We’ve developed a series of case studies to accompany the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Guide to Collective Fundraising created by the Institute for Nonprofit News and Collective Mind. The case studies draw from the experiences shared during interviews with key informants during the guide’s preparation. The case studies seek to complement the advice in the DIY Guide with specific examples of how collective fundraising happens in practice.
We define collective fundraising as fundraising undertaken together by multiple organizations that establish the necessary systems, processes, and structures to raise and manage those funds jointly.
Our case studies articulate four approaches to collective fundraising:
Each approach requires specific actions and underpinnings in terms of how you organize and undertake fundraising together.
The case studies exemplify a diverse set of experiences in terms of how different organizations choose to join efforts, the structures and means for doing so, the decisions made, the parties involved, and the fundraising strategies designed and implemented. They further exemplify the challenges and complications inherent to collective fundraising and the ways these are overcome to achieve outcomes that the participants couldn’t achieve on their own.
It’s important to note that these case studies exemplify not just revenue generation. Collective fundraising typically involves multiple goals beyond the specific amount of money raised such as increasing visibility and promotional opportunities, boosting newsletter lists and social media followings, developing a donor pipeline – and building the trust and collaboration between partners that underpin longer-term efforts. These case studies should be read from this more expansive perspective.
Jump to the case study you want to read:
Eden Prairie Local Partnered with the Chamber of Commerce to Put on an Event
MinnPost and Sahan Journal Organized a Joint Fundraising Campaign
Connecticut Mirror and Connecticut Public Fundraised for a Shared Reporter
The New England News Collaborative Fosters Ongoing Collaboration
A town hall on the impact of AI was co-hosted by Eden Prairie Local News and their local Chamber of Commerce to generate ticket sales revenue
Participants:
Eden Prairie Local News and their local Chamber of Commerce
Summary:
At the outset, the partners had initial meetings during which they established a division of labor and a plan for roles and responsibilities. They made oral commitments that were followed up via emails though they didn’t lay out a formal agreement. They set a revenue goal based on ticket sales for the event venue’s capacity and their expectations for attendees and planned to split the proceeds equally. They recruited a group of 7-8 people to participate in the debate as panelists.
In the process of organizing the event, the partners held weekly meetings to align and coordinate promotional activities. Roles and responsibilities shifted as planning rolled out. Some tasks, such as identifying corporate sponsors, were more complicated than anticipated. The partners likewise had to ensure continued clarity around shared goals, including the prioritization of the event by each partner organization.
Outcomes:
Eden Prairie Local News had hoped for 300-400 attendees and ended up with 150 attendees generating almost $9,000 in revenue to be split between the two partners. Some challenges of organizing an event may have been underestimated, e.g., that many attendees don’t make their decision to attend until the last minute. However, beyond the learning that organizing the event entailed, some unanticipated knock-on benefits were achieved including greater visibility, the collection of new email addresses to add to mailing lists, and the ability to highlight the event in future grant applications.
MinnPost and Sahan Journal organized a joint fundraising campaign around World Press Freedom Day
Participants:
MinnPost and Sahan Journal
Summary:
MinnPost and Sahan Journal, two nonprofit news organizations based in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, organized a fundraising campaign around World Press Freedom Day in May 2024. The goals were to, between the two organizations, secure $5,000 in matching funds from major donors and raise at least $2,500 in member donations, as well as add email subscribers for both organizations. The crux of the campaign was a pooled match that would pay out a match to both organizations of any gift donated to one of them (e.g. a $50 donation to MinnPost would result in a $50 match to both organizations and vice versa).
The idea for the joint campaign had originated from MinnPost a few years before and eventually, the timing felt right for both organizations, their schedules, and staffing capacity. The arrangement between the two organizations was informal; no memorandum of understanding (MOU) or other legal document was developed. The strong relationships and personal connections between the two organizations facilitated the effort, and each brought its unique strengths to the table. A set of shared documents supported the effort including an outline document, versions of the email copy that each organization would release, and a shared tracking for the day of the campaign.
