Monday Buzz: Give Local America Breaks Crowdfunding Record

Did you hear about last week’s $53 million fundraiser? It wasn’t a star-studded event or the work of a well-established organization with millions in marketing. Give Local America  (opens in a new tab), a one-day campaign to aid more than 7,000 nonprofits, raised more than $53 million from 306,068 gifts on May 6.

That staggering total makes it the largest single-day charitable crowdfunding event in history, setting a new benchmark for other groups to strive for.

The campaign was spearheaded by Kimbia  (opens in a new tab), a fundraising platform already used by numerous nonprofits, from the American Heart Association to the Smithsonian Institution. But an online fundraising portal can’t take all the credit for such a hugely successful campaign.

“The most critical success factor was the excitement and grassroots execution of community foundations before and during the event, including their use of social media to promote this national crowdfunding event,” Kimbia CEO Dan Gillett said in a statement  (opens in a new tab).

Social Media in Action

https://twitter.com/Carrie_Rachel/statuses/463765637894901760

There’s a reason Gillett credited social media for much of Give Local America’s success—the tweet above is just a sample of the countless posts, tweets, and more that publicized the event. The Knight Foundation composed this extensive list of social media images and messages that have driven charitable contributions  (opens in a new tab).

Other Good Reads

Though Give Local America excelled in its efforts, that isn’t the case with every nonprofit’s fundraiser. Social Fish lays out five reasons why crowdfunding campaigns flounder  (opens in a new tab).

Don’t get too attached to Gmail’s look. If these recent leaks via The Next Web  (opens in a new tab) are any indication, the widely popular email service could soon undergo its first significant redesign since 2011.

In case you needed more convincing, the Online Publishers Association’s Michelle Manafy, writing on Inc., lists three reasons why you should dive into the content business  (opens in a new tab).

So you have a huge member Rolodex. What’s keeping all that contact information fresh and up-to-date? Silverbear’s Victoria Chapman has some tips  (opens in a new tab) on making sure you know how to reach your members.

(GiveLocalAmerica.com)