The Epilepsy Society rebranded to increase fundraising and awareness after seeing declining voluntary donations. They aimed to modernize their 120-year old image and compete against 30 other epilepsy charities. Overcoming initial opposition took over 3 years and involved demonstrating the economic benefits and priorities. The rebrand focused on social media and a modest budget. Since rebranding, individual donations are up 12% and community fundraising is up 28%, showing the rebrand has increased fundraising income for the organization.

1. Rebranding to
increase funds
Bridget Gardiner
Director of Fundraising and Marketing
Karen Cornes
Marketing and Digital Manager

2. Outline of session
• Brief background to Epilepsy Society
• Objectives for our rebrand
• How we achieved buy-in / overcame opposition
• How we delivered on a modest budget
• Effect rebrand has had on fundraising income
• Top tips and ideas for re-engergising your
fundraising

3. Epilepsy Society
• Largest medical epilepsy charity in the UK
• Information, care, support, assessment, research
• Change of focus and funding in last 5 years
• Turnover c. £17 million
• Voluntary income = 17%
• Residential care and supported living – 53%
• Medical care and assessment – 15%

4. Do you know anyone affected by
epilepsy?

5. Misunderstanding and stigma

6. Crowded market place

7. 120 years old

8. Old brand
www.epilepsynse.org.uk

9. Rebrand objectives
• To increase awareness of our charity, leading to increased
funding and more support for people affected by epilepsy.
• Make ourselves known and recognised, as there are around
30 epilepsy charities in the country competing for attention
and funds. We needed to maintain and ultimately increase
fundraising income.
• To reinvent the term ‘society’ by building on our history but
at the same time broadening and modernising ourselves, so
that we reach out to more people across the varying levels of
severity of epilepsy.

10. It takes time to rebrand!
It took us over three years!

11. Overcoming barriers
62% of responders to questionnaire in 2008 said
we should not change our name
‘Younger people come
into a company or society
and immediately want to ‘just because it
make changes, but there is trendy to do
is no point in change for so’
change’s sake’

12. How we got buy-in

13. Epilepsy Society

14. Social Media

15. How we delivered on a
modest budget

16. Fundraising income
Voluntary income excluding legacies
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
2009/10 2010/11 2011/12

17. Fundraising costs
Fundraising expenditure incl. support costs
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
2009/10 2010/11 2011/12

18. How are we doing in 2012?
• Individual giving up 12% to end of October
compared with 2011
• Community, challenges and sporting events up 28%
to end of October compared with 2012

19. Top tips – rebrand external
• Take it slowly
• Deal with concerns & capture the praise
• Demonstrate economies
• Keep reminding stakeholders why you are doing it
• Decide on your priorities
• Focus on your supporters

20. Top tips – rebrand internal
• Make it fun
• Involve and engage
• Demonstrate / visualise the brand
• Make it relevant to staff and volunteers

21. Top tips – fundraising and rebrand
• Visualise the brand
• Choose a colour which people are happy to wear
• Low cost merchandising items and giveaways to
reinforce the brand
• Spread costs across three financial years
• Energise supporters to promote the new brand
• Celebrate success in all communications and on
website
• Dovetail with a proactive and detailed programme of
stewardship

22. Top tips – fundraising and rebrand

23. Top tips – fundraising and rebrand

24. Top tips – fundraising and rebrand

25. Any questions?