How To Win At 24-Hour Giving Challenges

The United Way National Capital Area's 24-hour online campaign is just days away, so we checked in with last year’s big winner for strategies on how to haul in the most cash. Joseph's House deputy director Scott Sanders, flanked by Ivy Community Charities' Cheryl Petty Garnette and United Way's Rosie Allen-Herring, says a big part of the 25-year-old organization’s strategy at this year’s Do More 24 online campaign on Thursday is to get core donors and volunteers to reach out to friends and family to make donations. The organization raised $35k last year for its mission to provide a comfortable living environment for people with HIV and cancer.

The group attends farmers markets and other community events in the days leading up to Do More 24 to get the word out about the organization and the online campaign to potential donors. Joseph’s House collects emails and promises to only send one reminder message about the campaign. It also partners with businesses, which pass out informational cards to patrons on Joseph’s House and the Do More 24 campaign. The organization also uses social media to remind its core supporters of the campaign and to post a new informational video.

United Way’s Do More 24 campaign is on its third year and has raised over $2.4M for local area nonprofits. Rosie says the 24-hour campaign gives nonprofits of all size and scope a region-wide venue to showcase their programs. The organization also gives away $82k in prize money, so nonprofits are advised to find the award category where they could be the most competitive. Nonprofits should also tell potential donors how their money will be used.