When The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County sponsored a Colorado Gives Day workshop for nonprofits last year, the response was overwhelming.
“We talked about it afterward,” said Ann Goldman, co-founder of Front Range Source, who helped facilitate the workshop. “We asked, is a three-hour coaching workshop enough to help nonprofits learn how to integrate Colorado Gives Day into their fundraising activities to achieve a meaningful impact?
“We decided we could do more to share knowledge among nonprofit professionals in Boulder County, to raise the tides for all of us.”
So The Community Foundation sponsored a master class as a platform for professional development and peer learning among nonprofits.
“We recruited a cohort of Boulder County nonprofits [see list below] from among the top 20 performers on Colorado Gives Day,” continued Goldman. “These nonprofits are already succeeding at Colorado Gives Day which – for the last couple of years – has partnered with the foundation’s long-standing Culture of Giving campaign.
“Since July, we’ve been working with these nonprofits in hopes of seeing increases in giving across the board this year. We want to understand whether Colorado Gives Day is working and, if so, share best practices with other nonprofits.”
Adds Amy Rosenblum – founder and principal of the Cultivation Center – who leads the learning component of the master class: “We structured the master class as a peer learning project because none of us have all the answers. We wanted to bring a brain trust into the room where organizations can share what they’re doing, what’s working, what’s not working…and build ongoing relationships with other nonprofits.
“Best practices for Colorado Gives Day are still emerging. We’re all still exploring what works. Through the master class, we’re exchanging ideas, trying different approaches, and hoping to start seeing trends and common themes that we can share with others.
“My hypothesis is that – if we as nonprofits come together and share best practices, we can all learn to make more money to support our diversity of causes. It’s a matter of operating from a sense of shared abundance, not scarcity.”
Leslie Allen, co-founder of Front Range Source along with Goldman, further explains the purpose of tracking the progress of the cohort of selected nonprofits over nine months. “We’re helping these nonprofits create plans for Colorado Gives Day by inviting Colorado Gives Day to their party – not the other way around. It’s important for nonprofits to understand that Colorado Gives Day isn’t a standalone donor development strategy.
“It’s true that 30% of all funds are raised in December – and that’s huge. And it’s true that Colorado Gives Day falls in December, too. But if Colorado Gives Day is your only fundraising focus, you’re leaving money on the table. Rather, Colorado Gives Day is just one of many opportunities to weave into an organization’s overall fundraising program.”
Not to mention, some Colorado-based nonprofits with a national or international focus are simply “left out,” according to Allen.
“One of our big questions is whether Colorado Gives Day brings in mostly traditional donors, or also lapsed donors and new donors,” Allen continues. “The jury is out whether Colorado Gives Day brings in new money, or whether it diverts money from other channels. We’ll have data and findings to share early next year.”
Meanwhile, Allen sees Colorado Gives Day as an opportunity to attract event-driven donors (e.g., those who generally only give at galas and other events). “These donors might also give on Colorado Gives Day when it’s presented as an online event. But for major donors who give $10,000 or more, they probably won’t give as much on Colorado Gives Day as they do when they sit down with an organization face-to-face to really learn about its mission and impact.”
When it comes down to tactics for effective fundraising and successful participation in Colorado Gives Day, Allen says few nonprofits have a firm grasp of online fundraising. “There’s a real fear of sending too much email, of having people unsubscribe,” she says. “But it’s crucial to keep this channel warm, year-round.
“Using email as part of a solid online program is an opportunity to restate your key messages by telling good stories and incorporating calls to action. It’s a two-way street of engagement, not just a means to repeat the information on your website. And it’s still the fastest growing channel for giving.
“An effective online strategy creates relationships with people over time. And where direct mail and email are best for fundraising, social media works well for engaging people in rallies, or getting people to events. All told, Colorado Gives Day is a great motivation for nonprofits to grow their online presence and capacity.
“As more organizations become involved with Colorado Gives Day, it’s also an opportunity for nonprofit professionals to reach out to their networks, exchange ideas and share what they’re trying.”
What master class participants are saying:
“I really liked the conversation and tips about using Colorado Gives Day as a tool, rather than something we had to form our year-end approach around.”
“Based on the master class, our agency is going to change the way our board engages with Colorado Gives Day.”
Master class participating nonprofits:
Colorado Music Festival & Center for Musical Arts
