A very warm welcome to all the new subscribers. I’m thrilled to have you as readers and truly appreciate your feedback and support.
Big giving days used to be a time of performance dips, disruptions, downtime and lost fundraising revenue. Not to mention the dollars wasted that we’d put into market to drive prospects to our donation form in the first place.
But with Fundraise Up I got the scalability, processing power and uptime to run any campaign without disruption. How did that impact revenue? We 2X’d our one-time gifts among net-new digital donors.
It’s never too early to be planning ahead for greater revenue from a better giving experience.
Game changer? It was for me.
In this week’s SPN:
Own and set up your accounts
Campaign Lessons: Dog or Cat Person? Or Meowza?
Deep Dive: Streaming opportunities, moderating at Twitch
Jobs & Opps that caught my eye this week
Let’s dig in!
Own It
This is one of the more tactical ways I’ve started an SPN but it’s top of mind. Don’t let an agency set up your Ad account inside of their Business Manager. I heard a horror story this week where an agency was holding an ad account and pixels hostage.
You need to own everything 100%. Double check that you do. It’s a tiny tweak but if your Org is in this situation, you need to resolve it quick smart. It’s not worth the headache if there’s ever an issue down the line.
When your partners handle software or tech stack procurement, it’s on them to introduce you to the right partner, but you really must sign your own agreements and set up your own accounts before you move forward with any work with them.
You should NEVER have other companies own your contracts with vendors or the admin account. Ok, now… without further ado, introducing the Meowzer…
Campaign Learnings: Pet Adoption Campaign
The market size of the animal rescue shelter industry in the US was $2.8 billion in 2023. And internet searches for “low-maintenance dog breeds” - dogs that don’t bark, need to be trained or even taken out for walks - have doubled in the past year. Well, in New Zealand at least!
The source of this intel: Whiskas, the cat food brand owned by Mars. What a great problem statement for a brand in need of a campaign, even if a quick glance on Google Trends in the US at least doesn’t quite support this. Maybe what happens in New Zealand stays in New Zealand, so suspend your belief for a moment because the campaign was brilliantly executed and there are some very relevant learnings for Orgs.
End Pet Homelessness
The goal of the campaign was to advance the brand’s mission to end pet homelessness by helping people find the right pet for them, thereby reducing the number of pets being taken back to the shelter.
The campaign launched with a series of short film ads that showcased “the Meowzer” (a cat in actuality) as the answer to people’s prayers.
The media plan ensured that people searching for “easy-to-care-for dogs” would be shown the “Meowzer”, by targeting them based on their digital footprint. All campaign touch points linked to a dedicated campaign website where use of a quiz to drive engagement among prospective pet owners to find their ‘purr-fect’ match is executed.
Get inspired by the campaign website: https://www.meowzer.dog/
On Instagram, dog photographer Elias Weiss Friedman (@TheDogist) promoted the campaign and TikTok creator @Puppysongs created a song to rack up views. Since the campaign rolled out it seems like other dog and cat influencers have joined the movement, complemented by OOH ads, both posters and digital.
Results:
11.9 million dog searches were intercepted.
Cat consideration increased by 25% since.
Pet adoptions up 27%.
Takeaways:
Every successful Fundraising program starts with Audiences - a deep understanding of who the Org’s Supporters are.
Whiskas ensured their audience of would-be pet owners encountered the “Meowzer” by intercepting common search terms for low-maintenance dog breeds. They targeted a relevant audience at the right time and, crucially, when they were early in their journey of discovery. And they tapped them when they were already emotionally invested in their quest.
I love how the key insight for this campaign was the search term trends they saw among their target audience. By drawing on insights from the available data their alternative was cleverly positioned (and consequently their broader offering) as a favorable option.
The value of reframing the conversation is worth underlining here, however tongue in cheek. Whiskas switched the narrative from the negatives of high-maintenance dogs to the positives of owning cats. If there aren’t opportunities readily surfacing themselves to highlight the positive impact your Org’s work is having on your cause area, create ‘em!
