The power of connection: How nonprofits use technology to scale fundraising + build stronger communities

Technology has revolutionized the way nonprofit organizations function. By leveraging the power of technology, nonprofit organizations can now reach out to more donors, engage them meaningfully, and build a stronger community.

This blog explores the ways in which three nonprofit organizations used Gravyty’s fundraising and engagement tools to increase their outreach and build a strong foundation of meaningful relationships.

Nonprofit organizations thrive on community support. Whether the goal is to fundraise actively, steward the donors of the future, or get community members involved in volunteering or other non-monetary activities, technology can be a vital tool to help organizations increase their reach, make more meaningful connections, and have a greater impact.

At the heart of every nonprofit lies the community, and the ability to make meaningful connections is crucial to achieving success. However, limited resources and staff can often hinder outreach and engagement efforts, leading to burnout and missed opportunities.

Today we’ll explore how three pioneering nonprofits successfully used Gravyty’s tools to build a strong foundation of meaningful relationships and scale their fundraising efforts. Learn how:

• The Dental Trade Alliance Foundation used Gratavid to unleash the power of personalized video. 
• WUCF-TV, a PBS member television station in Orlando, Florida, used Raise to streamline and personalize their stewardship.
• The Terry Foundation used Community to provide an online space for their alumni.

Let’s dig deeper, shall we?

Dental Trade Alliance Foundation used Gratavid, which is a community-centric video creation and management platform that enables nonprofits to reach out and engage prospects, constituents, and donors at scale by leveraging personalized video content. 

Results of using Gratavid:

• 25% of all donors interacted with Gratavid-recorded thank-you videos 
• There was a 65% watch rate for promotional and stewardships videos created with Gratavid
• 85% of link clicks in DTAF’s newsletter were for video content

Overall, individual giving tripled since DTAF started using Gratavid to create appeal and stewardship videos.

“As a team of 1 ⅓ people, technology is the only reason I don’t work 50 hours a day! Especially in the case of smaller nonprofits like ours, it is only because of technology like Gratavid that we are able to keep up with all our tasks and still have time left over to build those all-important personal relationships.” 
Sarah Miller, MPA, Executive Director, Dental Trade Alliance Foundation

Want to learn how Gratavid helped The Dental Trade Alliance Foundation? 

WUCF TV & WUCF FM a PBS member television station in Orlando, Florida, United States used Raise, which is an AI-based fundraising tool that streamlines and personalizes donor relations from the research stage all the way through qualification, requesting donations, thanking and stewarding donors, maintaining strong relationships, and improving donor retention.

Results of using Raise  

As opposed to an open rate of 45% from WUCF’s Constant Contact emails, Raise emails have seen an open rate of 85% and many of the emails were read multiple times.

“Raise lets us steward donors so much more intentionally. I have 325 donors in my file, many of whom I don’t know much about, so the invaluable prompts and bits of personalized information that Raise provides really helps me grow those relationships.”
Melissa Braillard, Director of Community Impact, WUCF TV & WUCF FM

Want to learn how Raise helped WUCF TV & WUCF FM?

The Terry Foundation used Community, which allows nonprofits and corporations to engage their community members with a state-of-the-art virtual networking experience, a personalized feed, a directory to connect with their peers, and virtual events, all in one place. Community is the ideal tool for organizations that want to maintain good relationships with their community members and offer possibly employment opportunities, mentorship, and high-level networking capabilities. 

Results of using Community 

TF has been able to build a vibrant and flourishing community consisting of members who are spread across the globe.

“The Community platform helps us make the most efficient use of our time and resources while providing a valued and desirable service to our alumni members.”
Amber Masso, Director of Communications and Alumni Engagement, The Terry Foundation

Want to learn how Community helped The Terry Foundation?

In summary, the use of technology has transformed the way nonprofit organizations function, allowing them to reach out to more donors and build stronger communities.
We saw how three nonprofits leveraged Gravyty’s fundraising and engagement tools to build meaningful relationships and increase their outreach.

• The Dental Trade Alliance Foundation used Gratavid to personalize video content resulting in a triple increase in individual giving.
• WUCF-TV used Raise to streamline donor relations and improve their donor retention, resulting in an 85% open rate for Raise emails compared to 45% for Constant Contact.
• The Terry Foundation used Community to provide a state-of-the-art virtual networking experience for their alumni, resulting in a vibrant community.

Overall, technology can help nonprofit organizations increase their reach, make more meaningful connections and have a greater impact on the world.