Kansas City Pet Project’s Gala Raised $150K Above Its Stretch Goal With Classy Live
Mission
To build a safer community for pets and people in Kansas City, Missouri
Challenge
Support the growing number of unhoused animals in Kansas City
Solution
Leverage Classy’s event software, Classy Live, to host its 10th-anniversary fundraising gala in direct support of its mission
“We wanted to build a partnership with Classy to really maximize what we’re trying to accomplish and to support our mission through the resources that Classy provides.”
– Stephanie Sullens, Former Chief Development Officer
10th Anniversary Gala Results With Classy Live:
$150k+
raised above the stretch goal
450
in-person attendees
94
silent auction items sold
Founded in 2012, Kansas City Pet Project (KC Pet Project) is dedicated to housing pets and helping pet families in need during times of crisis.
Building a Long-Term Partnership With Classy
Three years after it opened its doors, KC Pet Project adopted Classy to help strengthen and diversify its fundraising. The nonprofit had an urgent need for a streamlined fundraising tool that offered various campaign types, including fundraising events.
After seeing the incredible value of Classy, the KC Pet Project team decided to ditch the array of platforms they were previously leveraging and commit to Classy’s comprehensive suite. This transition allowed the team to become more efficient and accurate in its fundraising, data collection, and reporting.
Celebrating 10 Years With an In-Person Gala
In 2022, KC Pet Project wanted to celebrate its 10-year anniversary by throwing its first-ever gala on a grand scale. Around that same time, Classy’s online event tool, Classy Live, was released. Without hesitation, the KC Pet Project team knew this tool would be critical to executing the event they envisioned.
The team utilized a number of Classy Live’s features, including:
- Ticketing
- Event check-in
- Live silent auction
- Mobile bidding
- Messaging and reminders sent via email and text
- And more!
The event drew in 450 in-person attendees, including the Kansas City mayor and Missouri governor. All 94 auction items were sold (which raised $20k alone), and the event raised $150k above its stretch goal!
According to the 2023 State of Modern Philanthropy report, the average Classy Live revenue per donor over the course of a year is $1,258. KC Pet Project is excited to see the benefits of this event throughout the entire year.
Following Along With Classy’s Rate of Innovation
KC Pet Project has always raised a hand to participate in the beta testing of new Classy features. They also recommend ideas that could improve their day-to-day work, and the Classy team takes that feedback into account when planning the product roadmap.
When a new Classy feature is rolled out, I take my time to learn about it and think if there’s a way for it to be beneficial to my organization. Classy is the number one tool I invest my time into because I genuinely feel that every new feature is based on feedback from customers.
The team is in early talks about its next gala after seeing such success last year and is thinking of other events to use Classy Live. In the meantime, they’re prepping for Giving Tuesday, coming up at the end of November. They’re going to launch their first embedded donation form for this annual campaign with a goal to raise more than all previous giving days. Knowing that organizations using embedded donation forms on Classy are experiencing up to 29% more revenue per donation, KC Pet Project is hopeful for record-breaking numbers.
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