This document discusses symbolic or alternative giving as a way for donors to give gifts to charities instead of physical gifts. It provides 10 key takeaways: 1) Symbolic giving allows donors to select gifts for charities that send cards to recipients. 2) Benefits include feel-good feelings for donors and recipients while raising funds for charities. 3) Most alternative gift catalogs allow unrestricted donations. 4) Symbolic gift donors want an interactive philanthropic experience and easy online giving. 5) Successful marketing blends traditional and online media with celebrity endorsements. 6) Integrate symbolic giving into normal marketing. 7) Personal fundraising pages can help small donors reach goals. 8) Case studies show how both large and small charities can

1. 10 Takeaways to Improve or Kick Start Your Holiday Symbolic Giving Presented by Michael Johnston and Sheetal Persaud

2. A virtual tourWhat is symbolic giving – or alternative giving?What are the benefits of symbolic giving?How can I deal with restricted giving constraints?Who are symbolic giving donors?What will be more important for marketing?How can you integrate your marketing efforts?How can personal page fundraising be used for symbolic giving?What are some success stories from organizations big and small?How do you steward and convert symbolic gift donors to sustained monthly donors?How can small and mid-sized organizations afford to introduce symbolic giving this holiday?

3. Alternative Gift Catalogues: designated gifts for the ‘every day’ donor?1 – What is alternative giving?

4. The 3 steps to alternative giving?hjc Proprietary and Confidential4Step 1 – Donor selects a giftStep 2 – Donor sends a card to a loved one, friend, colleague, teacher...anyone who they buy gifts forStep 3 – Donor gets a tax receipt for the full amount of their gift

5. Primarily ONLINEhjc Proprietary and Confidential5

6. But also successful OFFLINEhjc Proprietary and Confidential6

7. 2- What are the benefits?hjc Proprietary and Confidential7The everyone gets something mentality

8. Donor – Gets that feel good feeling, a tax receipt, and a fun and interactive way of givinghjc Proprietary and Confidential8

9. Gift Recipient – Gets a feel good feeling too (they didn’t even donate!) and a beautiful ecard or print cardhjc Proprietary and Confidential9

10. YOU – You get fundraising dollars, new donors, old donors giving more, brand awareness amongst gift recipients and media attentionhjc Proprietary and Confidential10

11. 3 – Restricted givinghjc Proprietary and Confidential11I can’t designate my funds two specific programs. How can I adopt alternative giving?

12. The industry’s best kept secret – most alternative gift catalogues are UNRESTRICTED GIVINGhjc Proprietary and Confidential12

13. hjc Proprietary and Confidential13

14. 4 – Who are symbolic gift donors?hjc Proprietary and Confidential14Oprahs’s donors!

15. These donors want :They want the feeling of designation on the smallest gifts

16. They want to feel like they really know and understand where there donation is going

17. They want to show how philanthropic they are – by sending cards, telling friends and posting things on Facebook.

18. They want an easy, attractive, ONLINE giving experiencehjc Proprietary and Confidential16Some stats… Age< 25 8.9% 25-34 20.3%35-44 21.6%45-54 21.8%55-64 18.6% 65+ 8.8%Gender Female77.7%Male 22.3%Coincidentally – Oprah’s prime audience too!

19. And are these kinds of donors new to the database? In the case of CHF and Oxfam approximately 85% of the donors are new!

20. 5 – How do you market successfully?hjc Proprietary and Confidential18

21. Some less conventional traffic drivers for OxfamCelebrity Endorsements Coldplay announcement at concerts

22. Peter Singer link from fan site

23. Minnie Driver speaking on the Ellen Degeneres show (about Oxfam US but drove Canadian traffic)City wide flyer postings...hjc Proprietary and Confidential20

24. Online Mediahjc Proprietary and Confidential21

25. Holiday features in Print Mediahjc2250% of survey respondents for Oxfam Unwrapped said this article is what drove them to give

27. Radio adshjc Proprietary and Confidential24

28. Celebrity Endorsement and Videoshjc Proprietary and Confidential25

29. 6- How do you integrate your normal marketing efforts?hjc Proprietary and Confidential26Insert a print catalogue INTO your normal holiday DM

30. Drive traffic with email

31. Hijack your website with an ad for your symbolic gift catalogue

32. Hand out leaflets in your door2door or mall campaignProprietary and Confidential27Subject: A better way to buy gifts this holiday seasonHoliday EappealNovember 28, 200619 gifts in the first 5 daysUse images to convey urgency or convenience of donating online

33. Proprietary and Confidential28Reminder #1December 12, 200625 gifts in the next 5 daysRefer to prior appeals

34. Proprietary and Confidential29Reminder #2December 19, 200615 gifts within 2 daysEmotionalConvenienceWhat gift can accomplish

35. Proprietary and Confidential30Reminder #3December 21, 200632 gifts in the 4 days before ChristmasLast Minute Gift-Focus on service to donor

36. Proprietary and Confidential31Final ReminderFirst ReminderInitial AppealSecond Reminder

37. 7 - What about personal pages and designated small gifts?

39. Don’t get me anything this holiday – go to my personal page – and help me reach my goal as a holiday present!!!

40. Sick Kids holiday personal page fundraising:No promotion except button on home pageThree weeks on home page during Christmas season$120,000 in three weeksThey love the idea of having people make their own page and proactively going out to friends, family and colleagues saying ‘no gifts please…’ and asking for donationsWill people begin to make their own pages for a designated purchase e.g. $10,000 piece of equipment or $10,000 for one designated researcher/doctor – and seek small gifts from their friends for their designated personal page solicitation?

41. 8 - Some case studiesAlternative giving can work – for bring brand AND small brands

42. Case Study 1 – CHF Gifts That matterCampaign Year 3 - 2007Campaign Year 1 – 2005Launched October 2005

43. 592 total donors

44. Average gift $68.15

45. $40,256 total giftsIntroduced year round School Fundraising focused campaignRe-launched holiday focused campaign September 2007703 total donors – 544 in DecemberAverage gift $97.76$68,725 total giftsCampaign Year 2 – 2006Launched October 2006520 total donors – 462 in DecemberAverage gift $96.32$50,085 total gifts

47. Case Study 2 – Oxfam Canada

48. Case Study – Oxfam Canada

49. Case Study – Oxfam Canada

50. Case Study 3 – Canuck Place Children’s Hospice

51. Canuck Place Children’s HospiceCampaign Year 1 – 2006 Campaign Year 3 - 2008Launched December 2006

52. 42 total donors

53. Average gift $112.14

54. $4,710 total gifts

55. Further promotion as a year round alternative giving option

56. 154 total donors - 63 in December

57. Average gift $118.96

58. $34,260 total gifts

59. 247% in revenueCampaign Year 2 - 2007Year round alternative giving option

60. 156 total donors - 69 in December

61. Average gift $113.94

62. $13,840 total gifts

63. 294% in revenue

64. By creating designated gifts – both small and large – Canuck Place has attracted larger gifts from Foundations and from companies.The ‘commodification’ of what a donor’s dollar can do is getting both larger and smaller gifts

65. 9 - How do you steward and upgrade your symbolic gift donors?hjc Proprietary and Confidential46Your symbolic gift donors love your brand and can be upgraded with the right stewardship streams

66. Be sure to email and thank your symbolic gift donors after the campaign and let them know how their gifts helped your organisationhjc Proprietary and Confidential47

67. Then phone them!hjc Proprietary and Confidential48

68. CHF called 5000 of their DM, telephone and symbolic gift donors to upgrade the donors to monthly. The symbolic gift donors converted at a rate 1000% higher than the other two groups! hjc Proprietary and Confidential49