Case study: Breast cancer org harness power of peer-to-peer fundraising
This is an excerpt of a case study originally published by our partners at Classy. Classy and Idealist Consulting have been working together to support Barbell for Boobs' peer-to-peer fundraising efforts and Salesforce integration.
Kettlebells flying overhead. Barbells clanking to the ground. Sweat beads on skin marked with names of survivors and those who have been lost to breast cancer. This is the scene at hundreds of Barbells for Boobs events hosted by CrossFit affiliates around the country. Athletes use their strength and stamina to draw attention and much-needed funds to breast cancer detection. Barbells for Boobs began their partnership with CrossFit in 2009. Beginning with just three CrossFit affiliates and hosting its first event in a parking lot, they now have over 1,100 affiliates organizing fundraising teams. The campaign runs throughout the year, which allows CrossFit affiliates to participate on their own schedules. Then each October, the Barbells for Boobs crew embarks on the “Pink Bra Tour,” a coast-to-coast series of events at the top fundraising CrossFit gyms. Because it relies so heavily on peer-to-peer fundraising, Barbells for Boobs needed a user interface that made it easy for anyone to create a page or make a donation. They tried several different online platforms and wound up contending with bugs, complicated multi-step donation processes, and outdated user interfaces.
By making it simple to customize pages, Classy’s platform allows Barbells for Boobs’ fundraisers to post photos, form teams, and reach out to friends and family through email and social media. To add some healthy competition, Barbells for Boobs has used the Classy API to incorporate a fundraising leaderboard directly into its website. Another one of the features the organization has relied most on is the real time integration with Salesforce, which has allowed the team to track donations and award prizes from sponsors.