Lastly, growing your audience. Audience expansion is key to donor file growth. Whiskas not only fueled its mission - encouraging more people to adopt pets - but it also grew its customer base. What does that version look like for you? Maybe meeting audiences where they’re at - watching Streamers? See below →
Jobs & Opps 🛠️
Food Corps: VP, Policy & Advocacy ($200,000-$220,000)
John Hopkins University: Assistant Director, Communications (Minimum: $53,300 - Maximum: $93,500)
UNESCO: Director, Digital Inclusion and Digital Transformation (D-1)
The Nature Conservancy: Director, Global Media Relations and Reputation ($113,000 – $163,000)
Lutheran Senior Services: VP, Marketing (from $161,000)
Google: Principal Account Executive, Government & Advocacy ($152,000-$228,000)
World Heath Organization: Team Lead, Data and Information Systems (P-5)
The Rockefeller Foundation: Manager, Artificial Intelligence Partnerships ($133,377 - $176,544)
Slalom: Lead, Marketing - Public & Social Impact ($100,000 - $125,000)
UNICEF: Digital Communication Consultant (Consultancy)
Deep Dive: Streaming Lessons from Twitch
Ever since discovering that UNICEF had a small and mighty US audience segment who were male, single, in their mid-30s, working in finance and had a primary interest in gaming - and they were the ones who gave one time donations most frequently and at a higher AOV - the Streaming world has intrigued me.
Recently I moderated some panel discussions at Twitch - among employees, everyday users and legit streamers with vast followings - and I got to ask a whole host of questions before, during and after the event. It was my first time getting to learn from people both active on the platform and building the technology. I turned my notes into some nuggets for a deeper dive in today’s SPN.
TL;DR “Streaming for Good” doesn’t confine itself to just gaming. It offers new audiences, global reach and minimal investment, and relies on solid storytelling. Experience it for yourself - try before you buy-style.
Influencer Power
Streamers are like celebrities in the gaming world. Shout out to Pokimane and Castro 1021 (who won’t see this but check out their profiles or take a look at what the Twitch streaming platform looks like). These Streamers have cultivated dedicated followings in their millions who trust their recommendations and often share their interests. So when they get behind a cause, the sheer power and immediacy of reach and promotion is tough to beat - not something your run of the mill broad match paid search ad can deliver.
Engagement and Community
Unlike static web pages, Streams are inherently engaging. Viewers are actively involved, watching gameplay - or basket weaving - interacting with the streamer, and chatting with each other.
I watched first-hand how this creates a strong sense of community, where viewers felt connected to each other and the Streamer, and heard how that sense of connection and trust makes them more likely to follow along, take actions being asked of them, and participate. A quick show of hands showed a key motivator for giving a donation in-the-moment was wanting to feel like they were part of something bigger.
Lower Barrier to Entry
Compared to traditional fundraising events, Streams aren’t difficult to set up. For starters, they don’t require expensive venues, data scientists or inventory! They’re accessible to every Org, regardless of size. I can’t think of another channel that can so easily lock in a global reach without a hefty upfront investment or just hoping for something to go viral.
It’s a potent fundraising cocktail.
Streamer’s leverage + highly engaged audience + fostering a sense of community around a cause. All while keeping costs low.
Some Inspiring Examples
St. Jude PLAY LIVE: An annual fundraising event which encourages gamers to stream their gameplay - also knitters, crafters, musicians share their skills - and has raised more than $10 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Extra Life: Extra Life is a fundraising program of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. It’s a 24-hour gaming marathon that’s raised over $110M since 2008 with individual streamers raising anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars.
SU2C: Famous for their immensely successful telecasts, Stand Up to Cancer also have the #SU2CStreamTeam which anyone can join. Their FAQs page is a gold mine - check out their talking points and their dedicated page for Streamers, which includes brand guidelines around graphics, social media usage and how to phrase announcements, and pre- and post- stream comms.
Proven Approaches to Building Content Beyond Gameplay
Have a goal. E.g. Build a strong, engaged community of supporters.
And a hypothesis. E.g. By educating viewers about what our Org is solving for, and leveraging approaches like Livestream Petitions, Virtual Tours/Behind-the-Scenes footage from our Shelters and showcasing Donation Milestones we’ll attract and incentivize net-new donors to our file.
Here’s a few (16) ideas that got shared. Hopefully one or two will resonate with you:
Creative Fundraising Activities
“Donate to Play” Segments: Add a layer of interactivity and incentivize donations by dedicating portions of the stream where viewers can donate a certain amount to influence gameplay choices or challenge the streamer in a specific way.
Charity Auctions: Partner with relevant Partners or individuals to donate unique experiences or swag to be auctioned live on stream, with proceeds benefiting your Org.
