Four things nonprofits can learn about engaging creators from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
For the first time since 2019, the St. Jude Playlive Summit returned. I had the honor of being invited to Memphis, Tennessee, visiting the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and networking with over a hundred other creators that achieved amazing feats.
Due to the pandemic, the summit was done in two groups over the course of one week. Creators from multiple continents boarded planes to convene in Memphis to celebrate their incredible feat in fundraising through gaming and content creation. It’s a joyous reunion and an emotionally inspiring trip that supercharges fundraising during the St. Jude Play Live season.
While most nonprofits may not be able to host an event of similar size and scope there are learnings every nonprofit can consider as they develop their gaming or creator fundraising programs.
People are much more likely to fundraise for a cause where they can FEEL the impact
This summit is one of the main reasons that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has been so successful in fundraising within the gaming and creators space. Creators have the opportunity to tour the hospital, see the research being conducted in real-time, and get a tour around the facilities. From renovations of main treatment areas to new construction of R&D, visitors leave with unforgettable memories and a strong call to ensure the future of the hospital.
One of the more significant experiences was when creators were introduced to a former patient at St. Jude that had received treatment since the Play Live fundraising program had started. She shared that at age 10 she was diagnosed with a rare cancer. She painted a picture of what life was like getting treatment at the hospital. Today she is 13, thriving and living life as a healthy, energetic teenager. This was an eye-opening real-life story because the Playlive program started in 2014, just 9 years ago. This meant that this young lady received treatment during the St. Jude Playlive fundraising efforts. It was an emotional experience to learn that the efforts of thousands of creators over 9 years have helped treat and save someone that could come out and speak to everyone that day. To say it was an emotional experience would not do justice to what everyone experienced.
It’s more fun to do good together
Online community and content creation is an incredibly fulfilling space to be in but often your closest friends are hundreds of miles away and over time you can start to feel like an island. When nonprofits create authentic opportunities for creators to do good together (in-person or virtual) they are more likely to feel a strong connection to you, your cause, and others who support your cause.
The St. Jude Play Live Summit is an invite-only, in-person event with St. Jude covering the airfare, hotel, and food expenses. Most nonprofits may not be able to host an event at such a scale, but finding opportunities to involve creators at a deeper, more involved level than fundraising is important.
One additional way for nonprofits to build collaboration between creators and their cause is through fundraising events organized by theme or creator types. Gamers Outreach does a fantastic job with their VTuber Summer Slam and their Spooktacular.
Nobody likes to feel like a number; relationships are key
While technology has made it easier for everybody to connect and reach each other, it has in some ways made things feel much more transactional. Creators are often reached out to by several nonprofits a month and the larger more well-known creators may get emailed several times a week by nonprofits seeking fundraising.
Emails, well-manicured Discord servers, and surveys can leave creators feeling like a number. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has done a wonderful job of engaging with creators outside of asking them to fundraise.
The summit further cements the relationships that staff have with creators and really gives creators a desire to see the staff succeed in their fundraising numbers.
Sending out a post-campaign survey may provide some valuable insight of the needs of your creators, the value of having creators face-to-face cannot be underestimated. All of this helps to reinforce the relationships they have with creators and their respective communities.
Don’t just show numbers; show enthusiasm for impact
Nonprofits are no stranger to impact reports and showcasing impact. We are all operating in a hyper-data-focused world and sometimes impact reports don’t quite have the impact we would hope. During the summit when St. Jude staff present the impact from the last year and the collective impact creators have had on St. Jude, the enthusiasm is palpable. It supercharges the excitement and energy around the campaign. Creators can cheer, laugh, cry, and celebrate victories together, something that you can’t feel in an email.
Finding ways to celebrate impact big and small can help nonprofit organizations to get commitment from creators. It is not solely about the numbers, but giving people the opportunity to be part of a larger moment. The effect has creators putting even more effort into fundraising. When creators see how their efforts impact your organization it cements the loyalty and steadfast dedication a creator can have for your cause.
While a nonprofit may not have the dedicated facilities or physical location for creators to visit, the effort to show creators, in-person or virtually, what the fruits of their labor has blossomed into shows the enthusiasm the nonprofit has for all the work creators have put into ensuring that the nonprofit can continue their work and hold true to their fight for their cause.
Conclusion
Five years ago, nonprofits looking to collaborate with creators had less competition in competing for creators’ attention. Since the wildfires of 2020 many creators have been highly reactive to various disasters and socio-political events around the world and the global pandemic drove many nonprofits to put more focus on digital fundraising than ever before. The number of nonprofits exploring relationships with creators continues to grow with each mega creator fundraiser that’s covered (e.g. Ryan Trahan’s penny to one million campaign) and standing out to be the organization of choice for many creators requires a small team of humans building relationships.
Are you a nonprofit interested in developing your creator fundraising strategies? Reach out to Alyssa Sweetman to get started - alyssa@player2.gg
