When the pandemic hit last March, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank became a lifeline for local families in crisis. By the end of the year, they had provided nearly 37 million pounds of food to 70 thousand households. Along the way, their number of website visitors more than doubled and their online revenue grew by an unprecedented 876%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faced with a steep rise in demand for their services, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank was uniquely positioned to meet the moment. Here are a few of the key ingredients in their approach which contributed to their overwhelming success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Investing Proactively<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\nBefore Covid-19 became headline news, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank had already identified optimal web performance as a critical organizational need<\/strong>. The acknowledgement of that need created a willingness to invest in a technological platform that would transform their online supporter experience. In partnership with our team at One & All, they made the decision to migrate their website to Qgiv\u2014a transition that was officially finalized in February 2020. The timing could not have been better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Control](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Greater-Pittsburgh-Community-Food-Bank-1024x631.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nLet\u2019s return to our baking metaphor for a second. If you\u2019re going to bake a loaf of bread, what\u2019s the very first step? Make sure your oven is working. Even if you mix all the ingredients just right and your dough rises to perfection, you can\u2019t do much with that lump of raw dough if your oven is broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, when you identify a core organizational need, make it a priority to invest in the tools\u2014technological and otherwise\u2014that will help address that need<\/strong>. Don\u2019t wait for a crisis to emerge. Don\u2019t put it off until next quarter. Take tangible steps today to identify key needs and invest accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIf you’re proactively investing in and refining that supporter experience, it will be an ongoing process,\u201d says Shawn Lyon, Director of Digital Strategy at One & All. \u201cThe proactive investments never stop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Partnering Wisely<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\nIn the same way that this client was committed to investing in the right tools, their formation of valuable partnerships has played a key role in their stunning success this past year. Beyond optimizing their online supporter experience, collaboration with experts across industries has allowed them to grow their impact and help exponentially more neighbors in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve just been constantly growing together,\u201d explains Megan Myer, Supervisor of Client Strategy and Success at One & All. \u201cEven though we live on the other side of the country, their neighbors are our neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At its very core, a strategic partnership is built on trust.<\/strong> When you are partnered with experts who are truly committed to the success of your organization and the well-being of your community, you can be confident that they are making recommendations with your best interest in mind. They\u2019ll always shoot straight with you. They\u2019ll tell you the honest truth, even when you don\u2019t want to hear it. They\u2019ll listen and collaborate\u2014and they\u2019ll care more than you ever thought they could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cWhen you lean into trusting partnerships, you don\u2019t have to know all of the answers,\u201d says Megan Bailey, Director of Individual Giving at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Lyon echoes this sentiment, sharing that \u201cThere’s this great exchange of information and collaboration across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wisely investing in the right partnerships is just as important as investing in the right technology. Surround yourself with experts who want to grow your impact. That collaboration will transform your organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Staying Curious<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n\u201cCollective curiosity is really what prepared us all for the success we saw this year,\u201d said Lyon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Girl](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/bake-success-1-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFor the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, that collective curiosity took the form of testing. Lots of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From donation form optimization testing to sustainer callout testing, our teams were\u2014and are\u2014constantly identifying potential opportunities to engage donors and expand the food bank\u2019s impact<\/strong>. The words \u201cwe should test that\u201d were never far from our lips, which led to actionable insights that fueled growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cCuriosity is always the starting point for testing, and testing is what drives informed decisions\u201d says Bailey. \u201cThat curiosity is the catalyst to learning more about our donors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along with testing comes asking the right questions. Within these strategic partnerships you form, each player at the table will have a unique perspective. That means that each of you will be uniquely positioned to pose certain questions. Creating a shared space for collaborative brainstorming will make it possible for those many voices to be heard and critical insights to arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And remember: this process is ongoing. The curiosity doesn\u2019t stop. Not even when online revenue grows by 876%. It\u2019s an ongoing posture that will continue to propel you forward into innovation, discovery, and ultimately, greater impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Your Marks, Get Set, Bake!