Oklahoma Christian University Raised 330% of Giving Tuesday Fundraising Goal

Mission

To create a higher learning community that transforms lives for Christian faith, scholarship, and service

Challenge

Launch a compelling Giving Tuesday campaign that inspires supporters to connect with their mission and donate

Solution

Classy’s crowdfunding websites offer the perfect storytelling opportunity while activating supporters in meaningful ways

“The versatility of Classy has been very beneficial for us. From donation pages, crowdfunding, recurring donation options, peer-to-peer fundraising, and the flexibility to pay with different payment options enable us to tell our story and make it easier for our supporters to give.”

– Hannah Johnson, Annual Fund and Alumni Outreach Coordinator

Giving Tuesday 2022 Results:

330%

raised of the goal

163%

YoY revenue growth

$1,354

average donation size

Oklahoma Christian University works to transform lives for Christian faith, scholarship, and service. The alumni and advancement teams are tasked with raising money throughout the year so more students can grow and learn on OC’s campus, many of whom do so with the support of a scholarship. In fact, 95% of its 2,000+ enrolled students are awarded financial scholarships to assist their learning journeys.

Finding a Reliable Fundraising Solution

Back in 2019, OC was looking for a comprehensive fundraising tool to replace its previous solution–one that could reliably process donations and provide a superior donor experience as more supporters moved online.

The Best Giving Tuesday Yet

Starting in mid-September, the OC team preps for Giving Tuesday by setting up their crowdfunding and donation pages. On Classy, it’s simple to duplicate the previous year’s Giving Tuesday campaign and edit the images and content blocks to tell a compelling story that aligns with timely goals.

Oklahoma Christian University’s Giving Tuesday 2022 Crowdfunding Page

The nonprofit segments its robust database of alumni and supporters to effectively appeal to each unique cohort in the month leading up to Giving Tuesday. Their team takes a multi-channel approach to promotion, utilizing email, social media channels, and texting. This ensures the right message is getting to the right people via the right channel.

In 2022, an anonymous donor generously matched up to $30,000 in donations on Giving Tuesday. In the end, OC raised over $197,000, raising 330% of its goal, with donations going back into the scholarship fund to support students.

To set our Giving Tuesday fundraising goal, we always look at the previous year, and each subsequent year, we try to beat that number. This past year we added in the match. It was amazing that Classy can automatically match as donations roll in.
Hannah Johnson
Annual Fund and Alumni Outreach Coordinator

More Ways to Grow Supporters and Donations

School is out for the summer, so the OC team is looking forward to a productive planning period. They’re currently in the midst of a website refresh and are planning to add more (and easier) ways to donate, like embedded donation forms.

This past April, the OC athletics teams participated in a fundraising competition for their inaugural athletics day of giving, where each athletic team created its own Classy peer-to-peer fundraising pages. It was such a success that other colleges want to get involved.

With November a mere five months away, it’s never too early to start thinking about Giving Tuesday. After the amazing success last year, the OC team has its sights set high with bigger matches and a closer partnership with their major gifts team.