Usdan
Summer camp was cancelled, but donors gave even more
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Problem / Challenge
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Solution
Working with Veritus Group, the Executive Director learned to talk to parents and new donors using Permission-Based Asking™.
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Results
“The simplicity of the Permission-Based Asking model works. Weekly coaching helps us build skills, but also allows us talk out our reasons for procrastination. Overall, the weekly coaching allows what we learn and work on to be highly personalized. Plus, my colleague and I just enjoy being with our Veritus coach.”
When Summer Camp Stops for COVID
What the Organization was Facing
Usdan is a long-established organization with a small pool of donors who are mostly alumni and parents, with a few key community supporters. Because the camp is named after a family that continues to support camp with a foundation, and because there are tuition fees, it can be difficult to articulate the need for others to join in funding the camp.
When a COVID shutdown left the camp without any tuition-paying campers, the ED and staff had to turn to parents and other donors to replace the lost income. They were unsure how to conduct these difficult conversations.
After adopting Veritus Group’s training and recommendations, Usdan used Veritus’ Permission-Based Asking™ when asking parents to donate the lost tuition, and to seek help from major donors.
The organization was able to offer on-line camp classes for the first time, expanding their reach from the greater New York area to 8 states! Further, they secured key gifts from new donors, up over $200k from last year, ensuring the facilities were able to open in summer 2021 for a modified in-person camp.
The Results
Heart
Passions & Interests
8 States
The Camp Expands
Because of strong donor support, the organization was able to offer on-line camp classes for the first time, expanding their reach from the greater New York area to 8 states.
$218,000
Increased Giving
The camp was shut down, but parents and major donors pushed giving UP over $200,000 during COVID!
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Pinky Swear Foundation
Despite open lines of communication between Program and Fundraising, Pinky Swear lacked an efficient and consistent way to leverage their data to really show donors what their specific gift would mean for the families served.
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