With 3.5 million people in the UK living with osteoporosis, the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) was keen to find out whether face-to-face (F2F) fundraising could help them bring in new regular donors. The question was whether the wider public would be receptive to hearing about osteoporosis, a health issue which many people may not be aware of.
For its first venture into F2F fundraising, ROS teamed up with Gather Campaigns, who were able to work closely with the charity’s acquisition manager who had previous F2F experience. The strategy saw fundraisers positioned at private sites, including shopping centres and supermarkets, to generate awareness and maximise the opportunity to start conversations. A clearly branded stand in full view of passers-by helped with visibility and exposure.
The ROS and Gather Campaigns developed a collaborative and successful partnership throughout the nine-week test campaign, giving fundraisers thorough training about the charity and its messaging. The call for support was well-received by the public – 340 regular givers signed up and the charity is seeing encouraging initial signs of donor retention.
Rachel Hughes, Head of Supporter Engagement at the ROS, said:
“Private site was the perfect testing ground for our first F2F campaign – also enabling us to build our brand presence. The team at Gather Campaigns was easy to work with and the results impressive. It’s been an exciting time and we hope our campaigns will continue to grow and develop.”
A spokesperson for Gather Campaigns said: “We are delighted that this campaign has highlighted F2F as a valuable fundraising channel for the Royal Osteoporosis Society. It demonstrates just how quite specific causes, which may have been thought of as niche, can be brought to the general public with success.”
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Face-to-face fundraising can help your charity raise awareness and acquire new regular donors. At Gather Campaigns, we work with you every step of the way to establish the best venues, locations, materials and messaging to meet your needs.
Interested to learn more? Get in touch – we look forward to speaking with you!