4 tips to make your Christmas fundraising campaign sparkle
Can you believe that Christmas is just three short months away? Granted it’s not quite time to get out the fairy lights and crack open the Quality Street, but for those of you in the third sector, it’s time to get your Christmas fundraising campaigns in order.
‘Why?’ I hear you ask? Because research such as this from Enthuse Fundraising shows that 49% of the public are more likely to give to charities at Christmas than any other time of year.
You’d be ‘crackers’ to miss out on the opportunity to raise some festive funds.
Here are some top tips to get the creative juices flowing.
1. Stir up emotions
John Lewis, the upmarket chain of department stores, have been spreading Christmas cheer with their beautiful, animated adverts since 2007. From “Monty the Penguin” to “The Bear and the Hare”, they’ve mastered the art of emotional storytelling, using strong narrative and spine-tingling music to pull at our heart strings. As a result, the John Lewis Christmas ads are the most anticipated
Their 2015 ad was no exception. Entitled "Man on the Moon", it followed the story of a young girl named Lily, as she watched an elderly man sitting all alone on the moon, through her telescope
After several failed attempts to make contact with the man, she finally manages to send him a telescope present using balloons.
It arrives just in time for Christmas and enabling him to look down on Earth and see Lily smiling back at him.
John Lewis partnered with Age UK for this tear-jerking campaign which was designed to raise awareness of loneliness among the elderly at Christmas.
And it did the job. Donations to Age UK sky-rocketed and the ad has gone down in history a one of John Lewis’ best.
You may not have a John Lewis sized budget, but you can take inspiration from their approach.
If you can elicit an emotional response from your audience, you’re onto a winner.
These stats from Folajomi Ballo say it all.
2. Make it topical
The FIFA World Cup is taking place in December... is there an opportunity to incorporate it into your festive fundraising campaign?
Sure, football might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Christmas, but football has been used to bring people together for a long time. Did you know for example that, during World War One, some of the troops held a truce on Christmas Day, and played a game of football in No Man’s Land?
3. Target younger donors
When targeting donors, charities tend to focus on Gen X and Boomers. But not so much on Millennials and Gen Z/younger donors. Research shows that Gen Z are giving more than other generations, so it would be a mistake to overlook them this Christmas.
‘What’s the best way to reach Gen Z’ I hear you cry? One word – online.
Gen Z are digital natives, as are millennials, so to really succeed this Christmas, you’ll need to harness the power of the internet.
There are plenty of examples of great digital campaigns. But one of the most fascinating is the Injustice Advent Calendar from Traidcraft Exchange: a 24-day long campaign where each day provides a short, shareable action to make a positive difference, from writing to your MP and signing petitions, to sending a thank you note to a key worker.
Instead of just asking for donations, people are invited to support the cause in other ways (and carry out free marketing for the charity at the same time by sharing their actions on social media). Genius!
4. Be the gift
Virtual gifts are a great option for supporters who want to donate to their favourite charity whilst sending a meaningful gift. So why not give the people what they want?
If you go down this route, to make your gifts impactful, you need to add some context. For example, say you’re a health charity … rather than asking people for £15, tell them that £15 will buy lifesaving polio vaccines for 100 babies and suddenly they aren’t just donating £15, they’re buying 100 babies the most important Christmas gift they’ll ever receive.
You can take this a step further by ‘selling’ charity gifts. Essentially, you’re enabling people to make a donation to a good cause in someone else’s name.
Take domestic violence charity Refuge, for example. This year they are selling virtual gift parcels ranging in price. A £13 parcel will enable an expert to answer a call to someone fleeing domestic abuse, while £500 would keep one of their 43 refuges running for a whole day.
This is a great way to demonstrate the impact of each donation you receive.
Maybe there’s a skillset missing from your team? Maybe you need to grow your organisation to reach your fundraising potential? We can help you. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to find out how.