Drive Community Impact with New Charitable-Giving Canvas Templates

In today’s socially conscious marketplace, customers expect brands to do more than just sell—they want to see real impact. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a key business priority, with 70% of consumers more likely to support brands that align with their values.

This shift challenges companies to go beyond surface-level commitments and find authentic, effective ways to give back. From charitable giving to community-driven initiatives, brands that integrate social impact into their business strategy can build stronger customer relationships—and make a real difference.

ShareTheMeal, a Braze customer, recognized this potential early on. They approached us with an idea to leverage Braze technology to drive consumer giving at scale. Inspired by the impact they were already seeing, they wanted to help more brands unlock similar opportunities with their own audiences.

Enter our new Charitable-Giving Canvas Templates—a solution designed to empower brands to amplify their charitable initiatives effortlessly. These pre-built, customizable templates streamline the process of launching donation campaigns. This allows marketers to focus on what truly matters: Driving meaningful change in their communities. By leveraging these templates, brands can enhance customer engagement, foster loyalty, and create a measurable impact, whether through matching donations, donating a percentage of proceeds, or raising awareness for important causes.

What are Canvas Templates

Braze Canvas Templates are designed to help marketers create engaging and effective customer journeys with ease. In addition to crafting your own, Braze offers pre-built templates that provide a flexible framework that allows brands to customize their messaging and design to align campaigns with their unique voice and objectives. Canvas Templates simplify the setup process. This enables marketers to focus on strategy and creativity instead of getting bogged down in technical details.

“Braze Canvas Templates have truly transformed the way we work at Overstock,” said Nicole Ruffner, Campaign Automation Manager at Beyond Inc. “Their straightforward setup and editing capabilities have simplified and significantly streamlined our processes. By eliminating the need to start each email from scratch, our team can now dedicate more time to other projects. These templates have been a game-changer, boosting our team’s efficiency and accuracy.”

The Charitable-Giving Canvas Templates take this functionality a step further by specifically addressing the needs of brands looking to amplify their charitable initiatives. These templates provide a streamlined approach to launching donation campaigns, making it easier for brands to engage their audiences in meaningful ways. With options for matching donations, donating a percentage of proceeds, and raising awareness for important causes, these templates empower brands to make a positive impact in their communities.

How to Use Canvas Donation Templates

Using Charitable-Giving Canvas Templates is a straightforward process that allows brands to launch impactful donation campaigns with minimal effort. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Accessing the Templates: Begin by logging into your Braze dashboard. Navigate to the Canvas section, and select Create Canvas > Use a Template where you’ll find the template “Charitable-giving series” available. Select the variant of the template that best fits your campaign goals – whether it’s for matching donations, donating a percentage of proceeds, or raising awareness for a charitable cause—and delete the other variant. We also recommend taking the Canvas Templates course in Braze Learning to learn more about Canvas Templates in general.
2. Customizing the Template: Once you’ve chosen a variant, it’s time to make it your own. Customize the messaging to reflect your brand’s voice and values. Incorporate compelling visuals and clear calls to action that resonate with your audience. Be sure to highlight the impact of the donations and how they will benefit the chosen cause. This personalization will help engage your audience and encourage participation.
3. Launching the Campaign: After customizing the template, review your campaign settings and audience targeting. Make sure your messaging is clear and that you’ve set up any necessary tracking to measure the campaign’s performance. Once everything is in place, launch your campaign and start spreading the word about your charitable initiative!

Best Practices

To maximize the effectiveness of your Charitable-Giving Canvas Templates, consider these best practices:

• Kickoff with a bang: Start your campaign with a lively launch email that introduces your donation program. Highlight the impact and align it with your brand values to capture attention. For example, a company like Kitchenerie could send an email featuring a vibrant image of a community meal, announcing their matching donation campaign for a nonprofit that focuses on reducing food insecurity. The email could emphasize that every dollar donated will provide two meals, creating an emotional connection with the audience.
• Countdown to action: Incorporate countdown timers in your communications to create a sense of urgency. Let your audience know that time is limited to participate in the donation opportunity. For example, a retail brand could include a countdown timer in their emails and SMS messages, indicating that their donation matching campaign ends in just three days. This urgency encourages customers to act quickly and contribute before the deadline.
• Remind and shine: Send reminder emails that reinforce the matching opportunity or the percentage of proceeds going to charity. Be transparent about how donations will be used, showing your audience the tangible impact of their contributions. For example, a brand could send a reminder email three days before their campaign ends, showcasing stories or testimonials from beneficiaries who have received support from the donations. This personal touch can motivate customers to contribute.
• Celebrate together: After the campaign, thank your participants and share the impact of their donations. Build that community spirit! Once the campaign concludes, a brand could send a heartfelt thank-you email to all participants, detailing the total amount raised and how it will be used to support the cause. Including visuals of the impact, such as photos of families receiving meals, can reinforce the connection between the brand and its customers.

By following these steps and best practices, you can effectively utilize Charitable-Giving Canvas Templates to engage your audience and drive meaningful contributions to important causes.

Three Canvas Donation Template Use Cases

1. Match donations for nonprofits relevant to your brand: One of the most impactful ways to engage your audience is by partnering with a nonprofit organization that aligns with your brand values. For instance, a company can launch a campaign that matches every dollar donated by customers. This could be directed to specific causes, such as disaster relief or education initiatives. This not only doubles the contributions but also amplifies the message of community support.
2. Give a percentage of proceeds from product purchases to charity: Another effective use case for Charitable-Giving Canvas Templates is donating a portion of sales to a charitable cause. Brands can commit to donating a percentage of proceeds from specific products or during designated time frames, such as a holiday season or awareness month. For example, a retail brand might pledge to donate 10% of all sales during Global Volunteer Month to support local nonprofits. This strategy raises funds for important causes. It also incentivizes purchases, encouraging customers to shop with a purpose and enhancing brand loyalty.
3. Raise awareness of your brand’s giving efforts while encouraging consumer donations: Charitable-Giving Canvas Templates can also be used to promote your brand’s philanthropic initiatives while encouraging consumer participation. Brands can engage their audience by highlighting ongoing efforts to support local communities or global causes. This approach inspires consumers to contribute. For instance, a company might run a campaign that showcases their commitment to environmental sustainability, encouraging customers to donate to related causes. This dual approach raises awareness for both the brand and the causes they support, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose among consumers.

Final Thoughts

In a world where consumers increasingly seek to support brands that align with their values, Braze Charitable-Giving Canvas Templates offer a resource for marketers looking to drive community impact. By simplifying the process of launching donation campaigns—whether through matching donations, donating a percentage of proceeds, or raising awareness for important causes—these templates empower brands to engage their audiences meaningfully.

At Braze, our commitment to community is intrinsic to our organization and our larger ESG efforts. As you explore the potential of these templates in your marketing strategy, remember that every contribution counts. Together, we can create a lasting impact in our communities and inspire others to join in the effort.

Forward-Looking Statements

This blog post contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding the performance of and expected benefits from Braze and its products and features. These forward-looking statements are based on the current assumptions, expectations and beliefs of Braze, and are subject to substantial risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Further information on potential factors that could affect Braze results are included in the Braze Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2024, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on December 10, 2024, and the other public filings of Braze with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this blog post represent the views of Braze only as of the date of this blog post, and Braze assumes no obligation, and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.