easy to accept crypto donations as it is to accept and reconcile credit card or PayPal donations. That’s why Classy’s Crypto Giving is built directly into Classy Pay, which means that receipting, payout reporting, and reconciliation will happen directly in-product, similar to Stripe, PayPal, or Venmo. In addition to BTC, ETH, and USDC, we are now able to process BCH, LTC, DOGE, DAI, USDT, APE, and SHIB. 

The crypto donation option will live right on your Classy donation form, giving you the tools you need to acquire new crypto donors without the support of a third-party processor. Enjoy the freedom to turn it on and off at the campaign level, and simply toggle between crypto and flat donations. 

How Do I Ensure Compliance When Accepting Crypto Donations?

Through our partnership with Coinbase, you can receive transactions from both Coinbase and non-Coinbase wallets. However, Coinbase only ensures compliance of the transactions from Coinbase wallets.

If you accept transactions from non-Coinbase wallets, your organization is responsible for compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) and Customer Due Diligence (CDD) standards set forth in the USA Patriot Act. That means if a transaction violates compliance, you’ll be responsible for any penalties or fines, which are typically issued by government agencies such as the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury.

If you do not want to be responsible for the compliance of donations from non-Coinbase wallets, please reach out to your Classy account contact directly and ask them to turn off support for non-Coinbase wallets.

How Do I Activate Crypto on My Donation Forms? 

If you’re already a Classy customer with Classy Pay activated, we’ve broken down the process for activating crypto here.  

For customers who haven’t activated Classy Pay yet, explore our support article for the step-by-step setup process. Once you complete this step, you’ll be ready to activate crypto. 

Finally, if you’re interested in learning more about Classy’s online fundraising platform or booking a demo with our team, don’t hesitate to reach out. 

Let’s Make Crypto Mainstream for Nonprofit Fundraising

Crypto doesn’t need to be complicated. Tap into the growing pool of crypto holders by offering a place to donate their digital currency. With Classy, you can keep the backend process simple while attracting a new audience of donors to help reach your goals. 

About the Classy Awards

The Classy Awards have been bringing together social sector leaders and influencers since 2009 to recognize the achievements of thousands of nonprofits across the globe. Now in its 9th year, it’s one of the largest social impact awards in the country.

A Look Into the Winner Selection Process

In April, our Classy Awards Committee selected the top 50 Finalists from a pool of 1,700 nonprofit participants. These Finalists were then scored on four judging criteria:

• Scale, scope, and expertise in addressing a problem
• Ability to solve the problem
• Creativity of the solution
• Organizational effectiveness, diversity and inclusion, and resource management

Below, we recognize the 13 Classy Award Winners and offer a look into the impact of their programs.

Meet the 2022 Classy Award Winners

People’s Choice Award, presented by LinkedIn for Nonprofits

The People’s Choice award, presented by LinkedIn for Nonprofits and determined by public vote, highlights the innovation of a nonprofit making incredible contributions to our society.

Winner: America Needs You

Program: The Fellows Program

The Fellows Program helps first-generation college students complete internships, graduate, and secure employment by pairing them with a trained volunteer Mentor Coach. Over the two-year program, students receive more than 200 hours of career insight and personal support.

In 2021, 244 students completed the program, including 200 mentorship hours and 120 career development hours. America Needs You anticipates over 260 Fellows graduating in 2022.

Adapt & Overcome Award

The Adapt & Overcome award, voted on by the Classy Awards Committee, celebrates an organization that has transformed the structure of its program to conquer an unexpected challenge.

Winner: NY Sun Works

Program: NY Sun Works

The need for improved STEM education is pervasive, particularly among low-income students from minority communities. NY Sun Works’ program is the first of its kind, providing inquiry-based STEM and sustainability education to K-12th grade students through the lens of urban indoor agriculture.

From 2019 to 2021, NY Sun Works reached 155,000 students through its program. The number of schools using NY Sun Works’ lessons and resources continues to grow as well, with 200 schools applying their curriculum in 2021 alone.

Social Innovation Award

The 10 Winners of the Social Innovation award are determined by Classy’s Leadership Council, a prestigious group of social sector leaders. The Council is represented by organizations such as The Salvation Army USA, World Central Kitchen, Jane Goodall Institute USA, Microsoft, Salesforce.org, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Winner: Sanku Project Healthy Children

Program: Project Healthy Children

Malnourishment impacts 28 million children in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the problem continues to grow. Sanku Project Healthy Children’s goal is to end malnutrition in Africa by guaranteeing sustainable access to nutritious food.

