Give Local York: Highlighting the Success of Community Connections for Children, Inc.
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Their Campaign
Have you heard of Give Local York?
It’s is a 24-hour day of giving on the first Friday of May in York County, Pennsylvania.
And it’s hosted by the White Rose Leadership Institute in partnership with United Way of York County. In 2022, it was presented by GIANT, the well-loved supermarket chain.
Okay, so what does that actually mean? It means that the entire community in York County, Pennsylvania comes together to grow philanthropy and support nonprofits.
Donors can give as little as $5 to the nonprofit of their choice. And Give Local York makes it easy, with a beautiful website and secure donations collected online at www.givelocalyork.org.
This past year, Give Local York raised over $4.1Million. A record-breaking effort. With over 10,000 individual donors and 292 nonprofit organizations.
Let’s take a closer look at CCC’s experience with the day of giving.
Why is Give Local York an important fundraising tool for Community Connections for Children, Inc.?
Give Local York works. In the most recent campaign, hosted on May 6, 2022, Community Connections for Children, Inc. (CCC) raised over $33,000.
CCC also had the highest number of individual contributions. . . 570 donors. This is the second year in a row that CCC had the most donors.
And to share historical context, in 2021 CCC raised over $38,000; in 2020, over $29,000, in 2019 CCC raised $12,700, and in 2018—Give Local York’s first year ever—the organization raised over $12,000.
In addition to a focused day of giving, a unique benefit from being part of the Give Local York fundraising effort is the opportunity to win prizes—including a stretch pool and incentive funds for giving.
In 2022, Community Connections for Children was awarded eight prizes— totaling almost $4,000—including the Fulton Bank First Hour Prize.
With results like these, it’s clear why Give Local York is integral to CCC’s fundraising success.
Want the inside scoop? Let’s dive even deeper. . .
Four Things CCC Did This Year That Contributed to its Success
CCC has learned and adapted as an organization since the first Give Local York campaign in 2018. In fact, CCC has almost tripled its annual fundraising amount in the last five years.
Here are four things CCC has done to grow its results:
- A strong social media presence.
Over the years, the organization has increased the number of social media posts—primarily focusing on Facebook. Both the staff and Board Members have shared Community Connections for Children, Inc.’s message online. And it’s worked, with more awareness and donations given.
- A true team effort.
Something we are extremely proud of is the overwhelming participation from staff and the Board of Directors. We join together to promote Give Local York, encourage donations, and give personally of our time, talents, and treasures.
- Follow best practices offered by Give Local York.
CCC participates in Give Local York’s training, gathering new ideas, working to optimize our strategy, and taking advantage of the resources they bring to the table—including interviews with WARM 103, Livestream, and Fox 43.
- Tell our story through video content.
Partnering with the York Revolution to create compelling video content that tells the story of the organization—and more importantly, the children and families we impact—has been a real game-changer. It’s grown awareness of CCC across the region.
Increased social media buzz, buy-in from the staff and Board, listening to the guidance and wisdom of Give Local York’s staff and volunteers, and the creation of high-quality video content have expanded CCC’s day-of-giving success.
Now let’s take a look at how the team pulls it all together.
How CCC Prepares, Plans, and Executes its Give Local York Campaign
As a participating nonprofit, CCC understands that a successful Give Local York campaign takes focused planning and coordination.
And at Child Care Consutlatns, Inc., it starts with a fundraising committee, which kicks off its efforts in October to prepare for the May event.
The committee is comprised of CCC staff and Board members with diverse backgrounds and experience. And they start by reviewing what worked well the previous year. Each area of the campaign is evaluated, with an in-depth discussion on how to optimize it. From the day-of activities to social media, and from staff and Board involvement to each marketing strategy.
As the campaign gets close, the Committee assigns tasks and strategies—like the production of social media posts, blog content, email templates to encourage donations, and more formal corporate asks.
And our main strategy is diversified investment, meaning a high number of individual donors. By accomplishing this, it shows the reach of CCC and that many, many community members—over 570—want to support our mission.
Because every $5 matters—with CCC, it impacts children here in our community.
The Impact Here in Our Community
Community Connections for Children, Inc. gives families the freedom of choice and access to affordable, high-quality childcare.
But where do the funds raised during the 2022 Give Local York campaign actually go?
Check out the breakdown.
Parents as Teachers Program (PAT)
Approximately 60% of the funds support the Parents as Teachers Program, an evidence-based home visitation program for York County families, providing support from prenatal through kindergarten.
PAT is a free learning opportunity that equips parents and guardians—a child’s most influential teachers—through home visits by a Parent Educator.
It is open to any family living in York County, and focuses on parent/child activities, developmental parenting, and family well-being.
There is no cost for any of the home visits, group connection sessions, or the books and materials provided to the families who participate. The dollars CCC raises during Give Local York are used to purchase books, educational resources, and games to support the children and families served by this program.
Connections Program
The other 40% of funds raised support the Connections Program—providing technical assistance, professional development, and support to those working to open their own small child care business.
We know that in-home child care providers are a vital part of the community, and it is important to continue creating programs to serve unmet needs in the community. This program creates jobs and increases the number of childcare spots for families.
And it helps to create strong small business owners, too, the majority of whom are women in the York community.
Our team helps these new entrepreneurs through all the steps of certification, witnessing their transformation into business owners.
And now, we have providers who have been in business for over 20 years, taking care of generations of families. These providers are extremely successful.
The dollars raised are also used to purchase safety kits, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, books, educational materials and classroom materials for these child care programs.
Community Connections for Children, Inc. Leads Change
Child care is foundational to the health and well-being of children, families, and our local economies. And without adequate child care, families cannot remain in (or return to) the workforce.
Our efforts—with your help—ensure that children receive a solid foundation to be ready for school and life.
We help families now and empower children to be successful in the years to come.
Thank you for your trust. And thank you for another successful campaign with Give Local York.
About Community Connections for Children, Inc.
Community Connections for Children, Inc. (CCC) is a nonprofit centered in the heart of Pennsylvania. They serve childcare providers and low-income families ‒ the ones that have been impacted the most by the pandemic.
CCC helps keep childcare options open for your employees for you and your business, saving missed work hours and lowering on-the-job stress levels. They work with early childhood education programs and home-based providers to improve the quality of care, ensuring that all children enter school ready to be successful.
Christy Renjilian serves as its Executive Director.
To learn more, visit childcareconsultants.org.
Additional Reading
Fostering a Culture of Innovation and Generosity
The Big Impact of Community Services at Community Connections for Children, Inc.