Challenge
UC Berkeley manages a $16 million annual digital program that consistently breaks institutional records. Students and faculty were using external crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe to raise money; however, these campaigns lacked brand consistency, bypassed institutional data tracking, and missed opportunities for long-term donor stewardship. As the institution's digital fundraising grew from a single Giving Day into a year-round operation, the logistics became increasingly complex. This steady expansion, now totaling three major Giving Days a year, 1,200 unique funds, and over 100 annual crowdfunding projects, required a platform that could grow with UC Berkeley — and ensures every gift is tracked and every fund remains accurate — allowing the team to focus on strategy instead of manual entry.
Solution
By hosting three specialized Giving Days using its giving platform, ScaleFunder, Berkeley has replaced traditional, manual outreach with a targeted digital strategy that consistently exceeds institutional goals.
"Big Give," the cornerstone of Berkeley’s digital strategy, features over 1,200 unique funds and empowers every corner of the campus (and beyond) while utilizing platform automation to keep setup and updates manageable.
Launched as a pilot two years ago and held each year in mid-September, the “Oski B-Day Bear-a-thon” is a fun, informal event that successfully centralized several previous crowdfunding efforts. By leaning into bear puns and emojis, the team transformed a formal appeal into a high-energy community celebration that resonates with the modern donor, generating 195% more dollars than the year before and attracting 65% more new donors.
The new "Go for Gold" athletics campaign moved fundraising for 21 different sports teams online, saving time and effort while raising $92,000 from 360 donors, with an additional $30,000 in matches secured after the event.
ScaleFunder
