MOBILE PADDLE RAISE:Basic Rights Oregon & Make A Wish Use New App to Fire-Up Event Fundraising

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W hat happens when a cause marketing apps and solutions company joins forces with an event planning company? The answer: a mobile event auction experience that’s built by

clients, for clients.

Samantha Swaim Fundraising approached CafeGive Social with a lofty and specific goal: to help their clients integrate mobile into fundraising events. Dwight Adkins, Strategic Consultant at SSF, had seen CafeGive Social’s Donate & Pledge mobile app in action during an event for The Children’s Heart Foundation, and realized that mobile technology could help take Samantha Swaim Fundraising events to the next level. Shortly after, Dwight met with to develop a plan.

The team at Samantha Swaim Fundraising knew that they wanted to start including mobile components into their event offerings for clients. SSF helps numerous nonprofits maximize the potential of their funds- and awareness-raising events, and mobile is a natural next step in the evolution of SSF’s services.

We have been really happy with Mobile Paddle Raise and know that there are many ways we will continue to use it for our clients’ future events.”

- Samantha Swaim, Senior Director and Fundraising Strategist, Samantha Swaim Fundraising

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O ver a period of strategy sessions, a new mobile and social media app concept evolved. SSF

wanted to incorporate elements of CafeGive Social’s Donate & Pledge app, with features tailored to the needs of large-scale, cause-related events. Live and silent auctions are a staple for many nonprofit galas, and Sam Swaim—founder of Samantha Swaim Fundraising—wanted to adopt the “Text To Pledge” aspects of the Donate App, and integrate it into the auction experience.

Client-Sourcing a New AppCafeGive and SSF envisioned a platform where nonprofit event participants could take part in an auction or donate using their smartphones, listen to music and event speakers—all while simultaneously interacting with hundreds of other participants via prominently displayed live social media feeds.

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Client-Sourcing a New App (continued)

Over the next few months CafeGive Social was able to build just such an app. By working together, the result was an app wholly crafted around—and from—the end user experience and the fundraiser’s need.

Mobile Paddle Raise was born from the collaboration: an app centered on the concept of event-based instant fundraising and mobile auction experiences.

The new app was equipped with the following features:

• ●Mobile bidding using smartphones during live or virtual auction events

• ●Simple text marketing functions: attendees could just text chosen word to 55155 to start the process

• ●Integration with parent “jumbo display” webpage that shows real-time fundraising and bidding progress towards goal

• ●Built-in social sharing features for Twitter, Facebook, and email

• ●Ability to display the event Twitter feed on the ‘jumbo display’ webpage

• ●Secure integrated donation processing using the event payment system

• Option to bid anonymously or publicly during auction events

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The goal of the new app and the collaboration was to fire-up event fundraising , and connect with attendees on even more levels. Gone would be the days of waiting to tally donation envelopes and credit slips to publish fundraising results. Donors and supporters at events could track their donations in real time using Mobile Paddle Raise, and literally see their donation move the needle for their favorite cause. Using the app, bidders at

auction galas would have increased flexibility—they could talk with friends or visit a buffet table, while simultaneously casting their bids and watching bidding progress on their phones and event display screens.

As soon as CafeGive had developed Mobile Paddle Raise, it was time to see it in action.

Client-Sourcing a New App (continued)

Bidders at auctions would

have increased flexibility—they

could talk with friends or visit a buffet table, while

simultaneously casting their bids and watching

bidding progress on their phones and event

display screens

S amantha Swaim Fundraising had been looking for ways to build mobile

fundraising into its tailored nonprofit events planning, and had approached CafeGive with two events in mind. After a few weeks of discussion and development, SSF was ready to use the the new app for two of its clients: Basic Rights Oregon and Make-A-Wish Foundation. 6

One App. Two Events. Amazing Results.

Basic Rights Oregon

B asic Rights Oregon hired Samantha Swaim Fundraising to plan Ignite!—it’s annual gala

night and signature fundraising event to celebrate community leaders, business executives, lawmakers, and supporters. BRO’s goal was to raise a record level of funds for Oregon’s Marriage Equality initiatives, and to do this BRO had to provide more ways for donors to engage in Ignite! and its live auction.

With nearly 1,000 guests scheduled to attend Ignite! 2013, BRO was not only looking for a way to fire up its fundraising, but also to make the event 7

unique and memorable. The silent auction is one of the Ignite! main attractions, and event planner Samantha Swaim Fundraising saw an opportunity for BRO to meet its goals with the new Mobile Paddle Raise App.

