Special Olympics Michigan’s Polar Plunge Raised 15% more YoY with Classy and Mittun

Mission

To provide year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities

Challenge

Encourage Polar Plunge fundraisers to go beyond raising funds and sign up for a Plunge event

Solution

Classy’s fundraising technology and Mittun’s web design expertise helped Special Olympics Michigan visualize its fundraising data and give fundraisers motivation to reach their goals

“Classy gives us easy ways for our Plungers to make a difference and hit their goals and Mittun helps us create a beautifully branded one-stop-shop for our Plunge. We are excited to see what we’ll create next year and how we’ll meet (or surpass) our goals.”

– Andrea Rachko, Senior Director of Law Enforcement Torch Run

2024 Polar Plunge results with Classy and Mittun:

15% more

raised YoY

7,776

Plungers

70%+

fundraiser retention rate

A unified fundraising events solution

Every year, Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) hosts a series of fundraising events called the Polar Plunge, where people go to great lengths to show their support by donating, fundraising, and jumping into freezing cold water. The Plunge is the biggest fundraiser of the year for SOMI, with 26 events taking place statewide. All funds raised go to provide year-round training and services to over 23,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities.

As a nonprofit, time and resources are frequently stretched thin. So when an opportunity to take something off SOMI’s plate came up, the team jumped at it. As a part of the Classy community since early 2019, SOMI was introduced to Mittun to design and build its Polar Plunge microsite. In 2024, SOMI wanted to not only increase the number of Plungers but also activate supporters to participate in the Plunge and fundraise on its behalf. With Classy from GoFundMe and Mittun, SOMI did just that.

Engaging and activating fundraising through gamification

Powered by Classy’s API and ClassyPress Pro, Mittun’s WordPress integration, the Mittun team designed a microsite that exemplified the fun and excitement of the Polar Plunges. This new setup provided a seamless way to visualize Classy fundraising data while boosting donor engagement through integrated fundraising experiences.

Directly from the microsite, each fundraiser can create a Classy fundraising page, set a fundraising goal, share this page with family, friends, and co-workers, and encourage the same people to donate or join their team. Going one step further, supporters can also register for a Plunge and make a donation.

The 2024 Polar Plunge microsite includes:

Leaderboard where fundraisers can unlock snowglobe badges when they reach a certain goal, like raising a certain amount or referring another fundraiser.
Challenges that gamify the fundraising process, recognize top individual and team fundraisers, and motivate others to work towards a goal.
Interactive map to help find a local Plunge location.
Progress bars to track progress toward a goal.
Incentives to get Plungers excited about participating.

We wanted the Plunge microsite to be as user-friendly as possible, and that’s what Mittun delivered. From creating a Classy fundraising page to donating to a specific Polar Plunge team, finding a local Plunge site, and getting real-time updates, all from one page, our Plungers have all of the tools they need to succeed. And the success shows in our fundraising numbers.
Andrea Rachko
Senior Director of Law Enforcement Torch Run

With the help of Classy’s fundraising technology and Mittun’s design expertise, SOMI has raised 15%+ more each year for the Plunges. In 2024, 7,776 Plungers participated, and over 70% of fundraisers returned from the previous year.

Planning ahead for the 2025 Polar Plunge

For next year’s Plunge, SOMI is looking for more innovative ways to engage Plungers. That means leaning even more into the Classy and Mittun integration to create more dynamic supporter experiences for every fundraising effort.