Case Study: The Canadian Cancer Society Alberta/Northwest Territory boosts virtual event engagement and fundraising with Blackbaud

How CCS and valued partners dressed up the CIBC Run for the Cure and turned it into a virtual event

The Canadian Cancer Society moved its long-running CIBC Run for the Cure—an annual, volunteer-led fundraiser held in 56 communities—into a virtual format when the pandemic hit, with just over four months to replan. Their challenge was to preserve the event’s community spirit and fundraising effectiveness while delivering a seamless, engaging online experience.

Working with Blackbaud (TeamRaiser and Luminate Online) and Charity Dynamics, CCS added the Boundless Fundraising mobile app and customizable Boundless Motion avatars to gamify participation. Results: 36% of participants created avatars, fundraiser activation rose 38%, avatar creators raised 4.5× more (5.8× when also using the app), active fundraisers with avatars raised an extra $404 on average ($523 with the app), and average raised per fundraiser grew 22%.

The Canadian Cancer Society Alberta/Northwest Territory

Sophia Santamaria

Digital User Experience Director