The campaign itself took place primarily during one day. In total, five emails were sent including one by each organization the morning and afternoon of the campaign day, and one by MinnPost the day after the campaign. Each organization also promoted the campaign on social media. All communications publicized the campaign as a joint effort benefiting both organizations and journalism in Minnesota overall. Donations were tracked via a shared document to jointly monitor progress. Each organization received its own donations, so no pooled funds had to be managed or shared.
Outcomes:
The two organizations raised a combined $12,500 including the matching grants, exceeding the goal on both sides. Both organizations have also been able to highlight their success in reporting to their major donors. The campaign was considered highly successful for small organizations to raise that level of funds via an essentially one-day campaign. After some initial skepticism about whether donors would want to support both organizations, the campaign demonstrated proof of concept that such an effort could be successful and may be repeated in the future.
Connecticut Mirror and Connecticut Public jointly fundraise for and manage a shared Washington DC-based reporter who contributes to both organizations.
Participants:
Connecticut Mirror and Connecticut Public
Summary:
The partners have now mobilized two rounds of funding for the shared reporter. The related costs are covered by funds raised together, the hiring process was consensual, and the ongoing management has been collaborative, with an agreement that one organization ensure supervision and make salary payments. The two organizations have a loose but formal written agreement that underpins the arrangement, in which the reporter does work for each partner.
Inevitable challenges around concerns of sharing donor information arose but were addressed. Each partner brought in donors, with the second round of fundraising more collaborative than the first. The partners also allowed the donors to decide which organization to channel money to for the project and then worked out how to make payments and streamline the management of the reporter.
Outcomes:
At the outset, the partners had somewhat different but adequately aligned rationales for partnering towards this end, an alignment that was bolstered by strong personal relationships between colleagues in the two organizations. The trust embodied in this existing relationship – plus a shared core commitment to journalism between the organizations– has likewise helped along the way as the two organizations have had to mesh different internal organizational structures and cultures in practical ways such as communications and donor engagement (e.g., what to share with donors, how formal to be in interactions, etc.).
Case Study: How the New England News Collaborative Fosters Ongoing Collaboration
The New England News Collaborative (NENC) fosters ongoing collaboration among 10 regional news stations.
Participants:
10 regional news stations including CAI – Cape & Islands, Connecticut Public, GBH, Maine Public, NEPM, NHPR, Vermont Public, WBUR, WSHU, Rhode Island
Summary:
The New England News Collaborative (NENC) began as an effort to share content across public media stations within the region, funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In 2020, the 10-station group undertook strategic planning and decided that, with one year of funding remaining, it needed to think about a sustainable business model going forward. They decided to expand upon the original model of sharing content to think about other ways the stations could work together on the revenue side via diverse collective fundraising efforts, such as working on joint grant proposals or providing talking points about the collaborative that stations can leverage in their separate fundraising efforts.
As part of strategic planning, the NENC established a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between members that was already in place to manage content sharing to include fundraising. The governance council, comprised of general managers (GMs) or other representatives from each station, meets quarterly to discuss big-picture topics including collective revenue raising. They also decided that NENC member stations would make annual cash contributions to the collaborative, tiered based on the station’s size.
Outcomes:
NENC takes a long-term time horizon with a shared recognition that what the members want to do together – for example, increase sustainability, grow their audiences, etc. – requires thinking about the longer term. The MOU established with the stations ensures that everyone is on the same page; there’s clarity about what’s expected or not, minimal misperception about what’s happening and why, and continuity of relationships if leadership changes at a station. Engagement that began with journalists through content sharing has expanded within member stations to other staff, such as on the development side, deepening relationships.
There have been challenges when attempting joint sponsorship for the collaborative, and how regional underwriting could work without unanimous buy-in from participants who are accustomed to local, station-specific efforts. At the same time, shared efforts are underpinned by a clear recognition that what can be accomplished together can’t be achieved by the members alone. A strong shared mission amongst the members of serving their communities and growing their impact and reach exists alongside a sense of peer support that stations facing similar challenges don’t have to face them alone.
NENC is also able to harness the strength of its diverse members who work across local, regional, and national news, both as a selling point for philanthropists intrigued by the prospect of more expansive impact and as a means to minimize fears about competition between members. The collaborative can focus on fundraising for different types of projects wherein multiple newsrooms come together to achieve collective outcomes.
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