How the YMCA of the Triangle turned Camp pride into a high-impact Parent Giving Challenge
Mission
To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
Challenge
At the close of each summer session at Camp Sea Gull and Camp Seafarer, the YMCA of the Triangle needed a simple, compelling way to turn parents’ gratitude into timely giving across multiple camps and sessions.
Solution
Using GoFundMe Pro, the team built 20 branded fundraising pages tied to specific camp sessions, cabins, and group identities so parents could easily give to the community that meant the most to their child.
“Once I’ve built the fundraising pages in GoFundMe Pro, the campaign becomes very easy to manage. It’s then about getting the word out and building on our culture of philanthropy with this resource.”
– MacKenzie Buice, Director of Prospect Research and Stewardship
Parent Giving Challenge 2025 results*:
$35,000
raised in total
20 pages
created across camps and sessions
$3,176 raised
per camp session, on average
28% increase
in the average gift size year over year
*Based on 2025 GoFundMe data and the YMCA of the Triangle-provided data
Turning gratitude into giving
At the YMCA of the Triangle, Camp is more than a summer experience. It’s where young people build confidence, friendships, and independence in a welcoming environment.
To build on that connection, the team launched a Parent Giving Challenge across two brother/sister overnight camps: Camp Sea Gull and Camp Seafarer. After each session, parents received pickup and end-of-session details, along with an invitation to give in support of their child’s cabin or in honor of a counselor who made an impact.
When parents land on a page and see their child’s group name or cabin, it creates an immediate sense of connection and buy-in. There’s also a natural sense of competition, because families can track progress and standings in real time.
A scalable approach to peer-to-peer fundraising
The Parent Giving Challenge was designed to be both manageable for staff and personal for families. Instead of directing parents to a single donation page, the team created about 20 fundraising pages tied to sessions, cabins, and recognizable group names. Using GoFundMe Pro’s peer-to-peer fundraising tool, they built one campaign, then duplicated and customized each page. This turned a complex effort into a repeatable process.
Parents could support the exact community their child belonged to, adding a personal connection while introducing friendly competition through visible, real-time standings. The result: two consecutive years of about $35,000 raised through the Parent Giving Challenge, with an average of $3,176 raised per individual parent fundraiser in 2025 and a 28% year-over-year increase in average gift size.
Instead of asking parents to create anything themselves, we built everything in advance in GoFundMe Pro so it was simple to participate. It turned a general donation into something personal—parents felt like they were supporting their child’s specific Camp experience.
Beyond dollars raised, the campaign strengthened families’ sense of belonging by tying each contribution directly to their child’s experience, whether it was a camp, a cabin, or a counselor. It also helped make Camp more accessible for future participants while building a more connected community of supporters.
Expanding impact across camps and communities
The YMCA of the Triangle has expanded the Parent Giving Challenge across all three of its overnight camps. The team is also planning for its annual campaign, aligning efforts across 18 branches and refining strategies ahead of the fall peak fundraising period. With a strong foundation in place, the focus is on scaling what works and deepening impact across the community.*
*Results reflect the YMCA of the Triangle’s campaign strategy and may vary for other organizations.
MacKenzie’s GoFundMe Pro tips:
- Use GoFundMe Pro analytics to track performance, compare year-over-year results, and identify what’s working so you can refine your campaigns.
- Integrate fundraising into existing communication flows, such as end-of-session emails that families are already reading closely.
