On October 2, ArtsFund hosted a convening and discussion celebrating the 2 year anniversary of power2give/PugetSound. 30 representatives from 25 partner organizations joined us at Northwest African American Museum for a strategy session surrounding the ways that a power2give campaign can fit within an overall fundraising strategy.
Four speakers, including Katie Bombico (Whim W’Him), John Gilbreath (Earshot Jazz), Cyrus Khambatta (Khambatta Dance Company) and Missy Miller (Seattle Arts & Lectures), shared their experiences successfully funding multiple power2give campaigns and the creative steps that they took to engage existing donors while at the same time reaching a wider donor pool. Some discussion topics included:
- the importance of emphasizing the tangible outcomes of a campaign
- highlighting a power2give campaign at a physical event that can be used for creating “buzz” about a production while also allowing donors an opportunity to make a gift on the spot
- providing tools to board members and advocates, such as sample social media posts, emails, talking points, etc
- the importance of following up with donors and creating opportunities for a personal touch, i.e. personal emails after gifts come in, social media shoutouts, etc.
- segmenting donors and making tweaks to messaging to more personally connect with their interests
- the importance of having an executable communications plan that will take advantage of the urgency and excitement in the last 24-48 hours of a campaign that is not yet fully funded
We’ve come a long way since launching power2give/PugetSound on October 1, 2013 with an initial 32 projects and a $200,000 matching grant from inaugural sponsor Raynier Institute & Foundation. Here are some of the highlights to date:
- 87 unique posting organizations
- 168 total projects
- over 3100 donations through the platform
- nearly $500,000 raised in matching funds
- a grand total of over $848,000 granted through individual and matching gifts
Through power2give, local arts groups have been able to cover the costs for a wide range of projects, arts disciplines and areas of focus. The platform has helped pay for artist residence fees, a website makeover, the creation of new dance works, materials for youth photography courses, scholarships for music students, upgrades to an assisted listening system — and that’s just since the start of this past summer! On average, arts groups raise nearly $5,000 through a single project, with 75% of projects reaching 100% of their goal.
October 1 also marked another important milestone — the launch of the new and improved power2give website! With a sleek new look and enhanced features for donors and fundraisers alike, the site will only serve to make the power2give experience more impactful and is big step for the growth of the platform. Check it out and tell us what you think at www.power2give.org/curator/artsfund!