This document discusses flagship appeals in fundraising. It defines flagship appeals as a charity's highest profile and most promoted fundraising event or campaign that is intended to generate significant income. The document examines examples of successful flagship appeals like Race for Life and Poppy Appeal. It explores the product lifecycle of flagship appeals, from launch through momentum, decline, and potential extension strategies. The key takeaway is that flagship appeals require early investment, continuous evaluation and refinement, and the flexibility to change or conclude the appeal over time to maximize fundraising success.

1. Flagship Appeals:
Flash in the pan, slow burners or
quick death?

2. Emma Segal
Head of High Value Partnerships

3. Russell Benson
Community and Events Fundraising Coordinator

4. • International development agency
• Supporting vulnerable communities around
the world
• Responding to international
disasters
• Raise £4.2m annually
What is WJR?

5. St Mungo’s
• National Homeless Charity
• Provide support towards recovery and
help to prevent rough sleeping
• Help thousands of homeless people make
life changes every year
• Raises £5.2m annually

6. Marie Curie Cancer Care
• Great Daffodil Appeal
• Walk Ten
• Blooming Great Tea Party
• Daffodil Runs

7. Outline
• Definition
• What is out there and what can we learn?
• Product life cycle of a flagship appeal?
• So why do it?
• Conclusions
• Discussion

8. Definition
Wikipedia:
• A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group
of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander
• Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the
first, largest, fastest, most heavily armed, or best known.
• It has also come to be an adjective describing the most prominent or
highly touted product, brand, location, or service among those offered
by a company.

9. Definition
Fundraising:
• Income generator
• Direct
• Indirect
• Resources
• Time
• Materials
• Largest profile
• Staff
• Media
• Supporters

10. Examples
• WJR Annual Dinner;
• Woolly Hat Day;
• Memory Walks;
• World’s Biggest Coffee Morning;
• Movember;
• Dryathlon;
• Christmas Jumper Day;
• White Tie and Tiara Ball;
• Poppy Appeal;
• Great Daffodil Appeal;
• Race For Life;
• Wear Pink; Red; Blue; Yellow etc…

11. Woolly Hat Day

12. WJR Annual Dinner

13. The Big Bagel

14. Poppy Appeal
• 1920 – first appeal with 1 million poppies
• Raised £106,000 (£30m today)
• 1974 – 27 million poppies made
• 2012 - Over 35 million poppies made
• Raised £32m so far this year

15. Also…
• Created in Australia 10 years ago
• 2007 – broke 100,000 participants
• 2012 – 1,000,000 participants
•
0
20
40
60
80
100
2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
£Millions
Global Income

16. What can we learn?
• One simple ask
• Early investment
• Resources, advertising, agency, consultancy
• Know your supporters & listen to them!
• Cherry pick supporters who will ask others
• Co-ordinate across the charity
Or….
• Go to Australian pubs and listen!

17. Product Life Cycle
• Where is my profit?
• Where are we now?
• Can we stop/slow decline?

18. Before the start
• Strategy
• Why are we doing this?
• Who is our target audience?
• What are we asking?
• Where will it be?
• How will it be done?
• Fit in with wider strategy?
• Financial
• Resources
• Research (internal/external)
• SWOT analysis

19. Launch
• Soft / Hard
• Media
• Event
• Promotion
• Recruitment
• Toolkit / Materials
• Website / Social Media
• Testing!
Make the ask!!

20. Momentum?
• Continuous evaluation
• ROI
• Acquisition
• Supporter Journey
• New audiences
• New products/events
• Refresh concepts / materials
Make the ask!!
Snowball effect?

21. Decline
• What are signs?
• Falling income
• Falling participation
• External factors
• Options
• Wind down
• Exit strategy
• Retention
• Carry on
• Extension Strategy
Safe landing?

22. Extension Strategy
• New products / ideas
• Create new partnerships
• Investment in marketing
• Celebrity Endorsement

23. So why do it?
• Raise money
• Attract new donors
• Exciting engagement mechanism
• Raise profile
• Involve all stakeholders
• Aspiration to be ‘next big thing’
• Innovative sector
• Increased competition
• New trends

24. Conclusions
• Don’t be afraid to start
• Don’t be afraid to change
• Don’t be afraid to finish
• Feedback from everyone and at each stage
• Learn from successes and mistakes
• ‘Seize the moment’

25. Q & A
Thanks for listening! Any questions???