To carry out its mission, the organization installs its award-winning Sanku Dosifier, a fully-automated nutrient fortification technology, in Tanzania and Kenya. It also works with third-party implementers in Malawi and Rwanda. The technology enables small-scale millers to produce fortified flour at no additional cost to themselves or their customers.

In 2021, the Sanku Project Healthy Children team installed 671 active dosifiers that milled more than 31,000 metric tons of grain.

Winner: Trees for the Future (TREES)

Program: Trees for the Future

The goal of Trees for the Future (TREES) is to combat climate change, generational poverty, and chronic hunger by training farmers in sustainable land use. Their signature methodology, the Forest Garden Approach, helps farmers transform their land with thousands of trees and crops, which creates new possibilities for themselves and their communities.

Farmers experienced a 706% increase in access to diverse, nutritious foods in 2021 as a result. In their first year using the Forest Gardens Approach, farmers can see their income increase by 400% and gain food security within three years. Since 2019, TREES’ has also planted more than 193,000,000 trees in Forest Gardens.

Winner: Green Bronx Machine

Program: Foster Care Farm and Tiny Home Village at Stepping Stones Residential Facility

When young males age out of the foster care system in Appalachia, 74% end up homeless, addicted, or incarcerated within six months. Living wage opportunities are also extremely limited, and the region is considered a food desert with scarce access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Green Bronx Machine is partnering with Stepping Stones Residential Treatment Facility to build the first-ever commercial farm staffed and run by foster-care youth. The hydroponic farm provides living-wage employment opportunities, along with 21 tiny homes for foster-care youth who are aging out of the foster care system.

In 2021, the program employed 45 students at the greenhouse and housed six foster-care youth in tiny homes on campus.

Winner: KABOOM!

Program: Play Everywhere

Based on behavioral science research, KABOOM! created the Play Everywhere program as an innovative strategy to address playspace inequity. By activating play in unexpected, everyday spaces, their team hopes to spark social, emotional, and physical growth in the 28 million children who don’t have access to a park near their homes.

To date, KABOOM! has launched nine national, regional, and city-wide challenges, leading to the creation of more than 200 community-led Play Everywhere installations.

Winner: Yamba Malawi

Program: Childhoods & Livelihoods Program

A staggering 70% of the population in Malawi lives in extreme poverty, and 64% of all children lack basic needs in more than one area: nutrition, healthcare, education, housing, water and sanitation, and social protection.

To combat these challenges, Yamba Malawi launched an innovative child-focused poverty graduation program. The three-year program uses a holistic approach to empower caregivers and community organizations with training, mentoring, seed funding for businesses, digital finance, and other resources that empower them to meet children’s needs.

Since its inception, Yamba Malawi has impacted the lives of more than 200,000 children, including 53,000 in 2021 alone.

Winner: VoteAmerica

Program: VoteAmerica Tool Integrations

Only 66.8% of citizens voted in 2020, which was the highest turnout of the century. To improve our voter registration and engagement systems, VoteAmerica provides publicly available election information data and easily embedded tools to simplify the voting process in all 50 states and Washington D.C.

VoteAmerica’s tools make it easy for voters to verify their registration status and information, register to vote, request an absentee ballot, identify a polling location, and more. They’ve leaned into an exponentially scalable 1-to-millions approach with their strategic partnership integrations, reaching 400,000 people in 2021 alone.

Winner: Games for Change

Program: G4C Student Challenge

To combat the challenges that our next generation is facing due to educational disruptions brought on by the pandemic and persistent inequality, the G4C Student Challenge helps students master critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity through games and game design.

The G4C Student Challenge is a national design competition that invites middle and high school youth in the U.S. to create digital games about issues impacting their communities.

In 2021, Games for Change reached 4,071 students and trained 282 teachers. In just three years, students in the program submitted more than 2,900 games to the national competition, indicating that they had completed the program and could demonstrate their learning.

Winner: Nuru International

Program: Nuru International

Farming communities in fragile areas of Sub-Saharan Africa are suffering in extreme poverty without access to the tools and knowledge they need to achieve a better future. Nuru International works in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria to equip farmers with training, inputs, and infrastructure support supplied by Nuru-supported farmer-led cooperatives.

