Successfully Leveraging a Friend-Raiser Event
	Posted by Guest Blogger at Feb 19, 2014 07:02 AM CST

This article was written by guest author, Melina Dimson. Melina is a specialist in "enabling forward motion" in organizations and individuals. She is the founder and lead strategist of PSH Solutions, an innovative consulting firm that helps nonprofits with strategic development initiatives. 

Ever wondered how to successfully leverage a friend-raising event? Canuck Place Children’s Hospice in Vancouver, British Columbia was able to take an innovative approach to capitalize on their well-known holiday appreciation event for major and corporate donors. 

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice provides specialized pediatric palliative care for children living with a life-threatening illness, and support for their families, throughout British Columbia, Canada. Traditionally, Canuck Place celebrated the holiday season by inviting donors and corporate supporters to a “lighting of the house” complete with Christmas carols and festive hot drinks. It is an event that brings much joy to the kids and families going through the most trying of times. 

In 2012, Canuck Place took the themes and excitement around the lighting of the house and adapted them into a digital “Light Up Their Lives” fundraising campaign. This campaign included using digital mediums of email, online advertising and social media combined with traditional channels of telephone, postal mail, micro-gifts, workplace giving and print to appeal to a diverse audience across Vancouver and British Columbia. Gifts could be sent through the mail, by telephone or online at the lighting of the house campaign micro-site.

By creating an interactive micro-site that offered in-honour giving with an eCard option, Canuck Place motivated the greater public to get involved in the lighting of the house. The micro-site recreated the touching beauty of the lit hospice by having lights multiply as people made gifts on and off line. In addition, donors could leave heartfelt messages, creating a more tactile and symbolic gift giving experience. This was accompanied by a four-part email series that promoted the campaign call to action: “Please help us light up the house this season with a donation online today!” These emails had a personal tone, as they featured the stories of different families that had benefited from the Hospice’s work.

Promoted through social media and Facebook and Google Ads, this integrated campaign also had a set of targeted major gift direct mail packages. Despite having been asked to give in fall campaigns, donors responded favourably to the Light Up Their Lives campaign. 

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice raised a grand total of $180,000 through the heartfelt appeal! The donations came through a variety of channels:

• $30,000 through online donating, with an average gift amount $117
• $75,000 through a major donor
• $50,000 in corporate donations and employee giving campaigns
• $25,000 through other avenues

As Canuck Place Children’s Hospice’s Light Up Their Lives appeal proves, you can successfully leverage a friend-raising event into a fundraising campaign. All it takes is some tact and an integrated approach that reflects the tone and excitement of the original event. Congratulations Canuck Place Children’s Hospice for lighting up the lives of so many children through such an innovative integrated marketing campaign!