USA WHO
Women for Women International UK helps women survivors of war rebuild their lives. Since 1993 they have reached more than 500,000 women survivors of war in 8 post-conflict countries.
WHAT
The #SheInspires Car Boot Sale was an in-person event that Vogue had described as “the chicest Car Boot Sale ever.” The campaign brought together designers and brands to sell past season or previously loved clothes at discount prices and in 2019 the event proved an immense success, attracting almost 2,000 shoppers and raising over £250,000. However, as the pandemic worsened and restrictions were placed on large gatherings, Women for Women International had to cancel their in-person event and reimagine how they were going to fundraise. They decided to embark upon the challenge of holding their first ever virtual Car Boot Sale.
HOW
Through contacting designers, celebrity supporters, influencers, corporate partners and brands, Women for Women International were able to create a line-up of sellers for their Virtual Car Boot Sale. These sellers would auction between 10 and 15 items each during the day of the event. Once the fundraising team knew an auction would be the best way to carry out a virtual Car Boot, they partnered with Givergy to ensure that the bidding process was as smooth as possible. Over 425 items were uploaded onto the Givergy platform, with each seller having their ‘boot’ open for an hour and a new ‘boot’ opening every 15 minutes. Both Women for Women International and the seller would then promote for the first 15 minutes of their hour across Instagram, including a direct link to the Givergy auction platform.
RESULT
Moving the #SheInspires Car Boot Sale to the virtual realm was a huge success for Women for Women International, so much so that they decided to hold two further Virtual Car Boot Sales. In total the virtual events raised £228,500 and reached 56 million people on social media. Women for Women international’s mailing list grew by 5,000 and they reached customers in 18 countries. This kind of success would not have been possible with a purely in-person event and thus, Women for Women International are now exploring how they can incorporate a virtual element into their in-real-life #SheInspires Car Boot Sale planned for May 2022.
TOP TIP
“Use your collective power! We were faced with an unprecedented challenge and to overcome it we had to draw strength from our collective capabilities. Alone, I would have had no idea how to tackle shifting an in-person chic Car Boot Sale to the digital space, but the sum of our parts was great and together we were able to find answers to the challenges we faced. Working collaboratively as a team is ultimately what made a success out of this event.”
“As Women for Women International began to imagine taking their beloved annual #SheInspiresMe Car Boot Sale online, it became clear that we needed a reliable and collaborative platform partner to showcase our stunning fashion items and to host the sale, to raise vital funds for our work with women survivors of war. That’s where Givergy came in!
The large scale and fast-paced nature of the sale was new for both Women for Women International and the Givergy team, and it was a pleasure to work together to overcome new challenges and deliver a smooth and high-energy online event that raised money for women living in some of the world’s most dangerous places. The capable project management and adaptability of the Givergy team was a valuable contribution to the success of the event. Our teams also combined to take on learnings from each sale and make the next sale run even smoother, enhancing user experience each time. Truly a team effort!”