The Nuru Model is distinctive in its implementation of a leadership development program, or “Sustainability Engine,” that helps restore agency to local leaders. After 5-7 years, Nuru leaves behind a completely self-sustaining impact model owned and operated by these empowered individuals.

In 2021, Nuru International served 7,475 farmer households, resulting in a 65% increase in crop yield and a 42% increase in household income.

Winner: World Telehealth Initiative (WTI)

Program: World Telehealth Initiative

Over 50% of the world lacks access to safe, timely, affordable healthcare. To help transform medical access for vulnerable communities worldwide, the World Telehealth Initiative (WTI) connects more than 350 volunteer physicians with over 24 hospitals across Asia, Africa, South America, and the Caribbean.

To expand its services, the program brought on 160 new volunteers in 2021 and provided 925 telehealth sessions. Looking ahead, World Telehealth Initiative (WTI) plans to increase its global footprint to 40 partner hospitals and 1,000 physician volunteers by the end of 2022.

Winner: Well Aware

Program: Well Aware

Well Aware is addressing a lack of access to clean water in rural East African communities through its innovative smartphone app. Knowing that nearly 60% of water projects in Africa fail, Well Aware’s tools carry out ongoing water system maintenance and diagnostics.

Their app makes it possible to investigate, plan, design, implement, and fundraise for custom clean water systems that fit the specific needs of communities throughout East Africa. To date, Well Aware has impacted the lives of over 300,000 individuals through more than 90 water projects. With the support of transformative technology, they hope to maintain their 1005% success rate—an incredibly high benchmark in the industry.

Lifetime Achievement Award

The Leadership Council nominates candidates and selects a winner of the Lifetime Achievement award, which recognizes an individual who has achieved excellence over a lifetime of service in the social sector.

Winner: Kailee Scales, CEO at Pencils of Promise

Kailee’s work at the intersection of global development and social justice spans nearly two decades across 15 countries. She began her career as a fundraiser for a Democratic Congressional candidate in New York and has since collaborated with the World Health Organization, United Nations, global CEOs, and heads of state in developing solutions to the world’s most complex problems.

From 2017 to 2020, Kailee served as the first Managing Director of the Black Lives Matter Global Network. In this role, she was responsible for building infrastructure across the global organization and served as the executive producer of the viral video, Rest in Power Beautiful, seen over 10 million times.

In June 2021, she was named CEO of Pencils of Promise. Pencils of Promise has built more than 580 schools that currently serve over 110,000 students across Ghana, Guatemala, and Laos.

Celebrating the Impact of our 2022 Winners

Congratulations to our 2022 Classy Award Winners who join a prestigious group of nonprofits embracing new ideas and illustrating the potential to drive change in our society.

We saw a very competitive pool of organizations, all of whom are worthy of recognition for the lives they are changing and the positive impact they are making around the world. We are honored that you shared your story with us and hope you’ll be back in 2023.

Will you join nearly 1,000 professionals, practitioners, and fundraising experts already registered to attend online from June 15 to 16?

Here’s Everything You Need to Know

The Collaborative: Virtual Sessions promises insights, strategies, and inspiration for anyone who attends. 

The virtual space will host timely conversations around fundraising best practices, technology trends like NFT fundraising, and sessions that inspire you from leaders across the sector.

If you:

• Want a way to accelerate your organization’s impact from home
• Can’t wait to experience Classy’s brand new events platform first-hand
• Get excited about our virtual-only speaker lineup
• Need some fresh perspectives and networking with other practitioners

The Collaborative: Virtual Sessions is the right conference for you.

The Brand New Virtual Venue 

You’re getting a first-hand look at Classy Live, the online event platform used to host this year’s Collaborative: Virtual Sessions. This is the same experience supporters have enjoyed through so many fundraising events hosted on the platform since its launch in October of 2021.

Here’s what’s new this year:

• Thoughtful networking through a brand new speed networking tool with suggested attendee matches based on commonalities and interests,
• Integrated polls and chat opportunities alongside the screen you’ll view sessions from to bring the experience to a single tab

The 2-Day Collaborative Experience at a Glance

Wednesday, June 15

Get ready for the exciting, first-day energy of an online conference experience. Explore the virtual event venue to learn more about who’s attending and interact with fresh fundraising resources as you log in.  

Build connections as you plan out the day’s sessions. Let our speakers and fellow attendees inspire you to have open conversations in our speed networking tool.

