Chicago News Cooperative digitally retools a classic fundraising approach

If there’s one thing we’ve established looking at evolving non-profit investigative news models online this year, it’s that digital platforms necessitate a completely new perspective on business and publishing strategies. Some roles, such as investigative reporting and fundraising, still depend on tried and true core instincts, though. In regards to the latter, we noticed the Chicago News Cooperative doing something innovative that harkens back to a tried and true print tradition of publishing supporters’ names.

The CNC has announced that they will be publishing the names of 100 donors in their regular “Palm Card” emails during the month of December.

“We hope to find 100 individuals and/or organizations to sign up to support CNC’s Palm Card for the holidays—$250 for an individual and $1,000 for an organization/corporation,” CNC Editor and CEO James O’Shea wrote in an email that was sent out this week. “We will add names to this honor roll of donors throughout December and publish it on the Palm Card every day from December 1st.”

We were reminded of the St. Louis Beacon’s “Back the Beacon” page, which does much the same thing on an ongoing basis.

Many donors love to be recognized and associated publicly with brands that they support and identify with. News sites are no exception to this rule, and the sites, e-newsletters and tweets they use to get their information out are all fine vehicles for spotlighting donors and expressing thanks.

Moreover, December is an appropriate month to ramp up requests for giving as families are figuring out how much they have to donate from their annual budgets.

So kudos to the CNC for implementing this Palm Card 100 promotion. We’ll be watching for those names.