When Beyoncé released her single declaring that girls “Run the World,” she must have been referencing the work done at Girls Inc. to engage donors at all levels of giving and support safe spaces for girls to express themselves on a local and national scale.

During the Bridge to Integrated Marketing Conference in National Harbor, ,Md., Girls Inc., leaders Amy Dillon, CEO of Girls Inc. in Shelbyville, Ind., Laura Goodwin, director of fund development learning for Girls Inc. national, and Leslie Renner, director of individual giving and Corporate Partnerships for Girls Inc. National, presented “Engaging Champions: Building a Mission-Based Leadership Giving Program,” the group shared their experience creating a new branding campaign for Girls Inc. to support fundraising and target their “most promising” potential donor group:

• Acting like a movement, bringing more value to the network, and following the money are all ideas Girls Inc. embraced when forming their Champions for Girls Leadership Giving Society.
• Your case for support should communicate tangible impact tied to your organization’s issue areas, with “stepped up” impact for each level as donors give more. In the case of Girls Inc., materials educated potential donors on the many diverse ways girls connect and engage with the organization.
• Each level should feature recognition and engagement opportunities, such as webinars, recognition at events, and pins. Creativity counts. Levels should be cumulative of all gifts throughout the fiscal year: outright, special events, etc.
• When you make the case for potential donors, include local impact and outcome stories in addition to attesting the power of a national program.