Haiti: Multichannel online messaging leads to fundraising success at Oxfam
End-of-Year Online Fundraising: Exceeding goals at Oxfam
Haiti:
Multichannel Online Messaging Leads to Fundraising Success at Oxfam
Overview
Oxfam America, an international relief and development organization, is the leader in emergency water and sanitation disaster response and long-term disaster recovery. When a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti in early January 2010, initial media reports stated that hundreds of thousands were displaced and injured. It was clear that Oxfam’s response was going to be large and long-term.
Historically, Oxfam had attracted many new and repeat donors after catastrophic disasters, such as the 2005 Asian tsunami and Pakistan earthquake. However, with the increase in natural disasters and the inconsistent media coverage of these disasters, Oxfam’s ability to attract both new and repeat donors for humanitarian response had been hampered. By implementing an integrated online marketing campaign within the first 24 hours of the Haiti earthquake and sustaining these efforts, Oxfam was able to successfully raise more than $6.6M online.
The Challenge
Donor engagement in the aftermath of natural disasters is highly emotional, immediate, and inspired by the profiling of the disaster and its aftermath in the media. Generally, 50-70% of all disaster-related giving occurs within 48 hours of the disaster itself. Oxfam had to quickly provide actionable messaging across all online marketing channels to optimize donations and ensure adequate funding for its response to this catastrophic disaster.
The Solution
1. Communicate with your online and social network communities within hours of a major disaster
Oxfam sent its first email appeal to its online community by 9:30pm EST, less than 5 hours after the earthquake. Oxfam distilled existing news reports on the human impact of the earthquake and made a clear request for support. This appeal was rebroadcast on Oxfam’s FaceBook page and Twitter stream.
2. Send continuous email communication to your online and social network communities for the duration of the disaster
Oxfam sent seven email appeals in the ten days after the Haiti earthquake. Each appeal provided a situation update about Oxfam’s response in Haiti, suggestions for ways to help (such as personal fundraising), and a clear request for additional support. All appeals were rebroadcast over FaceBook and Twitter.
3. Optimize your website for donor conversion within first 24 hours
Oxfam implemented a pop-up light box that contained a simple donation form. Additionally, on its homepage, Oxfam prominently displayed its Better Business Bureau and Charity Navigator ratings and featured several stories from Haiti offering unique “on-the-ground” perspectives. All stories contained a donate button that linked to the Haiti donation form.
4. Listen to the media and be responsive with your messaging
Immediately after the earthquake, Oxfam’s message focused on our expertise in disaster-response and its existing presence in Haiti. However, as the Haiti media reports began to focus on how aid was not reaching the victims. Oxfam quickly adjusted its messaging to talk about how its response was reaching specific communities.
5. Implement an ad words campaign in the first 24 hours
Oxfam utilized its existing Google grants account and invested in key search terms on both Google and Yahoo resulting in a 400% return on investment.
6. Implement paid and pro bono online advertising campaign within first 24 hours
For paid advertising, Oxfam had a list of reliable vendors whose lists already showed high conversion on Oxfam-related issues. Oxfam repurposed existing Haiti appeals for these buys. List buys resulted in a 1500% return on investment. For pro-bono advertising, Oxfam maintained a list of advertisers who had supported Oxfam in past emergencies. Pre-existing banner creative was provided to these advertisers.
7. Leverage your partnerships, alliances, and professional networks
Oxfam reached out to non-humanitarian NGOs, such as MoveOn and the Alliance for Climate Protection, to for-profit groups, such as Buzz Agent, to send out fundraising appeals on Oxfam’s behalf. These partnerships resulted in over $600K in donations.
8. Focus on being part of the media story and optimize earned media
Oxfam focused on getting “on-the-ground” reports out to the media within the first 24 hours. Additionally, Oxfam confirmed that they were listed as a recommended humanitarian charity on all major media websites.
9. Utilize FaceBook Causes
While Oxfam had previously utilized FaceBook Causes with low-levels of financial success, the Oxfam Haiti cause generated more than $125K in donations. Oxfam reached out to FaceBook Causes immediately after the earthquake to establish the Oxfam Haiti Cause, the first Haiti FaceBook Cause. Oxfam also worked with the FaceBook Causes staff to ensure prominent placement of Oxfam’s Haiti Cause.
10. Make sure mobile is part of your giving program
There is no doubt that the big story coming out of Haiti was the success of mobile giving. Oxfam quickly implemented its text to give program during the first several days after the Haiti earthquake and co-promoted the text code in all communications.
End-of-Year Online Fundraising: Exceeding goals at Oxfam
Overview
Oxfam America, an international relief and development organization, is highly reliant on the generosity of its loyal individual donors—raising 75% of its unrestricted operating revenue from these donors in the last two months of the calendar year. So, when the recession hit in Fall 2008, it posed a serious threat to Oxfam’s fiscal stability. Early online appeals that utilized traditional messaging failed. By implementing a series of new messages and approaches, Oxfam was able to increase end-of-year giving by almost $200,000 over 2007 and bring in over 3,500 more donations, surpassing end of year online goals.
The Challenge
How can an organization raise unrestricted dollars in a down economy?
The Solution
1. Focus on a single, urgent message
Oxfam chose to focus on just one message – the fact that 100 million more people went hungry in 2008 and give that problem a name: the Global Hunger Epidemic. This message was both true to the brand and conveyed the urgency for the donation.
2. Set a fundraising goal and promote it
Oxfam set a public goal of raising $2 million online by December 31st (a natural tax-year deadline) and promoted the goal in all email and web copy, as well as in a thermometer graphic.
For the first time ever, a ‘lightbox’ popped up above the oxfamamerica.org homepage with an end-of-year giving promotion featuring the thermometer and radio giving buttons. Additionally, multiple rotating features promoted the end of year giving message. The result: passive giving to end- of-year campaign pages topped $450,000, plus $1.4 million in passive giving to the main donate page during this period.
3. Use video to create emotion
Oxfam conceived and scripted a short, online video. Oxfam staff produced it in-house with basic editing software, and included it on every appeal and donation page. The video used moving text, simple animation and compelling music to make the case for giving.
4. Optimize landing and donation pages
Oxfam created simplified APIs to streamline the giving process.
Related article: http://www.mrss.com/oxfam-eoy-2008-fundraising.pdf
