How Farm Aid Raised $580K+ Through CNN Broadcast Fundraising with Pledge

$580K+ Raised
Funds generated through CNN broadcast fundraising tools.
8,400+ Donors Engaged
Supporters nationwide helped advance Farm Aid’s mission.

Overview

During CNN’s broadcast of the Farm Aid 40th Anniversary concert, Farm Aid partnered with CNN and Pledge to transform national viewership into real-time support for family farmers. By combining broadcast storytelling with mobile-friendly fundraising tools, viewers were able to donate instantly from wherever they were watching. The campaign ultimately raised more than $580,000, helping expand Farm Aid’s work supporting a vibrant, family-farm centered agricultural system across the United States.

The Challenge

Farm Aid wanted to enhance its donor experience while managing a popular incentive program offering exclusive T-shirts to supporters who donated over $100. Previous fundraising tools made it difficult to collect mailing information directly within the donation process, creating additional steps for both donors and fulfillment teams.

At the same time, CNN sought a seamless way to engage viewers during its live broadcast and convert awareness into immediate action. The solution needed to be simple, mobile-friendly, and accessible enough for audiences to give instantly without interrupting the viewing experience.

The Solution

Fundraiser Page Donation Form Text-To-Donate

Pledge partnered closely with Farm Aid and CNN to create a customized donation experience designed specifically for the broadcast. A tailored donation form allowed supporters contributing over $100 to securely provide mailing details for their T-shirt directly within the giving flow, simplifying fulfillment while improving the donor experience.

During CNN’s live coverage, viewers could donate instantly by scanning a QR code or using text-to-donate, turning moments of inspiration into immediate impact. The campaign saw exceptional engagement, including a 50% QR code conversion rate and 71% text-to-donate conversion rate, helping raise more than $580,000 from thousands of supporters nationwide.

Steve Snyder, Development Director
Farm Aid

In addition to the awareness raised by CNN's live broadcast of our Farm Aid 40 festival in September, their partnership with Pledge for QR code and text-to-date resulted in more than $580,000 in additional funds raised from viewers. These funds help support our efforts to build a vibrant, family-farm centered system of agriculture in America, including our annual grant program which this year distributed more than $1.3 million to over a hundred family farm, rural response and urban agriculture organizations around the country.