ForKids serves thousands of families and children experiencing homelessness in Virginia, relying heavily on the funds raised in a single night to continue their mission. Relentless in their pursuit of helping children living in poverty in Southeastern Virginia, they took their 19th Annual ForKids Art Auction virtual, fast.
“Up until this year, our auction was the ultimate low-tech event. We still used bid paddles and it was part of our charm. So getting all of our people ready to use a new platform was a priority. We did an evening test with key donors and they had fun with it.” Thaler McCormick, ForKids
Despite being a traditional, low-tech fundraiser, after 19 years ForKids was able to successfully pivot their in-person fundraising activities online. These included:
ForKids took their low-tech event virtual after 19 years of being a traditional in-person event. To be successful they selected key constituents to engage in multiple tests beforehand, created an influencer campaign to maximize their reach, worked with restaurants to deliver “Bidder Bites” to hungry supporters, and opened a tech support line to help supporters navigate the online event.
With the right approach, ForKids was able to adjust their fundraising strategy to fit the virtual world, expand their reach, and highlight the importance of their mission. Their strategies include:
ForKids shared their takeaways for #FearlessFundraisers around the world who are going virtual, here’s what they suggest:
ForKids 19th Annual Art Auction, and first ever virtual event results were astounding:
You can learn more about ForKids and support their mission by visiting their website.