A Year In the Life of Our Outbound Direct Acquisition Contact Center!

Globalfaces Direct is proudly marking the one-year anniversary of the launch of our Outbound Direct Acquisition Contact Center (nicknamed OBDA). We are incredibly proud of the work we have done to lay the foundation for an integrated and fully functioning outbound contact center within a year of its inception, despite the past year being the most challenging one in recent memory due to the pandemic. We are grateful for only not being able to withstand the tides of starting a brand-new business unit, but thriving owing to our phenomenal team and the trust of our clients.  

As a result of several lockdowns over the past 18 months, not-for-profit organizations were unable to acquire new donors from face-to-face fundraising endeavors as door-to-door canvassing came to a standstill. We knew we had to pivot quickly to ensure that our clients, and more importantly, the beneficiaries of donations continued to receive the support they needed. The pandemic had and continues to have devastating consequences on the non-profit space. We believe that the launch of our OBDA Contact Call Center is one of the silver linings that will not only help give this industry the support it needs but also pave the way for our clients to connect with their constituents in a powerful way.

What is Outbound Donor Acquisition Contact Center to Globalfaces?

Overhauling standard telemarketing practices common in the non-profit sector, OBDA is an elevated version. In a nutshell, along with typical outbound fundraising calls we also can expand on the conversations that our door-to-door team has had, with the objective of turning warm leads into donors as well as continuing to build brand impressions. Our first client, Doctors Without Borders, recognized that given the global health crisis, as a result of COVID-19, there was an urgent need to continue reaching prospective donors. It was critical to convey the adverse and deepening impact on already fragile and under-resourced infrastructures in the Global South. Early OBDA successes showcased our ability to adapt and effectively evolve our fundraising methods at a time when the world needed it most.

Early Months – What Did We Want to Accomplish?

First and foremost, it was pertinent to ensure that recurring donations continued to flow in for our clients so none of their critical programs were jeopardized.  To do that, we needed to build a team of fundraisers who were passionate advocates at their core with a personal commitment to philanthropy. Our Outbound Donor Acquisition Specialists are fundraisers because they care deeply about being a part of the solution, to the challenges our world faces. OBDA provided them with a sense of purpose, with an opportunity to take pride in their work, and develop a career path. We also knew we needed to create an immediate sense of urgency. The OBDA demonstrated our commitment to our current and potential clients and provided employment and opportunities for those who would be otherwise out of work.

Initial Challenges

Building trust for a new channel and being able to demonstrate how the OBDA Contact Center was not only a viable option for supplementing door-to-door during the lock-down but also for the future of fundraising, had its challenges.  We were changing the face of traditional telemarketing, no other organization offered this model and therefore, our clients didn’t have any basis for comparison.

Many not-for-profits have internal call centres and some of those handle their own outbound calling. Additionally, a number already worked with other telemarketing vendors. We knew we had our work cut out for us and that we had to build confidence to build a client base. Thankfully, a decade of delivering on our fundraising promises ensured Globalfaces is well known and respected in the fundraising sector.  

While many charities had not used our leads in the past, they knew that we could deliver results. Our lead source was warm – we connected with people that we had already spoken to during door-to-door campaigns who were not quite ready to commit at the time. They already understood the incredible need pre-pandemic and were more open to supporting the organizations we represent.

Our Successes

At Globalfaces, one of our main areas of focus is exceeding client expectations and providing a variety of options to help them to meet and surpass their targets.

We are exceptionally proud that we were able to create a new channel in the non-profit space that helped charities to achieve their goals and bring in much needed revenue in such a challenging climate – revenue that may not have existed when their door-to-door campaigns were forced to shut down.    

We are grateful for the support of our senior leadership team, a strong sense of urgency, our fundraising expertise and our greatest asset – our fundraisers. This allowed for speed to market – we were up and running in just over a month.  

Witnessing our partners meet their goals and continue to do the work that they do gave us an extraordinary sense of pride. Knowing that we played a part to ensure that their beneficiaries continued to receive the support they need, and that programming and research was able to continue really was the best success of all.

What’s Next for OBDA?

We strive to continue to be a leader in North American fundraising.  This means that we are committed to continuing to expand our suite of product offerings in outbound to now include:

• Face-to-face lead conversion 

• Donor upgrade 

• Lapsed reactivation 

• Legacy giving  

• Conversion campaigns 

• Virtual fundraiser

The OBDA Contact Center allows us to tap into a wealth of contact information we acquire during our first point of contact. It also provides unique opportunities for stewardship even before they donate – thanking them for giving us the opportunity to speak to them the first time and allowing them the space to ask questions and learn more about the organizations we serve. After all, an educated and well-stewarded donor is a long-term donor.  

Globalfaces continues to be committed to and passionate about the work that our partner organizations do. We are also committed to our people. We want to redefine fundraising standards and continue to seek out new avenues and technology to exceed the expectations of our clients to make the world a better place for us all.



About the Author: Nabila Tisha is the VP of Operations at Globalfaces, Nabila guides all contact with donors for telephonic solicitation, verification and stewardship leading a multidisciplinary team of 80 employees. Nabila serves as a Board Director at Toronto Wildlife Center the Toronto Humane Society.