Craig Linton, Head of Fundraising at RLSM: Good Bites Big Appeals

Good Bites

30th August 2012

RLSB: Good Bites PresentationAugust 20122

Why do a mini-big appeal?

Background to Little Heroes

Key principles for the appeal

What we did

Results so far

Key learnings


1.Raise money

2.Gives fundraising a focus & builds team spirit

3.Appeals to donors

Why do a mini-big appeal?


1.Poor morale of staff

2.History of fundraising failure

3.Nursery our ‘crown jewel’ service

Background to Little Heroes


1.Testing ideas

2.Integration

3.Organisational wide involvement

Key principles for the appeal


What we did – direct mail

Mailing to warm donors

Personal invite to potential major donors to visit nursery


What we did - telephone

Called current and lapsed regular givers.

Asked them to advocate for the appeal.

Will follow up with a reactivation / upgrade call in September


What we did – community fundrasing

Focus on collections and home money boxes

Looked to engage new community support in Kent

Town challenges with fundraising team


What we did – mobile

Panels on trains - £3 donation ask

Distributed over 1,000 posters through the town challenge

Followed up with an advocate ask


What we did – online

Created microsite

Tested banner ads

Blogger engagement

Daily blog


What we did – PR

Celebrity messages

Local media

Radio ads


Mobile giving• Nearly 700 texts against a 500 target. • Over 60% agreed to advocate.• Cost per acquisition around £70 & 7 month break even

(based on 50% penetration, 20% yes to direct debit)

Results so far – the good

Parental & staff support• Over £10,000 has come from parents, nursery staff and

their family, friends etc


Results so far – the ok

Direct mail• Over 15% response rate• Average gift of ~£27 (30% higher than usual)• Ten gifts of £250 or over

PR• Lots of coverage, including national press and TV• Not converted to donations• Radio produced little response


Results so far – the indifferent

Collections• Real struggle to place the boxes• Public collections have struggled - £80 from Tunbridge

Well’s train station• Had to look for a community plan B

Telephone• High agreement to advocate – over 60%• Not translated to income• Could still come good if upgrade, reactivation, DD sign

up rates are improved


1. Major gift matched funding

2. Cold mailing

3. Text follow up

4. Little Heroes day – 21st September

The final month


1. Abandon things that don’t work quickly

2. Cold community ask much harder than expected

3. Texting working well, but key is conversion

4. Start with your warm donors

5. Created a lot of internal goodwill and support

Key learnings for the appeal


p.s Would you like to help reach the target?

• You can text NURSERY to 70007• Help spread the word via Facebook & Twitter

•Help raise money (all donations matched) on Friday 21st September

Any questions?

Craig Linton – Head of [email protected]@frdetective

mailto:[email protected]

Craig Linton, Head of Fundraising at RLSM: Good Bites Big Appeals

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