United Way’s #LAFAYETTESTRONG Response to the Tragic Event in Louisiana

Memorial Fundraising Ideas

United Way of Acadiana is dedicated to creating lasting change by focusing on the building blocks of a good life: education, earnings, and essentials. They also respond to the needs of their community in times of crisis.

Immediately following the senseless shooting in a movie theater in Lafayette, LA on July 23rd, which took the lives of Jillian Johnson and Mayci Breaux, and left 9 others injured, United Way of Acadiana dedicated a text-to-donate keyword–LAFAYETTESTRONG on 41444–towards a memorial fund for the victims’ families.

Memorial Fundraising Highlights

• 300 donors in first 3 days
• $2500 in donations
• Keyword & donation form went live immediately

United Way of Acadiana shared the donation page on their website, across social media, and broadcasted the keyword on news media and local press.

United Way: Responding with Memorial Fundraising

From a psychological perspective, tragedies that strike an individual or group with which we identify, call the meaning of our own existence into question and elicit emotionally-charged impulses that compel us to contribute positively to a solution. Our constant interaction with our smartphones makes mobile fundraising the perfect medium for instantly reaching and capturing impulsive giving behavior.

Cloud-based keywords and mobile-friendly donation pages provide easy ways for people to take immediate positive action following a tragic event or crisis. Both can be created, altered, and managed from any location with a desktop or mobile device in just minutes.

The keyword LafayetteStrong, social media hashtag #LafayetteStrong, and slogan “Stay Lafayette strong,” all strengthen the unity of the immediate community affected by the traumatic shootings, and all are easily remembered.