Today is Giving Tuesday – a global day dedicated to generosity and doing good. Comcast will celebrate in a number of ways. First, from Nov. 27 – Dec. 1, Comcast will offer a special 2-to-1 match for donations of up to $250 per employee made to eligible nonprofits. Beyond this, we will select 60 fortunate employees to receive an additional $1,000 to donate to the eligible organization of their choice.
In honor of this Season of Giving, Comcast will also make a $25,000 donation to Santa Cruz Gives. The Comcast California blog editorial staff sat down with Jeanne Howard, Executive Director of Santa Cruz Gives, to talk about this unique program that supports non-profits that serve the entire Santa Cruz County.
What is Santa Cruz Gives?
Santa Cruz Gives was founded in 2015 and is a holiday giving program that raises funds for non-profits during the last six weeks of the year. We try to include as many types of community needs as possible, whether that’s programs for youth, seniors, health and wellness, food/nutrition, the environment, the arts, people with disabilities, animals, education, and many more. We also strive to represent a diverse array of projects within those categories, so the organizations are as varied as possible. Lastly, we present our donors with the work of small, medium and large non-profits, so we incorporate diversity into all aspects of what we do.
What makes the program unique?
It is the first and only crowdfunding platform to raise funds for various non-profits throughout Santa Cruz county. Another thing that makes the platform special is we enable non-profits to raise more funds while sharing ideas and learning from one another. Organizations that had little contact with one another prior to Santa Cruz Gives, and perhaps felt a sense of competition, are now discovering a sense of community together as they meet and collaborate. They all benefit!
What impact has the program had?
New donors are the lifeblood of non-profits and attracting them is perhaps the biggest challenge non-profits face. The non-profits in the Santa Cruz Gives campaign report that new donors are up as much as 80 percent. Over the years, the program has consistently demonstrated the potential to significantly increase overall funds raised in the community, with new donors giving to a greater number of organizations.There’s also a “ripple effect” which is larger than the campaign itself, in terms of stimulating fundraising countywide. Some non-profits find that donors learn about them through Santa Cruz Gives but give at other times of year through different channels.
How do you get the word out?
Santa Cruz Gives harnesses the power of the Internet with the reach of the local media group that includes Good Times, The Pajaronian, Press Banner and Aptos Life. Good Times alone reaches half the adults in the county each week — more than any single medium. Key non-profit partners are Community Foundation Santa Cruz County and the Volunteer Center Santa Cruz County. Because of all this great visibility, each year there is significant growth in number of donors, donation amounts per donor, and total challenge grants. The public exposure and the platform that non-profits gain through Santa Cruz Gives is beyond what any could achieve on their own — and adds value beyond the actual funds raised.
The website — SantaCruzGives.org — is another key to our success. More people can be reached, donors can learn about many local non-profits on one site, donate with a few clicks, and track the progress of favorite groups on a leaderboard in real time. Most funds are raised by donors who give to four or more groups; this suggests the platform inspires donors to give more than they might otherwise — and the entire community benefits.
How many non-profits participate and how are they selected?
For the 2023 campaign, 65 organizations were selected. The non-profits are vetted by experienced committee members with deep knowledge of the County’s needs and the larger non-profit community. Selection each year includes established groups known to be effective, as well as some emerging organizations so we can introduce promising new work to the community. We hope to be able to select even more organizations over time, as the pool of matching funds grows.
What sort of trends do you see among those who donate?
The majority of funds raised are contributed by donors who gave to four or more non-profit organizations. Donors browse the website and view individual profile pages, then they use our unique “shopping cart” feature which makes it easy to give to multiple organizations. At first, some organizations were reluctant to send donors to the Santa Cruz Gives site, out of concern that their supporters might give less to them, and more to other groups they learn about. But as it turns out, a rising tide does indeed lift all boats, since most of the non-profits have seen an increase in overall donations by being part of Santa Cruz Gives.
You’ve also seen an increase in younger donors…to what do you attribute that?
In a word…technology. We are using similar technology platforms that younger people are accustomed to and have grown up with. We created an app so they can contribute any amount in a fast, easy, and efficient way. All our donors appreciate that! These new donors also become potential volunteers, future fundraisers, project leaders and board members.
