In mid-August, a strong derecho storm devastated the communities across East Central Iowa. HACAP immediately responded, working nonstop to help those in need get food and emergency supplies as well as begin the path to recovery. They came to RKD to help create a quick digital campaign for disaster fundraising efforts.
After a local company offered a $25,000 match, the RKD digital team quickly came up with a campaign to get the message out. We leaned on our experience with disaster response to create a simple but direct campaign that featured two emails and a lightbox on their homepage. The lightbox was launched, and the first email was sent out on a Friday, with a resend scheduled for the following Monday.
This campaign helped meet the $25,000 match within three days! Fundraising from the emails and lightbox totaled more than $23,941, and offline gifts helped get HACAP the rest of the way there. The two emails had a 30% and 17% open rate respectively, double what their traditional open rates are during normal giving seasons.
Hawkeye Area Community Action Program Food Reservoir (HACAP) is a diverse, community-focused nonprofit dedicated to helping people develop skills to become successful and build strong communities. As one of 18 Iowa community action agencies, they provide flexible and adaptable programs and services that work toward removing the barriers to self-sufficiency.