4 Reasons to Integrate Your Fundraising and Marketing Campaigns

Charities are constantly faced with difficult decisions when it comes to planning marketing and fundraising campaigns. Time and money are at a premium throughout the process—from development to execution, resources are finite and teams are often stretched thin. 

With these considerations in mind, it may be tempting to stagger your marketing and fundraising campaigns to even out the work and lengthen your overall market presence by running separate campaigns at different points in the year. However, this approach can require more resources in the long run and limit your results. 

Here are the top four reasons to integrate your fundraising and marketing campaigns at the outset of your campaign planning:

1. Strengthen brand recall.
   
   When you’re in market with a campaign, every touchpoint counts. Regardless of your channel mix, the addition of face-to-face or telefundraising can create an extra boost for your brand. Potential donors may notice other messages more readily after a visit from a fundraiser, or they might be more likely to give at the door because of the digital ad they just saw. Studies show you can make your campaign more effective by taking advantage of this brand boost.
   
2. Deepen your storytelling.
   
   When attention is at a premium, it can be hard to connect with audiences for more than a second or two. Face-to-face fundraisers have an opportunity to deeply connect with potential donors by using stories, statistics, and personal connection to strengthen other messages in market, providing reinforcement that is only possible through human connection.
   
   Even if a potential donor doesn’t sign up, they may come away from the interaction with a deeper understanding of the issue, its importance, and your organization’s value. Fundraising efforts like these have the potential to deliver results at all levels of the marketing funnel.
   
3. Reduce duplication of efforts.
   
   When developing a new marketing campaign, one of the key challenges is landing on a compelling concept that will resonate with your target audiences. Rather than developing a completely unique fundraising campaign, consider fundraising channels like face-to-face and telefundraising as additional options in your toolkit for campaign success.
   
   Building out fundraising applications of your campaign can actually help to enrich the campaign as a whole. By deeply considering how your campaign might be pitched to someone with little to no awareness of your brand in a social situation, you may find ways to enhance other campaign assets or finetune the way that campaign stories are told on another platform to more easily pave the way to a fundraising ask.
   
4. Don’t become your own competitor. 
   
   Charities serve a crucial role, and often have a variety of programs, proof points, and wins to share with the public. Unfortunately, most potential new donors will only be able to retain a limited amount of information about your work. If you’re in market with two different concepts a few months apart, a potential donor may not even make the connection that it’s the same organization—meaning that you have essentially become your own competitor. Focus your efforts and make it easy for potential donors to understand the issue and how they can help your organization.
   

Next time you’re developing a marketing campaign, integrate early. Consider how your concept will translate to fundraising—and let us help. Globalfaces’ expert team can optimize your marketing campaign for fundraising success via face-to-face fundraising, telefundraising, and digital channels. Book a free consultation today.