Grow Your Fundraising Expertise With Sessions Including:

Leading the Way and Lifting While We Climb

Keynote Speaker:  Ivy McGregor, Impact Leader, Author, and BeyGOOD Executive Director

Thursday, June 16

Bring new thoughts inspired by Wednesday’s sessions to discuss as you strengthen connections during the day’s speed networking opportunities. Exchange information with everyone you’ve met along the way to continue your relationships well after the event ends. 

Bring Home the Experience With Sessions Including:

Elevating the Impact of Your Fundraising Emails

Speaker: Joel Schwartzberg, Author and Presentation Coach

Feel the Impact From Past Virtual Attendees

We could explain every reason to attend the Collaborative this year, but hearing it from the organizations who attended last year is that much more impactful:

Until the Event, Keep Up With Us on Social

We’ve got all the updates you’ll need after registering on our Collaborative social media channels. Follow us on Twitter @ConnectAtCollab and become a part of the conversations with #wearecollaborative.

A series of mass shootings killed 14 people and wounded 39 from May 13 to 15. In addition to the Buffalo community, we stand by those impacted by the shootings in Milwaukee, Orange County, Winston-Salem, Houston, and Amarillo.   

Learn more about how you can show your support for the organizations fighting for racial justice and gun violence prevention.

Organizations Standing Up Against Racism and Gun Violence

Everytown for Gun Safety

Everytown for Gun Safety is the largest gun violence prevention organization in America with a plan to end gun violence. The nonprofit is a grassroots movement of parents, students, survivors, educators, and concerned citizens fighting to build safer communities.

Working with local, federal, and state governments, Everytown for Gun Safety is dedicated to enacting evidence-based solutions and implementing public safety policies that reduce gun violence.

Center for Racial Justice in Education

The Center for Racial Justice in Education is on a mission to train and empower educators to dismantle patterns of racism and injustice in our schools and communities. The nonprofit envisions a world where all young people learn to thrive in racially equitable, liberating, and empowering educational spaces.

The organization believes that racial justice work is an active process dependent on partnership with others in the community. Through accountable, equitable, and inclusive relationships, they build these communities to move society forward.

Be the Bridge

Be the Bridge works to move people and culture toward racial healing, equity, and reconciliation. They’re on a mission to increase awareness of the racial brokenness and systemic injustice in our world.

The nonprofit envisions a future where we are no longer conditioned by a racialized society, but are grounded in truth. They accomplish this by inspiring others to have a transformative response to racial division and remain present to encourage racial reconciliation.

Beyond that, they equip communities with the vision, skills, and heart for racial healing in partnership with organizations who are doing it well today.

Equal Justice Initiative 

The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.

They support education within the American population to confront historic racial injustice in a way that brings new truths  to light and takes a large step forward in healing our nation.

Getting Out Staying Out (GOSO)

Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO) partners with people impacted by arrest and incarceration on a journey of education, employment, and emotional wellbeing. The nonprofit collaborates with New York City communities to support a culture of nonviolence.

GOSO takes a thoughtful approach to their work by following a framework they call their Three E’s: Education, Employment, and Emotional Well-being. Through their work, the organization enables 220 new job placements a year, and helps 86% of program participants remain out of jail.

Race Forward

Race Forward catalyzes movement building for racial justice. In partnership with communities, organizations, and sectors, they build strategies to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture.

Race Forward brings research to the public on pressing racial justice issues that focus on how institutional and structural racism fuels inequity in society and the economy. Their goal is to strengthen social change through their work and this ongoing education.

Guitars Over Guns

Guitars Over Guns offers students from the most vulnerable communities a powerful combination of music education and mentorship with professional musicians. Their goal is to empower these students to make positive choices at school, at home, and in their communities. 

The organization recognizes the skills, talents, and life lessons that music introduces, including teamwork, leadership, self-confidence, discipline, accountability, patience, and more. Guitars Over Guns then assigns working musicians as mentors to students to help them find their voice and these essential skills that translate into better decisions in other areas of their lives. 

Support the Buffalo Community and Fight For a Better Tomorrow

As a Certified B Corporation and Public Benefit Corporation, Classy’s mission is to mobilize and empower the world for good. We are proud to support the nonprofits responding to the recent tragedy in Buffalo, and we stand behind the organizations working tirelessly to serve those in need whenever and wherever the world calls them.

Collaborative, hosted by Classy, is a live conference designed exclusively for the nonprofit sector. This annual event encourages collaboration among the brightest thinkers and doers across the industry as a space for meaningful connections. 

