Medical Students for Choice Advances Reproductive Health Education Through Strategic Social Media Fundraising

Medical Students for Choice is a national organization dedicated to ensuring that reproductive health care, including abortion, is part of standard medical education and practice. MSFC empowers medical students and future physicians to provide comprehensive reproductive health care through education, training, and advocacy.

Overview

With a grant from Progressive Multiplier, Medical Students for Choice transformed their fundraising approach from a "DIY" communications strategy to an integrated, data-driven development program.

By testing messaging, direct mail components, and social media campaigns, MSFC built sustainable fundraising practices while dramatically expanding their digital presence. The project broke down silos between communications and development departments and created pathways for "secret" supporters to engage with their mission.

Key Strategies & Tactics

Medical Students for Choice's digital fundraising initiative consisted of several integrated components designed to acquire new donors while engaging different segments of their supporter base:

• Social Media Content Testing: Acquiring larger audiences using social media channels to increase engagement with fundraising-centered content by testing different content approaches
• Messaging Testing: Acquiring new donors using social media and email to make a first-time gift by testing ask styles and placements
• Messaging Testing: Acquiring new donors using social media and email to make a first-time gift by testing ask styles and placements Direct Mail Component Testing: Acquiring new donors using direct mail to make a first-time gift by testing various direct mail components

Lessons Learned

• Focus on Joy Over Crisis:

Moving from crisis appeals to joy-focused messaging created more sustainable engagement with supporters

• Break Down Department Silos:

Integrating communications and development strategies produced more effective fundraising campaigns

• Meet Supporters Where They Are:

Many "secret" supporters who never commented publicly were still donating—creating safe pathways from social media to email to donations was essential

• Establish Clear Participation Metrics:
  

Goals focused on participation metrics and new donor acquisition at any level helped move people from social media to email subscription

• Segment your Approach:

Goals focused on participation metrics and new donor acquisition at any level helped move people from social media to email subscription

• Invest in Mentorship and Accountability 

External support helped optimize fundraising materials, improve metrics analysis, and establish sustainable development practices

Impact

Through this experiment, Medical Students for Choice was able to transform their entire approach to communications and fundraising. TikTok grew from just 30 followers to nearly 20,000. Instagram doubled to 10,000 followers. Most importantly, this dramatic increase in engagement translated into an influx of new donors via social media.

The team refined their development approach around "three pockets": everyday donors (small and mid-level), high-level donors, and foundations—with this project focused squarely on the first pocket. By establishing participation metrics and new donor acquisition at any level as key goals, they created sustainable pathways for moving people from social media engagement to email subscriptions and ultimately to donations. Their focus on brand building helped translate social media engagement into financial support, including from supporters who needed privacy in their advocacy.

MSFC developed targeted approaches for medical students and alumni physicians, with plans to transition their newsletter into an alumni-focused publication. The grant provided crucial mentorship and accountability that helped them optimize their fundraising materials, improve metrics analysis, and establish sustainable development practices that will support their vital work training the next generation of reproductive health advocates.