mGive Case Study: Leverage Local Media via mGive

Author: Cassie Bair, July 9th, 2012

Facebook Image for “7 Ways to Give” Campaign

Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano is part of the Bay Area Food Banks, a collaboration of eight local food banks serving northern California counties. Collectively the Bay Area Food Banks serve 600,000 people each month who are in need of food. Food is distributed through more than 1,500 food pantries, children’s programs, shelters, soup kitchens, residential programs, and other emergency food providers.

The Challenge

With unemployment remaining at 9 percent in the San Francisco Bay Area at the time of the Share Your Holiday Food Drive, the demand for food assistance had increased. Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, along with the other seven Bay Area Food Banks, needed to create awareness and conduct a fundraising drive in order to meet their holiday food demands. As a mGive client, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano looked to mobile as one way to meet their immediate needs to raise holiday funds.

The Solution

Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano partnered with ABC-TV to raise awareness about the Share Your Holiday Food Drive, as well as highlighted the fact that supporters could donate through their mobile phone. The Share Your Holiday Food Drive launched Thursday, December 15th with the goal of raising $100,000 during the day-long event. By using the ABC-TV “7 Ways To Give” method, supporters could provide food assistance that would be distributed to families facing hunger during the holiday season and throughout the year. Mobile was considered an essential part of this enhancement strategy.

The ABC-TV “7 Ways To Give” list included the following steps:
1. Donate to your local food bank online at www.abc7news.com.
2. Text FEED to 80077 to donate $10. All funds were allocated to the Food Bank of Contra
Costa and Solano.
3. Mail your check made payable to “Food Bank” to ABC7 Food Drive, 900 Front Street,
San Francisco, CA 94111.
4. Call in your donation in to 800-515-1719 – Volunteers would be on hand to take your donation.
5. Find your local food bank on Facebook and “like” their page to stay updated on how you
can get involved.
6. Drop off a donation of non-perishable food items to the live food drive location at
Alameda County Community Food Bank or at your local food bank.
7. Schedule time to volunteer at your local food bank. Volunteers are needed throughout
the year!

The Results

On December 15, 2011, $6,710 was pledged in $10 mobile donations to the Share Your Holiday Food Drive. That number grew to $9,020 for the entire month of December 2011 even though the mobile call-to-action was no longer being actively promoted. Mobile consisted of 22% of all funds raised during the entire campaign, resulting in an additional revenue stream above-and-beyond traditional fundraising methods.

Throughout December 2011, 761 unique mobile numbers pledged $10, 48 mobile numbers pledged $20, and 15 pledged $30. Of the 824 unique mobile donors, 5% also confirmed that they would like to receive future Mobile Community updates from a select food bank. Those food banks then had the option to share news, tips, needs and more with supporters who had already taken action to support their cause.

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