Chico State Giving Day 2021
Category
Fundraising > Flash/Giving Day Campaigns
Description
Best of CASE District VII Award
Institution: California State University, Chico
Title of entry: Chico State Giving Day 2021
About this entry: In its fourth year, Chico State Giving Day, the annual 24-hr fundraiser to support causes across campus, reached dramatic new heights in 2021. The campaign raised nearly $540,000 from 2,539 donors making 3,108 gifts to support 169 causes—making it by far our most successful yet. In fact, after three years of 3–7% incremental growth, on March 3, 2021, we grew the total raised by 64%, or nearly $200,000!
How was this possible, especially after a year of remote learning and canceled Commencements, athletics competitions, and alumni reunions? A revised strategy that focused on matching donors’ passions with our 88 active campus causes helped move them from interest to investment. Instead of grouping causes by colleges and departments or even a long, alphabetized list as we had in the past, this year we grouped causes by six themes: Athletics & Sport Clubs; Community Engagement; Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion; Scholarships & Awards; Student & Program Support; Sustainability & the Environment. These themes made it simple to find an area to support and were central to our communications strategy. This relatively easy shift in approach to improve the user experience and put donors’ needs and interests ahead of artificial university silos led to record results.