Fundraising strategies for the greater good

THE TRUE meaning of Christmas is often lost amid the merry-making and material excesses that accompany the holiday season.

Thus it would be good to sit back and take a moment to find ways to become a giver, and help change the lives of those with almost nothing in life.

World Vision National Director Jody de la Cruz shares here the group’s strategies to tap into the spirit of generosity and help raise funds for disadvantaged children.

Question: Your foundation has been helping 30,000 children through some 17,000 regular donors. What fundraising strategies have proven effective for you?

Answer: World Vision in the Philippines took the bold step of seeking donations from Filipinos inside malls. We were actually the first NGO here in the country to do this. Our staff asked mall-goers to “help a child go to school by donating P450 a month.” It was a simple question but the message was close to Filipino hearts.

We had to drum up hype for the organization and make more people aware of our programs. Our staff also served as first donors and we engaged influential personalities to be brand ambassadors. We asked them to sponsor kids and speak on our behalf. We expanded our donors’ database by partnering with banks for our direct mail appeals. We also set up a mini call center to take care of our growing donors.

We needed to build and strengthen relationships with our donors and business partners. We just continued to concentrate on our best practices so we could focus on our target markets and keep their trust. It started with a few but highly trusted people and corporations, but then the support expanded and it helped boost the corporate sector’s trust in the organization and its programs. We provided them with opportunities for deeper involvement, and at the same time focused on learning new initiatives from local and international fundraisers.

Now, we are continuing to explore three significant market opportunities—digital marketing, mainstreaming of corporate social responsibility and the growing interest of grant institutions in disaster management. These developments help us diversify our funding sources to ensure financial sustainability.

Q: What was the turning point that led to the increase in the number of World Vision’s donors?

A: There is no single turning point for us. The growth of donors was propelled by several factors.

We make sure that our sponsors enjoy the experience of giving. We make it easy for them—now they can just sign up anytime on the web, give through credit card, and track their donations online.

But more importantly, we want to make our donors feel confident that their money goes to where it is intended.

We want to make them see the progress their donations are making for their sponsored children and their communities.

The relationship between the sponsor and the sponsored child is crucial for us—we make sure that they communicate through the latest digital tools.

For our business partners, we step up efforts to tailor fit our products with their core business and in meeting their requirements. We are accountable to the beneficiaries we serve.

Q: Who is the typical target market? How do you look for your target market?

A: Most of our donors are professionals with families. We make it a point to study our market and to find out who best responds to our appeals. We track donor engagement by analyzing characteristics of donors, and learning what drives their “giving behavior.” We then make strategies to increase donor loyalty. Now, we go to where they shop, we read what they read, and use social media to our advantage.

People should donate to World Vision because we believe not only in the value of giving money to the poorest and most vulnerable children but more importantly, in empowering them so they can help themselves in the long run.

The money is used for programs that do not only monitor developments at the grassroots level but also in training and allowing them to take part in finding solutions to their personal and community concerns. The key here is sustainable and holistic programs for the children and their families.

We also want to show people that sponsoring a child is easy and it is life-changing for both the child and the sponsor.

Q: How has World Vision been able to create a trusted brand?

A: We value the relationships we create with our donors. Trust certainly does not happen at the first handshake or website visit.

We think of donations and funds as links in a greater chain, extending far down the road, instead of a mere one-time transaction. We think of ways for the relationship to grow deeper. Promotions, social media, newsletters, and dynamic video content have done wonders for engaging our donors.

We want to be more innovative than ever, especially with the focus on measuring impact. We want to have more creative solutions to deal with the needs of the community. We study and reconsider our program models. We constantly evaluate how we can engage our funders and partners to ensure a deeper level of engagement.

In this way, we move beyond our comfort zone to embrace new strategies to reach our goals. But being innovative does not mean deserting our history, but rather leveraging what has been done to achieve greater impact. As a Christian organization, we remain true to our vision and strategic focus to work for the sustained well-being of children.

(Josiah Go is chair of marketing training and advocacy firm Mansmith and Fielders Inc. For complete transcript, as well as interviews with other thoughtleaders, please visit www.josiahgo.com)