Case Study: American Cancer Society breaks fundraising records with GoodUnited

How the American Cancer Society Broke Fundraising Records During the 2020 Pandemic

The American Cancer Society turned to GoodUnited after the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to cancel more than 2,000 in-person events, including Relay For Life, putting over $300 million in expected revenue at risk. With its traditional peer-to-peer fundraising model disrupted, ACS needed a digital-first way to engage supporters and raise funds quickly, including through Facebook birthday fundraisers and a new online alternative to its in-person events.

GoodUnited launched Facebook Challenges for ACS, using Facebook ads, group-based challenges, and Messenger-based coaching to convert participants into fundraisers and active supporters. The program generated 443,078 leads at an average cost per lead of $3.12, helped more than 61,000 people create fundraisers, and drove 23,000 donations in a single day, breaking Facebook’s previous record for most money raised by one organization in one day.

American Cancer Society

Dan Thorpe

National Vice President