We’d love to have you join us in our first year back in person. From June 15 to 16, 2022, Collaborative is taking on Philadelphia for two days of learning, relationship-building, and inspiration to grow your organization’s impact.

We’re Going to Philly!

This year, those who want to be fully immersed in Collaborative will have access to dozens of live sessions, hands-on workshops, and the unique experience of developing extensive partnerships with the sector’s top experts and practitioners. 

Whether you’re a fundraising and marketing professional, an executive, or a social entrepreneur, you’ll walk away with tangible tips to grow your organization and generate meaningful impact in an ever-evolving social space.

We know it takes time to decide on attending an in-person event, so we’ve elevated our top 10 reasons to attend Collaborative 2022 here for you.

10 Reasons to Attend the Collaborative

1. We’re Bringing You the Full Philadelphia Experience

After two years of an entirely virtual Collaborative experience, we couldn’t be more excited to safely come together in Philadelphia. Philly brings together the creativity and inspiration upon which we build Collaborative every year. We are ready to step out of the day-to-day, build meaningful connections, and gain a renewed sense of inspiration.

Here’s a taste of what Philly and Collaborative have to offer:

Hospitality: Book a room at the Element Philadelphia, located in Center City, within walking distance of the city’s best sightseeing spots, restaurants, and bars from the hotel. You’ll also receive our exclusive discount if you book through this link!

Welcome Party: Join us for cocktails, networking, and one of Philly’s most unique nightlife experiences at Rec & Royal where you can embrace the Cadillac DJ booth, private karaoke rooms, a seltzer vending machine, throwback arcade games, and a dedicated 90’s room.

History: Spend your free time exploring historic sights like the Liberty Bell or Philadelphia Museum of Art and soaking in the inspiration that generations before us left among the streets of Philadelphia.

Dining: Try new food experiences from one of many amazing merchants at Reading Terminal Market among many other niche restaurants in the city. Don’t forget to pick up a Philadelphia classic, the cheesesteak.

Send Off in Style: Wrap up the event at our closing party performance of Philly’s favorite brass band, Snacktime. Check out the energy they bring to any room with this sampling:

2. You’ll Get Face Time With the Social Sector’s Top Leaders

Classy is dedicated to providing the content you want to learn about. We listen to our attendees’ wants and concerns and present thoughtful commentary on the nonprofit industry’s most pressing topics. 

This knowledge and feedback help us curate a program full of industry experts who are eager to share their insights and ideas on the current and future landscape of the sector. The best part about joining us in person is that you can connect with these leaders between sessions in a more intimate and meaningful way.

Check out some of our in-person speakers:

Deesha Dyer,

Award-Winning Strategist & Community Organizer; Former White House Social Secretary

Woodrow Rosenbaum

Chief Data Officer at Giving Tuesday

Trovon C. Williams

Senior Vice President Marketing & Communications at NAACP

Dana Snyder

CEO & Founder of Positive Equation

3. You’ll Get Double the Content

When you join us live, you’ll not only be fully present to learn directly from esteemed presenters, but you’ll also gain so much more from the natural commentary that takes place throughout the venue.

Our goal is to ensure you leave sessions feeling empowered and equipped with strategies to tackle the complex landscape we’ve come to experience today. Plus, as an in-person attendee, you receive double the content with post-event access to exclusive, online-only content from the Collaborative: Virtual Sessions to continue your learning journey. 

Check out some of the sessions we’re offering in-person:

• Merging with the Metaverse
• Forget What You Knew About Bringing Major Gifts Online
• Go Viral: Seize Your Moment to Shine
• Unlocking Your Full Potential Through Unrestricted Fundraising

4. You Can Attend Hands-On Workshops to Boost Your Professional Development

You will have the opportunity to take part in workshops, brainstorm with like-minded peers, and participate in post-panel working sessions with speakers. Collaboration is in our name and we are thrilled to bring the industry experts to you. You’ll take part in interactive and hands-on sessions that equip you with tools you can implement immediately.

Here are just a few of the workshops you can take part in:

• Social Media Ad Strategies for Your Nonprofit
• Create a Standout Visual Campaign That Tells Your Story
• Collaborative In-Practice

5. Classy Customers Will  Experience the First Classy Academy User Conference

If you’re currently using the Classy giving platform, you’re invited to take part in a bonus day on Tuesday, June 14, for our first-ever Classy Academy User Conference.

