CAAS Champions Donor Challenge kicks off with donation matching
We have set an exciting and ambitious goal for the summer: doubling the number of monthly donors giving automatically to the organization.
We can’t do this without your help!
This week we launch our first-ever CAAS Champions Donor Challenge, asking community members to sign up to give monthly and become “CAAS Champions,” members of our new donor appreciation program. Monthly donors typically give a set amount each month, automatically through a credit card or bank account.
“We’re excited to be launching this program as a way of appealing to people who don’t currently give on a monthly basis, with the added bonus of recognizing and honoring those donors with the Champions program,” said CAAS Executive Director David Gibbs.
The timing of the Champions program is no accident. Two anonymous donors have agreed to match donations made by donors who sign up for monthly giving in July and August. In response, the Donor Challenge kicks off July 1 and runs through August.
Summer is a critical time to acquire new donors and commitments to monthly giving. CAAS has limited unrestricted funding to spend on activities like direct client assistance and community organizing. With federal funding at risk due to the current administration there is no time like the present to commit to end poverty where we live! Become a CAAS Champion today!
“The majority of our current donors opt to give once annually,” said David Gibbs. “Those donations are incredibly important to our ability to serve our clients. They provide us with a source of flexible funding that we can use to respond to emerging needs as they arise.”
However, for nonprofits like CAAS, those annual donations are just one side of the coin. Donations in the form of regular, monthly installments provide CAAS with more funding reliability and allow longer-term planning for programming and services throughout the year
A strong base of regular, incremental donations over time appeals to corporations and grant-giving organizations, and helps solicit further donations from these sources. When a philanthropic-minded organization makes decisions as to which agencies it will award grants or partnerships, it takes into account whether an agency like CAAS already has a solid base of support from the community. Building up a strong monthly donor program will help CAAS directly in providing services to our neighbors, and it also makes us more attractive to other funding sources.
“Making a monthly commitment to CAAS reflects the priority I place on supporting the programs and people helped by CAAS.” said CAAS Champion Judy Perlman, “Each month when my donation is made, I think of it as my way of saying “thank you” to the people who do this work for our neighbors. I love that I get to say “thank you” 12 times a year instead of just once.”
“And I particularly love giving on a monthly basis because it’s so easy and automatic. I already have so many things to remember and keep track of, but signing up for monthly donations took just a few minutes and that was it. It’s more convenient for me and better for CAAS. Win-win!”
If you are one of many local donors who would otherwise wait until the end of the year to donate an annual gift to CAAS, the organization asks that you consider becoming a CAAS Champion instead. CAAS Champions will receive special “thank you” benefits, including CAAS T-Shirts for the first two donors to sign up, digital badges to post on social media, and special recognition at events and in publications.
It takes just a few minutes and these easy steps to become a Champion:
- Visit http://www.caasomerville.org/donate
- Fill out the online donation form
For more information, contact Kate Berliner, kberliner@caasomerville.org or (617) 623-7370 x168.
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