<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\nThere may not be a perfect recipe for success that applies to all social good organizations, but these are a few of the common ingredients that will always make the list for a strong nonprofit fundraising strategy. With the right mix of proactive investments, wise partnerships, and relentless curiosity, your organization will be well-positioned to grow its impact and meet the moment when challenges arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may still feel the heat as the temperature rises in those moments of crisis<\/a>. Hard times will always push us all out of our comfort zones. But you\u2019ll also expand your reach in ways that you may never have thought were possible. You\u2019ll become even more effective at what you do best. Ultimately, you\u2019ll bring a sweet aroma to your community when they need it the most, and that will make all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nLet\u2019s return to our baking metaphor for a second. If you\u2019re going to bake a loaf of bread, what\u2019s the very first step? Make sure your oven is working. Even if you mix all the ingredients just right and your dough rises to perfection, you can\u2019t do much with that lump of raw dough if your oven is broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, when you identify a core organizational need, make it a priority to invest in the tools\u2014technological and otherwise\u2014that will help address that need<\/strong>. Don\u2019t wait for a crisis to emerge. Don\u2019t put it off until next quarter. Take tangible steps today to identify key needs and invest accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you’re proactively investing in and refining that supporter experience, it will be an ongoing process,\u201d says Shawn Lyon, Director of Digital Strategy at One & All. \u201cThe proactive investments never stop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the same way that this client was committed to investing in the right tools, their formation of valuable partnerships has played a key role in their stunning success this past year. Beyond optimizing their online supporter experience, collaboration with experts across industries has allowed them to grow their impact and help exponentially more neighbors in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve just been constantly growing together,\u201d explains Megan Myer, Supervisor of Client Strategy and Success at One & All. \u201cEven though we live on the other side of the country, their neighbors are our neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n At its very core, a strategic partnership is built on trust.<\/strong> When you are partnered with experts who are truly committed to the success of your organization and the well-being of your community, you can be confident that they are making recommendations with your best interest in mind. They\u2019ll always shoot straight with you. They\u2019ll tell you the honest truth, even when you don\u2019t want to hear it. They\u2019ll listen and collaborate\u2014and they\u2019ll care more than you ever thought they could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen you lean into trusting partnerships, you don\u2019t have to know all of the answers,\u201d says Megan Bailey, Director of Individual Giving at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Lyon echoes this sentiment, sharing that \u201cThere’s this great exchange of information and collaboration across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wisely investing in the right partnerships is just as important as investing in the right technology. Surround yourself with experts who want to grow your impact. That collaboration will transform your organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCollective curiosity is really what prepared us all for the success we saw this year,\u201d said Lyon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, that collective curiosity took the form of testing. Lots of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From donation form optimization testing to sustainer callout testing, our teams were\u2014and are\u2014constantly identifying potential opportunities to engage donors and expand the food bank\u2019s impact<\/strong>. The words \u201cwe should test that\u201d were never far from our lips, which led to actionable insights that fueled growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCuriosity is always the starting point for testing, and testing is what drives informed decisions\u201d says Bailey. \u201cThat curiosity is the catalyst to learning more about our donors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along with testing comes asking the right questions. Within these strategic partnerships you form, each player at the table will have a unique perspective. That means that each of you will be uniquely positioned to pose certain questions. Creating a shared space for collaborative brainstorming will make it possible for those many voices to be heard and critical insights to arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And remember: this process is ongoing. The curiosity doesn\u2019t stop. Not even when online revenue grows by 876%. It\u2019s an ongoing posture that will continue to propel you forward into innovation, discovery, and ultimately, greater impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There may not be a perfect recipe for success that applies to all social good organizations, but these are a few of the common ingredients that will always make the list for a strong nonprofit fundraising strategy. With the right mix of proactive investments, wise partnerships, and relentless curiosity, your organization will be well-positioned to grow its impact and meet the moment when challenges arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may still feel the heat as the temperature rises in those moments of crisis<\/a>. Hard times will always push us all out of our comfort zones. But you\u2019ll also expand your reach in ways that you may never have thought were possible. You\u2019ll become even more effective at what you do best. Ultimately, you\u2019ll bring a sweet aroma to your community when they need it the most, and that will make all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPartnering Wisely<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Staying Curious<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOn Your Marks, Get Set, Bake!<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n