Customers will take a deep dive into the Classy product with Classy Academy coaches, gain insights on fundraising best practices, and learn how to take advantage of all of Classy’s product features to exceed online fundraising goals.

Come with your top questions and goals, and you’ll walk away with an actionable plan to implement right away.

6. Build Meaningful Connections

The Collaborative was built on the belief that growth happens when we connect, support, and inspire each other. 

When you attend in person, you’ll be face-to-face with hundreds of nonprofit professionals, experts in the sector, and the Classy community once again. Plus, you’ll be invited to connect with fellow attendees and have a little fun at our Wednesday night Welcome Party and Closing Celebration on Thursday.

We’ve set the stage for idea exchanges and free-flowing conversations that will leave anyone feeling more inspired as they return home.

7. There’s a Discount for Bringing Your Team

In-person conferences are important settings for learning and professional development, so we want to make it possible for your whole team to attend. Teams of three or more will automatically receive $50 off tickets at checkout. 

All in-person ticket-holders will also have access to the virtual content following the event to share with team members who can’t travel to Philadelphia.

8. You Can Earn Continuing Education Points

The Collaborative is an approved Continuing Education Provider for the Certified Fund Raising Executive program. 

By participating in our in-person event, you’ll be eligible to earn points towards initial certification and/or recertification that shows your accountability, service, and commitment to making a difference for good.

9. You’ll Learn About Leading Services and Resources to Advance Your Mission

The Collaborative connects professionals to each other and to services that will benefit and increase their impact. You’ll learn more about resources you can leverage to help advance your mission and gain access to key partners who can help you troubleshoot your organization’s specific challenges. 

You will have the opportunity to ask questions in person about what resources may benefit your organization and what’s working well for others.

10. We Want to Meet (or Reunite!) With You

Our team at Classy is growing and there’s nothing like meeting face-to-face with you, the people who make an impact day in and out across the sector. 

We want to hear what you’re up to, the challenges you’re facing, and bond over personal connections we’re sure to make. We’ll be on the ground excited to chat over coffee, meals, and in the hallways between sessions.

So, Will You Be a Part of Collaborative 2022?

The future of the social sector is evolving quicker than ever. At the Collaborative, we come together to learn how to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the sector and have timely conversations that empower us to accelerate our impact.

While joining the event in person is the full experience, we also offer those who choose to attend from home the option to access content and valuable online sessions as part of our virtual attendance option. 

However you join, Collaborative 2022 will be one you won’t want to miss. See you there!

Join the conversation leading up to the event by following #wearecollaborative on Instagram and Twitter.

When you think about fundraising events like the ice bucket challenge, 100-mile runs, or your CEO taking pies to the face at your office holiday party, do you wonder what motivates these individuals to go to such extreme lengths to show their support?

The Martyrdom Effect suggests that the prospect of pain and effort increases charitable giving. In today’s virtual and hybrid fundraising landscape, there are countless opportunities to apply and reinvent this concept in a way that excites both new and existing donors to strengthen their connection to your cause.

Tap into gamified fundraising technology to create more fun, inclusive experiences that bring out the competitive nature in your supporters. Below we’ll explore the concepts of activity tracking and fundraising gamification as they relate to your organization, and discover how Classy’s new integration with Kilter, the most inclusive activity-based engagement platform for good, can help reach wider audiences, boost engagement, and increase fundraising potential.

Re-Energize Your Community With Fundraising Diversification

Kilter platform data shows that campaigns with gamified fundraising opportunities raise 3X more than traditional online fundraising campaigns.

There are plenty of ways to gamify the online fundraising experience. Live stream fundraising on platforms like Twitch, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Live is a great way to connect with a younger audience. Classy Live is another option for intimate virtual or hybrid events. The platform’s robust venue simplifies the attendee and admin experience with activity tracking, virtual breakout rooms, mobile bidding, merchandise sales, and more. 

Fundraising diversification is critical to sustaining long-term relationships with new and existing supporters and retaining the support of committed sponsors. Gamification offers a simple way for organizations to refresh their campaigns and re-energize their nonprofit communities. 

4 Ways to Leverage Activity Tracking at Your Nonprofit

When you think of activity tracking, your mind likely goes straight to running, walking, or biking. That’s definitely part of the equation, but it is just the tip of the iceberg.

