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Thanks for Giving to the Max!

Thanks to 197 donors who contributed a total of over $16,000 to STLF on GiveMN.org's Give to the Max Day!  

Author: Greg Tehven, STLF

It's 1:41 am.  It's been since college that I've stayed up three night in a row working past midnight. I haven't been able to sleep very well as I've been filled with nerves, excitement, and ideas.

When the GiveMN team shared their vision for more online giving at the Engaged Philanthropy Conference this summer, I was surprised that some folks thought it was a new idea. I guess for me, as someone that has literally grown up online, its been a natural way to give. As I learned more, I realized that there are many people that are not comfortable giving online. 

This Fall, GiveMN announced that they had secured $500,000 to be given away as a match. I quickly started working with my team to come up with a strategy. We designed a logo, built our Facebook pages, and added to our fan base. We spent additional money on a direct mail post card and asked donors individually to support us on match day to leverage their gift.

Last Monday, we learned through an email that the money would not be matched on a first come first serve basis and be given out in proportion to all of the other gifts. I was left in shock. Frustrated. Angered. Confused. How could the rules be changed? Would our donors be upset? After a much needed phone call with a mentor, I was reminded that GiveMN is a startup and these things happen.

We went back to the drawing board. We decided our best chance to raise additional funds would be to get the most $10 donors. Our goal was to find 250 people to give. Would it be enough?

I remembered learning about raising money from the inside out at fundraising school at IUPUI. I began getting our Board excited for the event. My next step was my co-workers and committee members. Then, we focused on engaging our alumni and online base. Emails were blasted, post cards distributed, calls were made. Would it work?

A Special Day for Philanthropy in Minnesota.

We started off strong. We were given a $3,000 gift from a supporter that we asked for the first time. The opportunity to leverage his gift was very encouraging. Smaller gifts started coming in. One of our Board members upped her gift $200 from last year. An entry level donor increased his gift by 10 times. Things were taking shape. 

I then learned before noon that Second Harvest had already had over 300 people give to them. Our goal looked difficult. I turned to my phone. I decided to text nearly every person I could in my phone book. After 500+ text messages went out, donations started coming in. Our alumni started to promote the day on facebook and my co-workers started making calls. 

As the day continued, we watched new donations come in from students. Parents gave for the first time. We were inspired.

Afternoon came and we were still inspired. A text came in from an alumni saying "my mom just called to tell me to donate. You're marking team must be doing a great job." Another friend called to say they were excited to give to us for the first time. Wow, who knew GiveMN could have this kind of power.

And now, here I am, at 1:41 A.M. still not sleeping. I've been inspired by the power of giving.  For philanthropy as a whole, an unprecedented $13 million+ was donated to Minnesota nonprofits online yesterday.  For STLF, raising $16,000 in one day is a huge deal. Last December, our solicitation brought in $5,400. Several of our gifts have been small. 75% of all gifts have been under $50 and nearly half of all our gifts have been from students. It feels good to be part of a generation that chooses to share their resources with causes they believe in.

In STLF's history, we've never turned down a student to come on a Pay It Forward Tour because of limited financial resources. We've watched our requests for scholarships continue to increase. We believe all young people should be provided an opportunity to serve and reveal their leadership. We are thankful for the 197 donors that have made that happen today. We will continue to spread the message that young people are changing our world!

 

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