Boys and Girls Club of Rockford Raises $330,000 With the Help of Return on Good

The SMASH event, held annually by Boys and Girls Club of Rockford, IL just set a fundraising record, and Return on Good was proud to be part of the success. The Club supports thousands of members each year through after-school and summer programs. Their world-class Academic Success, leadership, wellness and other programs have a track record of incredible success, and donors help make it all possible.  Combining an open donation pledge call (with a “paddle raise” to match the ping pong theme), and an auction and dance, the event totaled over $330,000 in support, a record for the Club.  “The Club offers an incredible, life-changing service to members, families and the community. We were so excited to partner with their team, and make a donation this year at the event,” says Jay Kelly, Return on Good co-founder.  And the Club really innovated to reach this level of success. “We changed the event up this year in two big ways, to really bring what donors were supporting to focus in their minds,” said Denise Noe, CFRE, Chief Development Officer. Return on Good loved a new change: to invite the students to join in the event, so supporters could interact with them, learning more about the great achievements of their participation in the Club.  “And we also wanted a great video that showed the impact of donations, and what Return on Good created for us was incredible,” Noe added. The video was played right before the ‘paddle raise’ for donations, and attendees set a record for commitments at the event.  

Video: Return on Good helped the Boys and Girls Club of Rockford create a compelling video to kick off the open pledge period of their signature fundraising event, and supported over $330,000 in pledge commitments from attendees.  “The energy in the room after the video played was incredible. It really helped set the tone for what donors were supporting with their commitment. It made a big difference. This was a great investment for us,” says Denise.  To accomplish the impact video, the Return on Good creative team interviewed the Club executive director, a board member, and three members to talk about their experience through our virtual studio technology. The high energy, professional video feature was crafted in less than two weeks. The Club also received an evergreen version of the video to use after the event in future marketing campaigns, along with standalone testimonial videos from the recordings, all for a cost that the organization could afford on their limited budget.  

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“Video is a big part of any charity’s success story. Great giving stories like the Boys and Girls Club of Rockford tell the ‘why’ of philanthropy and there’s no substitute for seeing and hearing that in real human voices,” says Jay.  Telling the story of what your charity does with the investment of donor contributions offers real impact. Inspiring stories help your supporters feel the real joy of giving. Return on Good can help you make it all happen. Contact us today to find out more.