ABOUT

PROJECT:

Raise $1 Million for an Aid Ship

CONCEPT:

Operation Mobilisation are a NFP International Organisation who own several large Humanitarian Aid ships. The organisation needed to fund the costs of purchasing a new ship, so my company, The Bird Collective, were hired to help facilitate a fundraiser. The brief, was to help our client raise one million dollars.

EXECUTION:

My partner and I helped our client organise and promote a 'free' five star weekend away for their high end philanthropic supporters. The goal was to get all of the organisation's high-end supports in one place for the weekend. The CEO of the organisation felt that if he could get all the high end supporters together, he could explain to them as a group, in a compelling way, what the ship would be doing, and then gather their support. At the end of the weekend, my client would give his supporters a chance to donate towards the Ship, the goal being, that they would raise $1 million by the end of the weekend. All he needed, was to get his high end supporters in one place for the weekend.

My client managed to arrange the owners of a luxury five star resort on the outskirts of Sydney, to book the whole place out for us, for a weekend. We arranged for several high profile speakers and performers to be present, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Marina Prior, Australia's best opera performer. And then, with a luxury location, an A list guest list, we set about inviting our guests. Our trick was simple. We would invite everyone, for free. There was no cost to attend the weekend.

Every guest who attended the weekend was invited in person, with a specially designed bottle of Champagne and a booklet explaining the weekend, the fundraiser, and the purpose of the ship that we were promoting through the fundraiser.

RESULTS:

My client and their philanthropic supporters were blown away by the direct marketing material we created in the form of packaging and booklets, which were all printed on high end stocks with gold foils and custom logos. When they arrived at the location and experienced the event that had been set up for them, they were even more blown away. The weekend was a huge success, and was talked about for many years to come. My client did indeed raise more than a million dollars throughout the course of the weekend. In addition, the philanthropic supporters who attended the event felt it was such a success, they asked my client to repeat the event the following year.