Hong Kong WHO
Kindred is a Canadian non-profit that is all about realizing the power of human connection. Their services improve mental health and strengthen the relationships between caregivers and children among the people they serve and those who matter most to them.
Like many non-profits their annual gala is the calendar’s flagship event providing a sizeable portion of the year’s budget. Kindred’s gala has been running for 13 years but 2024 was the first year they used Givergy as their fundraising platform, doing so to run a silent auction.
Fundraising Challenges
In general, a challenge for Kindred has been the recent giving climate in Canada. Since the pandemic they have noticed the increased competition for donor dollars and the increasing importance of breaking through the noise to truly communicate with potential supporters.
On the latter point, Kindred noted the nature of the Givergy messaging system made it much simpler to stay in contact with supporters. They used the pre-authorised automated messaging system and removed the stress of having to manually update every potential supporter during run up to the event. Although this couldn’t help to ease the state of giving post-pandemic it did give the Kindred fundraising team back some time and peace of mind during the build up to the gala!
Event Highlights
For those organising the event, it’s always wonderful to connect the impact of the gala to the stories shared by the families, young parents and caregivers that benefit from the programs and services Kindred offers. It is often repeat donors that attend the events, meaning supporters get to know each other as well as the people benefitting from Kindred’s services. The atmosphere this creates is always a highlight!
This year in particular the Kindred team found the guest speaker who shared their experience of the non-profit’s support structures incredibly moving. It was possible to feel the energy they were creating in the room through the telling of their story. That was special and certainly touched the donors too!
Results:
Kindred had the goal of raising more than $300,000, selling 50 tables and having 400 guests in the room. Incredibly, Kindred beat all their targets making the night a roaring success!
TOP TIP
“Firstly, the energy you transit during the entirety of the fundraising campaign transmits to the supporters and potential supporters you interact with. As a fundraiser its vital to bring positivity into the role, and if possible, make the job fun, because we want our guests to be at an event they remember, we want them to feel good after attending. This advice really stretches to the smallest of tasks like sending emails. Make sure you are engaging!
Secondly, and especially when it comes to technology, trust and lean on the experts. We leant on the support of Givergy massively, as well as our board and their network. Where there is expertise in an area you must try to find it and then use it to your campaign’s advantage!”
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“Givergy are always so responsive and when you’re in a fast-paced environment, this is always appreciated! Using the system is so easy but if you face any issues the support team reply within minutes! Even down to the post-event check-ins their team was incredibly engaged and open to hearing any feedback we had. Honestly, just a great experience.”
