Marketing messaging for funders
The brief
Our charity partner, West London Zone (WLZ), has an innovative funding model, ensuring accountability, transparency and value for money as well as ensuring cost savings for public spending. They asked Be UK to help them succinctly convey easy to understand funding options for prospective external funders from the point of view of each funder type (corporates, individuals and local organisations, trusts and foundations, and major donors).
Our approach
We developed a donor matrix by creating profiles identifying each of WLZ’s funder types (corporates, individuals and local organisations, trusts and funds, and major donors) and classified their overarching characteristics.
We also analysed WLZ’s donation data to show what proportion of their donations were from each funder type and the gap between existing donations from each funder type and their target donations for 2023. The data analysis also included cyclical trends over the calendar year and insights into donation patterns and highlighted areas, therefore enabling WLZ to see where there are opportunities in their fundraising strategy.
We undertook primary research by conducting a comparative analysis of aspirational charities chosen by WLZ to highlight areas for them to improve on whilst providing ideas for how WLZ can encourage engagement – e.g. developing a downloadable fundraising pack on their website.
We also reviewed the core messaging in their marketing materials and highlighted areas with the most impact, therefore providing suggestions on how overall content and its presentation could be streamlined and improved.
We used our findings to create packaged donor propositions, tailored to each of the donor groups we had identified and highlighted what value these individual packages could bring to the donating party (e.g. access to a wider array of publicity initiatives and events), and the tangible impact to the children WLZ was created to serve. In these propositions we also stipulated the positive effects an uplift in donations would have by presenting the value it would have to the children (e.g. provision of books, 1-2-1 support, etc.).
As an additional value-add, we conducted a high-level analysis of their website and provided suggestions on how this could be optimised in terms of SEO and made more aesthetically pleasing to help engage users and encourage them to donate. We also extended this to their social media presence, particularly on LinkedIn.
The solution and key benefits
This has been a huge benefit to WLZ as they can use our donation analysis to identify the key areas for development and this has provided them with the statistical data required to act accordingly.
The charity analysis we have done on key messaging and social media (in terms of brand identity, follower count, etc.) has shown some areas where WLZ can add value, and particularly how investing a small amount of time in identifying key accounts to follow could greatly help their follower count, and therefore brand awareness.
This piece of work is a huge step forward in ensuring the children and young people within WLZ’s programme continue to get the support they need.
Kate Dolleymore, Head of Fundraising, West London Zone: “We were struck by the speed at which the Be UK team understood the WLZ model and the challenge of the project. The outcome has provided us with a revised approach to funder development for the upcoming academic year through data analysis – focusing our attention on the growth of two specific donor areas and development of current supporters through the introduction of new donor offerings.
In addition to this, the team expanded the original brief to touch on some value-add analysis of our communications and online output which was extremely valuable. Throughout the project, the team were incredibly approachable and efficient and the overall result has changed how we are planning to put together our external marketing materials.”