Donation Milestones and Viewer Rewards: Set clear donation goals for the stream and unlock special rewards or in-game benefits for viewers as milestones are reached. Include shoutouts, exclusive content, access to future streams.
Livestream Advocacy and Activism
Live Policy Discussions: Host discussions with experts or policymakers relevant to your Org, fostering awareness and potentially inspiring viewers to take action.
Livestream Petitions and Calls to Action: Launch petitions or encourage viewers to contact their representatives on issues your Org advocates for.
“Mythbusting” Misconceptions: Address common misconceptions or misinformation related to your cause through interactive discussions or educational presentations on stream.
Educational Content
Awareness Campaigns: Feature expert interviews, testimonials, data visualizations. Educate viewers about the issues your Org tackles.
Skill-Building Workshops: Offer workshops relevant to your Org or cause area, like financial literacy for underserved communities or environmental sustainability tips.
Interactive Entertainment
Interactive Polls on Impact Areas: Engage viewers by letting them vote on how they’d like to see donations used or which projects they find most compelling.
Live Fundraising Events with Milestones: Set fundraising goals for the stream and trigger fun in-game events or rewards as milestones are reached.
Behind-the-Scenes Access
Showcasing Impact: Feature donor experiences and success cases.
Virtual Tours of Your Work: Take viewers on a virtual tour of field locations, shelters, or project sites.
Storytelling
Livestream Impact Reports: Present data and stories showcasing the impact of donations received through previous streams.
Partner with Cause-Focused Streamers: Collaborate with streamers who are passionate about your mission to create content that resonates with their audience.
Leverage Existing Content and Community
Livestream Watch Parties and Discussions: Host watch parties for relevant documentaries, films, or past charity streams, followed by discussions and Q&A sessions with viewers.
Livestream Volunteer Training Sessions: Offer live training sessions or workshops relevant to your cause, potentially inspiring viewers to volunteer their time and skills.
Live Q&A Sessions with Beneficiaries: Host live discussions with people your Org helps, allowing viewers to connect with the human impact of their donations.
Partner with the Gaming Community
Charity Esports Tournaments: Partner with existing esports tournaments where a portion of the entry fees or viewership donations go towards your cause.
“Pro vs. Viewer” Challenges: Host challenges where viewers can donate to have a professional gamer compete against them in a specific game.
Step Zero
Start with “Viewing” a live stream yourself. It’s a unique experience. The three questions that kept coming back to me while I watched were:
What exactly would we be we asking our prospective donors to do?
Is there a right or best time to be inserting asks and tasks, and at what frequency?
How should the experience look and feel after that initial donation if their first engagement with us is on a streaming platform?
What came up time and again was Experimentation.
Track your results and adapt your strategy to what resonates with your audience. For some approaches you can see right there in the platform what’s working and what isn’t. The play here pre- during and post-Stream is storytelling and offering plenty of it that informs, entertains, and inspires action.
Finally, Pilot Streams are not just a thing - they’re encouraged. Start with a smaller test Stream to refine a strategy and iron out donor journey’s or ask-type. Small scale, low risk, get your feet wet.
I’d wager that getting really good at storytelling in new mediums to niche communities will give your Org a tremendous boost to its growth trajectory.
Ok, that’s all for today!
If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing with your network. Thank you to those that do. If a friend sent it to you, get the next SPN by signing up.
And huge thanks to this Quarter’s sponsor Fundraise Up for creating a new standard for online giving.
Now onto the interesting stuff!
Reads From My Week
Good content marketing from Microsoft - a podcast on how ad agency Dentsu is using CoPilot (Microsoft)
Why is Media Mix Modeling Cool Again? (Media Village)
Snap announced lots of interesting stuff at their Upfront (Snap)
The Great Social Media Reset - We Scroll More Than We Post (The Pragmatic Optimist)
A new study called The Double Dividend of Nudges used a combination of maths problems and memory puzzles to test how nudges affect people’s performance on cognitively demanding tasks (Rationality & Competition)
11 ways TikTok pays creators( TikTok)
OpenAI might be launching a search engine (SEO Roundtable)
Profit Ability 2: the new business case for advertising - new research from ThinkBox. And yes, TV does do well. But it’s an interesting study and worth reading as it makes the case for ad spend as an investment (ThinkBox)
The Premier League's Salary Cap Has American Influence Written All Over It (HuddleUp)