In partnership with the Edmonton Riverhawks Baseball Club, the Riverhawks Community Foundation (RCF) supports youth leadership development through community sports. With a priority focus on baseball and softball, the RCF provides grants to local youth sports and wellness organizations in the Edmonton region.
Leading up to the 2024 season, the Community Foundation sought to energize their fundraising efforts by leveraging modern online tools. Through Raffle Rocket, Bid Beacon, and CommuniBee Suite, they raised an impressive $131,006 over this past season.
Here’s a breakdown of what led to their success.
The Riverhawks Community Foundation utilized Raffle Rocket to run 26 (50/50 style) raffles, one for each of the Riverhawks home games. This modern approach allowed fans to conveniently purchase tickets online (at the game or remotely) which dramatically increased the reach and engagement compared to traditional 50/50 raffles using physical tickets.
The Foundation’s highest-earning raffle of the season was on Canada Day, where the jackpot reached $12,130! Coincidentally, it was also on this day that the Riverhawks baseball club recorded its first-ever sellout, setting a new attendance record!
The 26 online raffles proved extremely successful and saw 2,980 unique participants and a total of 88,569 raffle tickets sold over the season. As a result, $121,495 was raised, half of which went to the 26 lucky winners, and the remainder went to the Community Foundation and their community partner, the Rotary Club of South Edmonton.
To further diversify their fundraising initiatives, the RCF hosted three online silent auctions during the season, with each spanning across multiple home games. While the items were displayed within the stadium for attendees to preview, all bidding was done online. This made it incredibly convenient for fans to place bids and receive instant notifications on their personal devices, including when they got outbid.
Each auction featured unique Riverhawks-themed experiences, such as the “Ceremonial First Pitch,” “Guest Coach for a Game,” and “Batboy for a Game,” which drew significant interest among fans. Not only did these auction items attract more bids, but they also created memorable experiences for the fans and helped foster deeper connections within the Edmonton community.
In total, 39 items were auctioned off throughout the season, allowing the Riverhawks Community Foundation to raise an additional $9,451 to support their initiatives.
Lastly, CommuniBee Suite served as a central hub for all of the Community Foundation’s fundraising activities. To start off, a donation page was created and made available all season long which allowed fans to donate online at any time.
Next, a single fundraising campaign was created to effectively promote the ongoing raffle, silent auction, and donation page together. The Community Foundation then promoted this campaign at every Riverhawks home game, making it easy for fans to routinely engage with all the game-day activities.
The benefit of using the same fundraising campaign meant fans knew exactly where to go if they wanted to donate or participate in future raffles or silent auctions.
The following fundraising guide was given to the Community Foundation which shows the implementation of their fundraising campaign.
As this was the inaugural year for the Riverhawks Community Foundation and leveraging online fundraising tools, there was a lot learned over the course of the season. Here are a few key contributors to their success:
By adopting a digital-first approach to fundraising with Raffle Rocket, Bid Beacon, and CommuniBee Suite, the Riverhawks Community Foundation transformed their fundraising strategy, raising over $131,000 throughout the 2024 season.
Their innovative use of technology, combined with on-the-ground efforts and creative promotional tactics, demonstrated how modern fundraising tools can maximize engagement and drive significant contributions from the community. As the Community Foundation looks to future successful seasons, these fundraising tools will continue to play a vital role in supporting their mission to empower youth through sports.
"The Riverhawks Community Foundation were pleased to partner with Launch57 in establishing fundraising opportunities during the 2024 Edmonton Riverhawks summer baseball season. Their fundraising products have made our efforts streamlined and coordinated. We eagerly look forward to the 2025 West Coast League baseball season and are excited about the potential to further support Edmonton’s youth who participate in amateur sport."
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