{"id":219423,"date":"2024-05-08T10:09:26","date_gmt":"2024-05-08T14:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lionpublishers.com\/?p=219423"},"modified":"2024-05-08T10:09:27","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T14:09:27","slug":"2puntosplatform-created-a-first-ever-fundraising-campaign-through-the-lion-gni-sustainability-lab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lionpublishers.com\/2puntosplatform-created-a-first-ever-fundraising-campaign-through-the-lion-gni-sustainability-lab\/","title":{"rendered":"2PuntosPlatform created a first-ever fundraising campaign through the LION\/GNI Sustainability Lab"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Launched in 2021 by founder Emma Restrepo, 2PuntosPlatform<\/a> started as a radio show and has since evolved into a \u201cplatform of two chapters\u201d \u2014 a podcast, 2PuntosPodcast, and a community newsroom, VozColectiva, which shares information through live streaming, social media, and the occasional print product. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Bogot\u00e1, Colombia, its team reports on issues relevant to Latino communities in the U.S. and Latin America.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With their 2024 planning period looming, Emma knew the growing organization would need a clear funding strategy. The team had historically focused on philanthropic funding but wanted to explore options for earned and donor revenue. They applied for the LION\/GNI Sustainability Lab<\/a> and were accepted into the program in September 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After spending a couple of weeks researching and discussing revenue-growth ideas, a Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund representative contacted Emma and offered to match support to their VozColectiva newsroom through a $10,000 matching gift program. Emma and her team were open to this unexpected opportunity and excited to build the infrastructure they needed for their first end-of-year giving campaign. Madison Karas, 2PuntoPlatform\u2019s chief product officer, was instrumental in setting up and executing the campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

They had never emailed their audience before, let alone launched an entire giving campaign, so Emma and Madison knew they had to lay some significant groundwork for their effort to succeed. LION Sustainability Lab coach Maria Archangelo helped them understand all the components of a campaign and outlined the steps to prepare for launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, they needed to source platforms and services to make this project possible. Through Maria\u2019s recommendation, Emma contracted with Indiegraf<\/a>, a technology service provider for small and startup news publishers, to temporarily replace their outdated website with a dynamic donation page. All of their outreach efforts would point to this page, making it a critical aspect of the campaign\u2019s setup. This page was then connected to Stripe<\/a>, a payment processing platform that allowed them to accept and track donations.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, they established a communications calendar to organize their content, messaging, and timing. This involved crafting compelling language and constructing email lists and segments. They then opened a Mailchimp<\/a> account to send and monitor campaign emails. Already active on social media, they didn\u2019t open any new accounts but worked on corresponding posts. One idea they implemented was featuring board members in short, 45-second videos<\/a> explaining what 2PuntosPlatform is and why supporting its journalism is essential. They used these videos in emails and on social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campaign launched on Giving Tuesday (November 28, 2023) and concluded on December 31, 2023. Two substantial donations were received within the first two days, and support continued to pour in through mid-December. In total, the campaign raised $6,640. They received $1,725 in individual donations, and their Knight-Lenfest match was $4,915. One-time donations were matched dollar for dollar, and recurring monthly donations were multiplied by 12. Though they did not reach the maximum $10,000 goal, the 2PuntosPlatform team is proud of this project and learned a lot along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One powerful takeaway? \u201cPeople like hearing from us,\u201d said Madison, noting that they now have a newsletter platform to share editorial content and create future campaigns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was a huge step in feeling comfortable. It was super cool to say, \u2018LION gave us the confidence to do this.\u2019 Otherwise, we would have been like, \u2018Hey, will you maybe, maybe<\/em>, consider supporting us?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emma also emphasized how vital Maria\u2019s guidance was in undertaking this project. She\u2019s met other publishers in similar situations who had the funding to conduct a giving campaign, but without the hands-on support, they were \u201clost\u201d and \u201cfrustrated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you are a hyper-local minority with a language barrier, you definitely need support,\u201d she said. \u201cThese opportunities are hard to come by for organizations like ours; we have some additional barriers we need to overcome. Having a coach is a luxury, and asking for help is so important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the campaign ended, they began working on a new database of earned revenue and donor opportunities, continuing to flesh out ideas and experiment beyond email and social media outreach. \u201cA 2Puntos end-of-the-year party? That may be something we see this year,\u201d said Madison. \u201cWe\u2019re excited for what\u2019s next.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n