How P.E.M. Memorial increased their annual scholarship fundraising goal by going global
WATCH NOW: How Qumu Helped P.E.M. Memorial Host a Virtual Fundraiser
Problem: How to Host a Fundraiser During a Pandemic?
P.E.M. Memorial is a scholarship fund that was established to honor three Finneytown High School (FHS) students who lost their lives at The Who concert in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1979. Each year, the foundation awards scholarships to three FHS seniors who are pursuing higher education in the fields of arts or music.
In early December, the foundation hosts a live concert to help raise funds for the scholarships. But 2020 posed an interesting problem: How could the organization host the concert virtually to maintain fundraising and continuity during a global pandemic?
With only a few months remaining until the annual fundraising event, the organization knew they needed to find a way to stream live and recorded content to meet fundraising goals without requiring an extensive team or experience hosting a large-scale virtual event.
The Qumu Solution: Fundraising via Livestream with Live Chat
P.E.M. Memorial’s video professional partnered with Qumu to help them get where they needed to go. Qumu helped the organization execute their event flawlessly. By leveraging the Qumu platform, they were able to give their audience something they were craving: live music.
Since video expertise is not required to run the platform, the musicians and producers were able to focus on the performances, not the logistics. They were able to prerecord some portions of the event and livestream the others.
Through live chat functionality, viewers could participate and feel included, regardless of where in the world they were.
“There is nothing we could say that didn’t go the way we wanted it to go. It was so seamless, so easy, and so workable. Qumu just made it fantastic for us. We didn’t have to try to do things that we were not able to do.”
Fred Whittenbaum, P.E.M. Memorial
Problem: How to Host a Fundraiser During a Pandemic?
P.E.M. Memorial is a scholarship fund that was established to honor three Finneytown High School (FHS) students who lost their lives at The Who concert in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1979. Each year, the foundation awards scholarships to three FHS seniors who are pursuing higher education in the fields of arts or music.
In early December, the foundation hosts a live concert to help raise funds for the scholarships. But 2020 posed an interesting problem: How could the organization host the concert virtually to maintain fundraising and continuity during a global pandemic?
With only a few months remaining until the annual fundraising event, the organization knew they needed to find a way to stream live and recorded content to meet fundraising goals without requiring an extensive team or experience hosting a large-scale virtual event.
The Qumu Solution: Fundraising via Livestream with Live Chat
P.E.M. Memorial’s video professional partnered with Qumu to help them get where they needed to go. Qumu helped the organization execute their event flawlessly. By leveraging the Qumu platform, they were able to give their audience something they were craving: live music.
Since video expertise is not required to run the platform, the musicians and producers were able to focus on the performances, not the logistics. They were able to prerecord some portions of the event and livestream the others.
Through live chat functionality, viewers could participate and feel included, regardless of where in the world they were.
“There is nothing we could say that didn’t go the way we wanted it to go. It was so seamless, so easy, and so workable. Qumu just made it fantastic for us. We didn’t have to try to do things that we were not able to do.” Fred Whittenbaum, P.E.M. Memorial
Integrating the broadcast from the Qumu platform into the organization’s website was also simple. Now the event has a longer shelf life, as people can go back and watch it on their own time, from the comfort of their homes, or share it with friends and family to further broaden awareness.
Summary: A Successful Global Scholarship Fundraiser
The virtual event traveled around the world instead of simply staying in Finneytown, Ohio. By using the Qumu platform, the organization was able to reach FHS alumni and The Who fans who live all over the U.S. and abroad – people who would never have had the opportunity to attend the event. Furthermore, they were also able to generate awareness among the communities outside of Finneytown.
Without the ability to stream live and recorded video, P.E.M. Memorial likely would not have held the event in 2020 or they would have had to scale it back so much that gaining significant interest would have been difficult. Both cases could have had a detrimental impact on immediate fundraising and long-term awareness and support.
“P.E.M. Memorial stands for preserving three memories and building three dreams. Without Qumu, we couldn’t do what we’re doing – they make it seamless”
Fred Whittenbaum, P.E.M. Memorial
On average, 150 people attend the annual event. But in 2020, the event had 674 live views and more than 2,500 total views – across 34 countries and 48 states. And it wasn’t just an increase in viewership that deemed the event a success. In a normal year, the organization would raise around $20,000; the 2020 event saw a two-fold increase in fundraising, which will allow the organization to extend the reach of their scholarships for years to come.
