Riley Rocks’ gala raises $100K for children battling cancer with the help of Live Kiosk

Introduction

Born in Beverly, Massachusetts, Riley Fessenden was known for her giving, nurturing spirit and positive attitude. These qualities continued to shine even after she was diagnosed with Esthesioneuroblastoma – a rare, malignant cancer – when she was just six years old.

As she battled in ways no child should have to, she took every opportunity to give back and share the support she received with others. It’s this generosity and fighting optimism that inspires the team at Riley Rocks Memorial Foundation to keep her legacy alive.

Created in 2019, the foundation has grown into a powerful initiative that supports New England families battling childhood cancer with grants, emotional support, and connection to other families in similar circumstances. Their versatile grant program offers financial support in virtually any way families need, from groceries to Christmas presents and medical bills.

Volunteers maintain close relationships with the children battling cancer, known as ‘Rockstars,’ and their families up to the age of 21 – beyond what many similar organizations offer. This spirit of generosity and holistic support is intrinsic to who Riley was, ensuring her memory stays alive in all those she touched and the important work they do.

Despite their small team, the Riley Rocks Memorial Foundation has achieved incredible growth over the last six years, going from supporting 1 family initially to 30 this past year. To sustain this growth, they sought out fundraising solutions.

Streamlining charitable giving at events

The Riley Rocks Memorial Foundation is powered by a lean team of volunteers. With no full-time employees dedicated to development, resources are spread thin, and simplifying fundraising has become a top priority.

This is especially crucial during their biggest fundraising event of the year: the Riley Rocks annual gala. In previous years, accepting cashless donations at the event was cumbersome – multiple volunteers huddled around a laptop, manually entering donors’ card information and hoping payment went through without any issues. This inevitably led to long lines that took time away from mingling at the event.

Easy donor management and tap to donate

The Riley Rocks Memorial Foundation is powered by a lean team of volunteers. With no full-time employees dedicated to development, resources are spread thin, and simplifying fundraising has become a top priority.

As a Donorbox Pro customer, they’ve been impressed with Donorbox’s automatic reports, Donor Management Link Label, and online fundraising features since 2021. But Donorbox Live™ Kiosk didn’t come onto their radar until they started preparing for this year’s annual gala – and it’s turned out to be a game changer.

Live Kiosk Link Label allowed gala attendees to make donations more conveniently by tapping their card on the card reader or using Apple Pay. Kendel explained: “Live Kiosk was so quick and helpful. Guests entered the donation amount and tapped. The long lines disappeared because giving was so much faster.”

Doubling donations year-over-year

Since partnering with Donorbox, Riley Rocks Memorial Foundation has seen a 206x increase in donations, and what started as a “mom-and-pop” fundraising initiative has grown exponentially. They’ve already doubled the donations brought in this year compared to last year, and there are still three months left to go.

Riley Rocks’ gala serves as their main fundraiser of the year, and the team keeps setting the bar higher every year. After meeting their goal of raising $50K at their gala in 2024, they set and surpassed the ambitious goal of $75K this year, bringing in a grand total of over $100K.

Kendel attributes this largely to the presence of Live Kiosk, which brought in $18K in donations during the gala. “It saved time at checkout for the event and allowed us to accept gifts more easily,” she says. “It simplified the process for everyone internally and externally... We made it as easy as possible to make donations.” In fact, one very generous donor made a $2,575 donation on the giving kiosk. Not only did Live Kiosk save the team time and bring in more money for the foundation’s mission, but it also looked professional.

Setting up and managing a campaign page also helped simplify the lead-up to the gala. “I'm not an expert,” says Kendel, “but I set up everything by myself for the event. The event site was user friendly and so customizable to us – our colors, our logo.” With a date for the 2026 gala already set, it’s exciting to anticipate what the next year will hold for the foundation.

The Future

For the second year running, Riley Rocks will support 30 new families through their grant program. The foundation’s relationships with social workers continues to thrive, and new families of Rockstars that could benefit from the grant program crop up on their radar all the time.

With a fundraising goal of $200K in 2026, they hope to increase the grant amount that is dedicated to each family, consider those in need of second grants, and add even more recipients to the program.

The team is also planning next year’s participant events, which have been hugely successful in bringing grant recipients together and creating a support network. The most crucial goal for the coming year (and beyond) is to spread their reach and continue to meet families where they are.

Donorbox is proud to support Riley Rocks Memorial Foundation as they draw awareness and offer support for families and children who are affected by pediatric cancer.

Donorbox features used

• Donation Form
• Donorbox Live™ Kiosk
• Donation Designations
• Goal Meter
• Donor Comment Wall
• Company Matching
• Crowdfunding