UNHCR: New donor recruitment – above breakeven
The UK public have a long history of stepping up in times of crisis. Turning organisations such as Oxfam and Save the Children into institutions. This has in turn led to a highly competitive market for newer aid agencies to enter.
It was in this context that we were asked to devise a recruitment campaign for UK for UNHCR. We wanted to differentiate UNHCR through tangible, clear propositions that allowed people looking to show solidarity with refugees, to have a role they valued. This was achieved through the Winter Survival Fund.
The integrated recruitment campaign uses the increased salience of refugees enduring the winter months in makeshift accommodation or tented camps, to compel donors to stand with refugees and provide the essentials they need to survive. Running from October through February each year we have tested numerous creative approaches and channels to refine and optimise the campaign. Driving response through positioning critical aid – a lifesaving kit – as a means to define yourself.
This strategic approach has made the campaign a huge success, delivering more than 10k new donors at a positive ROI and with an average gift of more than £100.
Our partnership has since grown to incorporate warm appeals, emergency response campaigns, donor journey development and stewardship alongside strategic and tactical support.
As a UN aid organisation UNHCR must constantly shift their focus to when and where crises occur. And as their humanitarian response moves so does our fundraising. Seeing us quickly develop appeals and press ads to raise essential emergency funds.
Our emergency work has covered Coronavirus, Yemen, Afghanistan and now the Ukraine. Our partnership allowing us to produce emergency appeals effectively while liaising with media buyers and printers to get our message in front of the public as quickly as possible. Maximising response and impact while recruiting thousands of new DM responsive donors, critical for the long term sustainability of the organisation.