When the Gala night came, attendees were greeted with a whole new fundraising experience. Rather than raising a physical paddle during the auction event, Ignite! participants could also bid during the live auction by simply texting “IGNITE” and their paddle number to 55155; from anywhere and at any time.

One App. Two Events. Amazing Results. (continued)

Rather than raising a physical paddle, participants could bid during the live

auction by simply texting “IGNITE” and their paddle number,

from anywhere and at any time.

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Throughout the evening, attendees took a break from dancing and networking to gather around large LCD display screens and watch bids and tweets pour in. Participants could choose whether or not to bid anonymously, and could keep close tabs on whether their bid would win coveted items like a weekend getaway or plane tickets. Each new bid and donation inched the virtual thermometer featured on the display closer towards its fundraising goal.

The live Twitter wall also turned out to be a huge success. Attendees used #IGNITE to post photos and share messages of support and advocacy, and watched as their posts and pics instantly appeared on the integrated live twitter feed on the displays. 8

One App. Two Events. Amazing Results. Basic Rights Oregon (continued)

“Get Engaged”—the theme

of Ignite! 2013—fit perfectly with

marriage equality and Mobile Paddle Raise.

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“Get Engaged”—the theme of Ignite! 2013—fit perfectly with marriage equality and Mobile Paddle Raise. The displays and live feeds added to the excitement of the event, and kept attendees engaged in BRO’s fundraising and social media even after they had bid and donated. Hundreds of people used the event hashtag #IGNITE, and 10% of attendees donated using the mobile feature, contributing to BRO’s record-breaking $460,000 raised.

Hundreds of people used

the event hashtag #IGNITE,

10% of attendees

donated using the mobile

feature, contributing to

BRO’s record-breaking

$460,000 raised

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One App. Two Events. Amazing Results. Basic Rights Oregon (continued)

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Make-A-Wish

M ake-A-Wish Oregon helps make the lives of thousands of ill children come true,

and—like BRO—wanted a way to make its 2013 annual gala memorable while reaching its record fundraising goal. The 2013 Wish Ball would feature a dinner, a gala ball, stories from children who had benefited from Make-A-Wish Oregon, as well as a live and a silent auction. Samantha Swaim Fundraising, event planner for Wish Ball 2013, recommended Make-A-Wish, Oregon Chapter, use Mobile Paddle Raise.

One App. Two Events. Amazing Results. (continued)

Make-A-Wish used Mobile Paddle Raise throughout the pre-gala dinner as well as the Wish Ball itself. At the dinner, Make-A-Wish hosts told supporters about the app and how to donate by texting “WISH” to 55155. At the Ball, the MC kicked off the evening by encouraging participants to take out their smartphones and hold them up. The MC told attendees about their fundraising goal, and told attendees how they could use their phones to help Make-A-Wish keep fulfilling wishes for children in need.

Make-A-Wish used

Mobile Paddle Raise

throughout the pre-gala dinner

as well as at the Wish Ball itself.

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The response was immediate. Within five minutes, over 67 people had used the new app to donate and pledge over $7,000. The 550 Wish Ball attendees continued to pledge and donate using the app throughout the night, and watch in real time as their donations “pushed” the virtual thermometer closer to the $15,000 mobile fundraising goal.

Thanks to dedicated supporters and aided by the Mobile Paddle Raise App, Wish Ball 2013 raised over $435,000 for Make-A-Wish Oregon—64% over the amount raised in 2012.

Within five minutes, over 67 people had used

the new app to donate and pledge over $7,000. By the end of

the evening, Wish Ball 2013 raised over $435,000 for Make-A-Wish

Oregon—64% over the amount raised in 2012.

One App. Two Events. Amazing Results. Make-A-Wish (continued)

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P art of what made Mobile

Paddle Raise successful

was the way in which Basic Rights

Oregon and Make-A-Wish built mobile fundraising into the flow of the event.

Both organizations had a clear

call to action and involved their

guest speakers in promoting and

creating excitement around using the app—

key lessons for other other

organizations looking to

integrate mobile giving into

their fundraising experience.

One App. Two Events. Amazing Results. (continued)

Tools like Mobile Paddle Raise make it even easier for

nonprofits and event planners like Samantha Swaim

Fundraising to create branded, affordable campaigns

around the causes they love.

If you would like to accomplish a similar social media and

mobile fundraising campaign for your next fundraiser,

simply contact CafeGive Social to learn more.

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