Case Study: Charleston Animal Society raises nearly $400,000 and expands reach with Blackbaud’s JustGiving

How peer-to-peer fundraising can work with other Blackbaud solutions to save animal lives.

Charleston Animal Society, a long‑standing animal welfare nonprofit in South Carolina, had to cancel its signature annual chili cook-off (typically 6,000+ attendees) in 2020 because of new state health regulations and COVID‑19. Losing the in‑person event threatened vital fundraising revenue and the organization’s community connections.

CAS rebuilt the cook‑off as a virtual peer‑to‑peer campaign using JustGiving from Blackbaud integrated with Raiser’s Edge NXT, boosted by promotions from “Lucky Dog” star Brandon McMillan and a “Rescue Brew” spokesanimal search plus a Facebook Live finale. The virtual event raised nearly $400,000 (about $396K) with thousands of donations, brought in 181 new donors, streamlined donor data flow into Raiser’s Edge, and expanded reach while cutting in‑person expenses.

Charleston Animal Society

Joe Elmore

Chief Executive Officer