A $3M+ boost: UNICEF USA’s success with Fundraise Up
of all donors cover processing fees
donations saved by the Reminder Element
in additional revenue through Upsell
Because we can count on Fundraise Up, we’ve been able to dream bigger, try new things, and innovate with fundraising efforts to deliver the greatest impact.
About UNICEF USA
UNICEF USA braves the world’s toughest places to protect the rights of every child, everywhere. Across 190 countries and territories, the organization is on the ground, bringing life-saving help and hope to families affected by humanitarian emergencies. Founded more than 70 years ago, UNICEF USA has always made the rights, safety, and well-being of children its mission critical.
The challenge: Launch a digital-first brand strategy
A pivot to digital offers promise and opportunity
In 2018, UNICEF USA pivoted to a digital-first approach. As many NPOs can attest to, the world of charitable giving was changing. And with the competitive landscape becoming more crowded, UNICEF USA had a multi-pronged challenge to grow its brand cost-effectively, secure more donor wallet share, manage rising costs, and reach new donors.
Helene Vallone, Vice President, Direct Response for UNICEF USA reflects on the decision to bank on digital. “At the time, we were heavily focused on monthly giving. And while our revenue was growing, our file of sustainers was shrinking.”
We needed a way to grow cost-effectively and digital was becoming more accessible. So we saw tremendous promise and opportunity in digital channels.
To reach the organization’s ambitious goals, there was a long list of requirements to fulfill. But it was a necessary decision to improve changing donor expectations, maximize donations, and increase monthly donorship.
The solution: A digital-first donation platform
The shift in strategy meant UNICEF USA needed to invest in a new, innovative technology stack — including a new donation platform.
At the time of UNICEF USA’s pivot, Fundraise Up was a young disruptor to the nonprofit software scene. It was eager to prove its chops with a powerhouse like UNICEF USA, the world’s farthest-reaching humanitarian organization for children, with annual contributions in the billions.
Reliability was a big factor as the organization evaluated new technology. For a global brand with the stature of UNICEF USA, a system malfunction would directly impact decades of earned trust for their mission.
Says Helene, “Over my career, I’ve had experiences with many donation platforms and have seen their failings. So the reliability and stability of a donation platform, and its ability to scale effortlessly to handle volume from thousands to hundreds of thousands, is a critical factor for investment.”
Fundraise Up committed to having UNICEF USA up and running on its platform in a mere six weeks, and there were concerns about meeting this timeline with a startup company.
“There was a lot of hesitation,” confesses Helene. “We have very stringent practices surrounding vendors. Internal conversations were very challenging, and there were many questions for the Fundraise Up team.”
But with Fundraise Up’s AI-driven capabilities, including features such as dynamic donation asks, seamless upselling to recurring donations, and a user-friendly interface, UNICEF’s interest was peaked. And with a successful A/B test of the platform's performance, a decision was made — UNICEF USA and Fundraise Up would partner.
Up and successfully running in just six weeks
From the get-go, Fundraise Up delivered on every promise, with the team handling UNICEF USA’s rigorous due diligence and an aggressive implementation deadline with complete professionalism.
“That truly is the basis of our story,” Helene reflects. “Fundraise up delivered, and continues to deliver on its promises. It is an organization that’s truly client-focused.”
I can confidently say that Fundraise Up has never let us down. We’ve done virtual events. We’ve mounted large-scale fundraising efforts, such as the campaign for Ukraine, where we raised millions.The response to that effort was unrelenting every single day the campaign ran. And every single day, Fundraise Up’s platform was rock solid.
Helene also notes her appreciation of the strong alignment between Fundraise Up’s product roadmap and where UNICEF USA wants to go as an organization, informed by an open dialogue between the two partners.
“This is not just about our confidence in the Fundraise Up platform and its ability to support us. It’s also about the quality and character of the Fundraise Up team. We’ve always felt comforted that when we reach out to share our ideas, we are heard and supported. I have to say the extraordinary customer care Fundraise Up has demonstrated is rare. It is also something I deeply respect and admire.”
The results: A multimillion dollar donation success story
Fundraise Up has played a foundational role in enabling UNICEF USA’s digital transformation. The organization’s team takes full advantage of Fundraise Up’s platform capabilities, including features such as:
- Donation Upsells to convert one-time donors to recurring monthly givers
- Artificial intelligence to dynamically personalize ask amounts for each donor
- Reminder Elements to save would-be donations from being forgotten
- Community-driven fundraising to empower donors to fundraise on their own
- The pulsing heart icon (Helene’s personal favorite)
“The Fundraise Up feature set is so rich we’ve been able to aggregate multiple systems once used to host monthly donors,” says Helene. “As an organization that is always mindful of costs and consistently seeking efficiencies, that is immensely valuable.”
A success story
The recurring Upsell feature has generated an additional $3M in annual revenue. And 82% of all donors cover their processing fees allowing UNICEF USA to keep the entire donation and reduce credit card costs. And that’s not all!
- 48,000+ successful migrations to Fundraise Up
- 26,000+ donations saved by the Reminder Element
- 47% of donors gift through mobile
To manage the donation process, the UNICEF USA marketing team also relies on Fundraise Up’s Donor Portal and Virtual Terminal. And the campaign dashboard has proved useful to monitor real-time results for trends.
Fundraise Up supports our strategic goals. Because we can count on the Fundraise Up platform and team, we’ve been able to dream bigger, try new things, and innovate with new and different fundraising efforts to ensure we deliver the greatest impact for children. And we have the results to show for it.
Together, UNICEF USA and Fundraise Up are not just transforming the way donations are made but are also paving the way for a future where generosity knows no bounds. By embracing innovation and harnessing the power of technology, they’re setting a new standard for digital philanthropy, inspiring others to join in building a more connected and compassionate world.
Notable numbers
of all donors cover processing fees
donations saved by the Reminder Element
in additional revenue through Upsell
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