Australia WHO
Wishlist is a charity based in the beautiful Sunshine Coast of Australia that raises funds to cover a host of medical services. They have been active in the world of fundraising since 1998 and bring in donations to cover the purchasing of medical equipment, assist in running support services, provide hotel accommodation, enable research, and further staff education.
Their plethora of services and care requires consistent donations yearly, which Givergy is honoured to assist with. Known as a charity with a community feel, Wishlist actively supports patients, professionals, and associated family members through its far-reaching network.
WHAT
The charity is known for hosting unique events, one of which is of their much-loved Spring Carnival that takes place on the first day of the season each year. Going on 14 years now, the carnival represents new beginnings and a renewed view of the year’s objectives at the time of the year when people are looking ahead with hope and optimism.
Givergy supported Wishlist by facilitating silent and live auctions that boasted various prizes. Combined also with pledge fundraising, the event offered the perfect environment for a thriving auction thanks to its uplifting ambience and happy guests.
Tying auctions and events into seasonal occurrences is a brilliant way to ensure you are kept in the mind of donors, as your organisation can become synonymous with a certain date or event. It is also a lovely way to improve emotional connections as you can bond with guests over a celebration, in this circumstance, the change in seasons and the start of sunnier days.
RESULT
Wishlist managed to raise more than $200k thanks to the combination of fundraising methods. They were very happy with this result and hope to carry on the strong level of donations throughout the rest of the fundraising year.
TOP TIP
As a charity with lots of experience bringing in consistent donations, we asked Wishlist for their top tips for running converting events. Here are some tips Wishlist has learned over the years, provided by their Data Manager, Emily Wilson:
- Ensure your message and story are integrated with the event, as guests need to take away more than just the evening’s festivities as a memorable factor.
- Use emotional messaging and marketing to resonate on a deeper level.
- Make sure the event is fun and offers a brilliant chance for people to network and have time away from their everyday lives.
- Be very prepared and always carry out a full briefing in advance.
- Ideally, use the same staff who already know the event and organisation to help things run smoothly.
“We like to ensure all system components of the event are straightforward for the guests, including registering and bidding in our auctions. Givergy makes the process simple and has covered all bases to enable guests to take part with ease. Having an experienced Givergy technical support consultant makes a lot of difference”.
