Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Avon Cosmetics have partnered for 21 years to raise funds for breast cancer research. Avon established the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade in 1992 to support Breakthrough's research center. Since then, Avon representatives and customers have helped raise over £510 million globally for research and care. The organizations have found success through shared interests in empowering women, global awareness campaigns, creating joint research programs, and engaging representatives at all levels of Avon. Their long-term commitment and ability to adapt to challenges have kept their partnership impactful over two decades.

1. Keeping the Passion Alive
Avon & Breakthrough’s 21 year partnership
James Kirkland
Corporate Partnerships Manager

2. Brief Résumé
Breakthrough Breast Cancer
• Created in 1991 to develop the
world’s first dedicated breast cancer
research centre
• Committed to developing cures for
primary and secondary breast cancer
• Finances 270 scientists and clinicians
across the UK
• Funds the world’s largest study into
the inter-generational causes of
breast cancer
• Fundraising income of £18m in
2011/12
Avon Cosmetics
• 1 in 3 British women have an Avon
Representative in their social circle
• 170,000 Representatives in the UK
• Established the Avon Breast Cancer
Crusade in 1992, starting in the UK
with Breakthrough
• Has donated £510 million across 58
countries to breast cancer research
and care
• Four Avon lipsticks are sold every
second worldwide

3. How We Fundraise
• ‘In One Day’ fundraising efforts
• CRM Products (2-3 per year)
• PoS Pins (design changes each year)
• Head Office Fundraising
(concentrated on BCAM)
• Pink Pamper Party (all year round)
– At Avon sales events
– At third party venues
– Fundraising by Avon Customers
• Fundmatching/philanthropy
• Up-sell/Cross-sell: moving supporters
to new challenges and fundraising
opportunities

4. Lesson 1: Shared interests
• Avon prides itself on being “the
company for women” - empowering
women through self-employment,
flexibility and earning power
• Supports causes that can act as the
next step in that empowerment and
fit with its business model
– Truly global women’s issues
– Has a broad prevalence across
society
– Affects people at the heart for
their family
– A common link for a dispersed
workforce
– Under-reported due to cultural
issues

5. Lesson 1: Shared interests
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69
Incidenceper100,000Pop
Breast Cancer Incidence by Age
Group
£-
£200
£400
£600
£800
£1,000
£1,200
£1,400
£1,600
20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69
Average Total Gift Amounts by Age
Group by Avon Supporters
Source: Cancer Research UK: Breast cancer incidence statistics 2010Source: Breakthrough FRV Analysis Jan 2013

6. Lesson 2: Think big, get bigger
• The Breast Cancer Crusade
– Begins with a challenge for Avon Reps
to raise £1m for the research centre
through PoS pin sold in aid of
Breakthrough
– Crusade fundraising for Breakthrough
extends to CRM products
– Campaign is adopted in the US in 1995
and then in 50+ other markets
• Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer
– Breakthrough and Avon develop a
petition to Downing Street
– KGBTBC taken global for 10th
anniversary of the Crusade: raised
£1.6m for Breakthrough in 1 day
– Raised over $250m worldwide

7. Lesson 3: Create together
• Dr Avons
– 2-4 Clinical Fellows based at the Research Centre on 3 year
PhDs
– Funded directly by Avon
– Key to humanising and connecting research to supporters
and fundraisers
• Target Discovery Team & Avon Academy (coming soon!)
– Direct funding of a whole research team
– Starts in 2013 for two years
– Spread across UK to give local relevance
• Talk Touch, Look, Check
– Breast cancer awareness campaign launched in 2006
– Avon talked to 1m women in 1 day about TLC
– Features in all Avon campaign literature to reach millions of
women in the UK
– Key information channel: offers Avon reps the chance to
offer advice at events with a trustworthy resource

8. Lesson 4: Get everyone involved
• Engagement with the Crusade runs
from top to bottom of Avon
• £1m day driven by a key (senior)
individual
• Engagement centred on the CRM
Marketing Unit
• Direct connection with Avon
Representatives through Pink
Pamper Party
• Continuous messaging through the
Avon catalogue
• Online and social network contact –
Avon Connects community Avon Representatives
MD Avon UK
CRM
Marketing
Unit
Product
design
Sales
Leaders
HQ
Fundraising
Avon
Catalogue

9. Lesson 5: Commitment and
Challenges
Commitment
• Continuity of:
– Shared interests
– Of personnel (on both sides)
– Of message
• Include partners in your strategy
decisions and consultations
• Make the partner known throughout
the charity at all levels and to all your
supporters
• Be clear that they are more
important to you than other partners
Challenges
• Engaging new representatives takes
time
• Maintaining fundraising relationships
with ex-Avon representatives
• The move to online selling
• Science of breast cancer has changed
dramatically since 1991
• Getting the ‘pulse’ of fundraising
right
• The Economy

10. Thank You
James Kirkland
Corporate Partnerships Manager
Breakthrough Breast Cancer
jamesk@breakthrough.org.uk
020 7025 2456