How the University of Arizona Foundation’s crypto fundraising program established new giving options for alumni

Crypto donations are the newest revenue stream for The University of Arizona Foundation, and have quickly become an exciting source of additional funding with obvious benefits for engaging young alumni donors. The Giving Block’s platform makes fundraising crypto streamlined and easy to use.

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Choosing the right crypto fundraising platform

Before getting started with The Giving Block, the University of Arizona Foundation (“The Foundation”) had never accepted a cryptocurrency donation, but its team was interested in exploring new fundraising revenue streams.

During the research process, they viewed The Giving Block as a low-risk option (with low annual and transaction fees) so they decided the time was right to sign on. Since then, crypto donations have provided an immediate benefit and showed promise as a growing fundraising channel.

Empowering the team to learn about crypto acceptance

The key to successful implementation for The Foundation was getting their development officers quickly educated on The Giving Block’s functionality. These development officers were the most important point of focus because they’re the ones who have direct conversations with donors.

They are excited about The Giving Block, because now when a supporter asks how to make a crypto donation, they can offer them an easy-to-use solution. The Giving Block is changing the perception for The Foundation’s donors that giving crypto is daunting and difficult. Now, anyone can make their donation quickly and easily.

Brad Terry, Vice President and General Counsel at The University of Arizona Foundation, now recommends The Giving Block to other fundraisers.

Efficient features for easy donation processing

The University of Arizona Foundation’s team enjoys the fact that the donation form is highly automated, which means it hasn’t disrupted their day-to-day with additional, unnecessary work.

For example, when someone makes a crypto donation, The Foundation gets an email notification. Then, they get another email confirming that the crypto was immediately sold for cash (i.e., “autoconverted”), which is a popular feature of The Giving Block’s platform. A final notice comes through when the cash is ready for withdrawal. From there, the team can go into their connected digital wallet and transfer the funds.

“It’s that simple,” says Terry, “about as easy as something can be. We’ve been very satisfied with everything.”

Building momentum from The Foundation’s first crypto donations

Shortly after embedding The Giving Block’s form on its website, The Foundation received its first crypto donation. The Foundation had no idea this donor was even interested in making a gift with crypto.

The Giving Block has helped The Foundation open up an entirely new, modern way for their donors to give. And, despite minimal external marketing efforts around the widget, The Foundation is already seeing additional inquiries from donors who are interested in making crypto donations. In 2021, its average monthly crypto donation volume was $21,833.

“Everything we’ve heard from the donors is that The Giving Block is easy…[and] we’re able to offer this new way of giving that we never had before,” says Terry.