More than Money: Make a Meaningful Connection Between Donors and Charities

Money talks...but what else does your community want to say? Here's an idea to help make your charitable campaign more engaging.

It's near impossible to scroll through your social feed today and not come across at least one GoFundMe or Kickstarter campaign. Platforms like these have made it easier than ever to share fundraising stories, bringing them to life and connecting people with causes that really resonate.

The results are powerful: according to GoFundMe's Annual Giving Report, in 2021 one donation was made every second (!!!), and over 15 million messages of thanks, merci, and gracias were sent across the platform. Services like GoFundMe are no doubt an impactful way for charities to share their initiatives with the public and raise money, but it got us at Goosechase thinking...Could there be a way for donors to provide more than just monetary support?

An opportunity to make charitable giving about more than just money

How else can storytelling be used to bridge the gap between benefactor and beneficiary? How do we encourage making giving about more than just money? Given the especially virtual nature of the world today, with fewer opportunities to gather in groups and volunteer time in-person, how do we bring the very important human element back to charity, an act that's heartfelt at its core?

We looked to you, our community, for inspiration. We're humbled that organizations across the globe use the Goosechase platform to bring people together for fundraising and community building among many other cool things), and have seen our customers collect text, photo, and video submissions for everything from marketing campaigns, to team greeting cards, to school yearbooks. Getting creative with Missions and using Goosechase's Reporting feature has made boring surveys and tedious crowdsourcing a thing of the past, because people really enjoy participating - and that means contributing!

Storytelling is the secret sauce when it comes to building a real connection with donors. Instead of just throwing numbers at them (because let’s be honest, stats don’t tug at the heartstrings), share real stories of impact.

Introduce them to the people, animals, or communities their support is helping. A short video, a heartfelt testimonial, or even a “day in the life” of someone who benefits from their generosity can make all the difference. And here’s an idea: get donors involved in the storytelling! Ask them why they give, what the cause means to them, and let them be part of the bigger narrative.

Donors want to feel like more than just walking wallets—they want to be part of something bigger. Give them ways to engage that go beyond donating, like hands-on volunteer opportunities, behind-the-scenes access to your organization, or even fun challenges like a scavenger hunt (hey, we know a great platform for that 👀). You could also invite them to exclusive Q&A sessions with your team, or let them see their impact firsthand with virtual meet-and-greets with beneficiaries. The more they feel connected, the more likely they are to stick around for the long haul.

Your website and social media aren’t just places to post donation links—they’re opportunities to build a real community. Keep donors engaged by sharing frequent updates, success stories, and even behind-the-scenes peeks into your work. Email newsletters with personalized impact reports can make donors feel like VIPs. And don’t sleep on interactive events—live Q&As, virtual fundraisers, and even a well-timed meme can keep your audience engaged and coming back for more. It’s all about making donors feel like they’re part of something meaningful (because they are!).

Here's how we used Goosechase to involve our community in charitable giving over the holidays...

Because we're used by so many teachers and school districts around the world, a love for learning is ingrained in our culture. This passion extends far past the physical and virtual classroom, and we were drawn to the work of World Literacy Foundation (WLF), an international organization committed to making literacy skills and materials accessible to children across the globe.

“Goosechase is all about making the world more fun, and so is WLF! Illiteracy is a serious issue, and to achieve our mission of a literate world, our programmes around the world are based on fun. Children learn and grow when literacy is fun, which is why it's so important to provide fun books, resources and programmes to them, no matter their circumstances.”

Caroline Burkie, Chief Operating Officer, World Literacy Foundation

We felt strongly about their mission (no pun intended!) and thought our customers would, too. To accompany a monetary donation we made over the holidays, we thought we'd bring WLF some extra cheer by way of what Goosechase participants do best...ridiculously awesome submissions.

We used Goosechase to crowdsource well-wishes and children's book recommendations by creating a Mission that Game Creators could easily add to their game. Participants uploaded photos and videos sharing their favorite children's books, and it was easy for us to download every submission - more than 200 of them! - to share with WLF. Keep scrolling to see some fun ones below!

The Mission

Huge, honking, heartfelt high fives, wing flaps, fist bumps, and tail shakes to all the Experience Creators who added the #GoosechaseforGood Mission to their Goosechases this holiday season. The love your participants poured into every submission made allll the difference. 🧡

How else you can crowdsource with Goosechase

Our customers surprise us every day with all the ways they use Goosechase to make crowdsourcing and surveying that much easier. Use Missions to collect...

• Photos and videos to create special gifts (for charities you love like WLF, or to celebrate special milestones like birthdays or retirements)
• Text birthday greetings for a team member (to then get turned into an epic card. Thanks, Art department!) 🎂
• Photos and videos to include in the school yearbook (some of you do this already and we love it) 🤳
• Text votes for class elections (Make sure to set submissions to "Hidden in Feed" to keep votes private) 🗳️
• Text menu selections for an office dinner (All in favor of wings?) 🙋

...there are so many possibilities, these barely scratch the surface. We can’t wait to see what you get your community together to do. 🚀

What is Goosechase?

At Goosechase, experience is everything. Originally inspired by scavenger hunts, Goosechase is an online platform that enables organizations and schools to engage, activate, and educate their communities through delightful interactive experiences. Sign up and try creating a free recreational Experience, or check out our Pricing!