Here are four simple thought starters surrounding activity tracking to get your creative juices flowing. Determine which events make the most sense for your audience, and learn how to capitalize on each opportunity to fuel your mission. For more specific ideas, read 22 ideas for activity-based fundraising in 2022.

1. Marathon & Endurance Teams, Walk/Runs/Rides – This is really a no-brainer. If you have teams in marathons or triathlons, host your own walks/runs/rides, or have supporters doing their own races, you should always provide a way for this community to track their activity. Doing so will create the element of competition and give people a way to include their friends and family in their efforts. In addition, you will open up doors for more revenue through corporate sponsorships, gain the ability to send information directly to your supporters through push notifications, and ultimately acquire more donor data. 

Pro Tip

Consider participating in Kilter’s trademarked series of events called Miles For Meaning to access more opportunities to keep your endurance community engaged throughout the year.

2. All-Inclusive Activity-Tracking Events – Offering events where everyone can participate no matter their age, location, or how they like to “donate their hustle” is one of the best ways to engage and grow your community. Expand your view of activity tracking to include meditation, healthy meal prep, volunteering, reading, gardening, and so much more. Turn your supporters’ everyday health, wellness, or lifestyle activities into meaningful moments that drive impact.

3. Activity-Specific Events – Consider building an event with a community goal based on a particular activity your audience enjoys, like reading, playing pickleball, or packaging meals for your local food bank. Encourage your supporters to come together to collaborate, compete, and take fundraising potential to new heights. One example of this could be setting a community goal to log 250,000 reading minutes from June to August. As participants track their progress, the total reading minutes will display on an interactive leaderboard. For every 10 minutes logged, event sponsors are pledging $1 up to $100,000.

4. Corporate & Employee Engagement Events – You might be hearing from your corporate partners that they want more opportunities to engage their employees in their efforts to support you. This partnership is not only good for their bottom line, but also gives you the chance to collect more donor data and offer additional opportunities for people to give. Give them what they want by providing gamified online experiences that are inclusive for all employees and increase corporate giving potential. For example, one partner set up a one-week “Miles For Meals” challenge and donated $20 per mile their employees logged up to $10,000. They also incorporated company swag and merchandise to give away based on the miles logged by employees.

5 Must-Haves for Your Activity-Tracking Event

Now that you have some ideas, making it a truly gamified experience is the fun part. Here are five components to include in your next event to cultivate, engage, educate, and drive higher fundraising potential.

Leaderboards: Fundraiser leaderboards are the centerpiece of engagement that continually drive people back to the event page throughout the course of your campaign. Utilize leaderboards in your next competition for people to keep track of their own score or fundraising progress in comparison to others in your community. If you have team-based events, participants can easily keep tabs on their team score and fundraising totals versus all other groups pursuing that top spot. 

Real-Time Matching Donations: Your corporate sponsors and individual donors want to maximize the impact of their contributions. Allow your supporters to unlock real-time donation matching when they hit certain fundraising milestones or achieve particular activity goals. 

Incentives and Prizes: No matter which event type you choose, your supporters will always be motivated by cool stuff they can win. In addition to traditional fundraising incentives, bake in more ways for people to earn swag and win prizes based on their activities and where they stand on the leaderboard.

Push Notifications & In-App Content: Take advantage of customizable push notifications to send messages directly to your community. Share impact statements, educate your community on your mission, promote sponsor messages, and recognize all of the people putting in work.

Mobile Fundraising Experience: Simplify your gamified fundraising event with an activity-tracking experience that integrates with your current fundraising solution. The Kilter + Classy integration allows nonprofits to keep their fundraising experience on Classy while using Kilter to offer activity tracking events that engage larger audiences. Kilter’s mobile app makes it easier for fundraisers to share their Classy fundraising pages with their extended networks and keep tabs on their progress with the in-app leaderboards.

A current Classy customer shares why integrated activity-tracking experiences are critical to their goals:

Nonprofits using Kilter to incorporate activity-tracking events into their annual strategies have seen an 11X return on investment, 10-20% new supporters, and 3X higher fundraising per engaged participant using both the fundraising and activity-tracking tools.

Bring Your Integrated Activity-Tracking Event to Life on Classy

Take advantage of today’s turn-key tools and technology to create a simpler gamified fundraising experience. Leveraging these tools, like Classy’s integration with Kilter, will help you reach more people, bolster engagement, and diversify your revenue streams while simultaneously avoiding the headaches associated with costly and time-consuming event planning.