UK WHO
Devon Young Carers is a project that sits within the community health and care charity, Westbank. Focused on people aged 4 to 18 who have caring responsibilities, they offer young people vital support through providing specialist advice, respite opportunities and 1:1 support.
WHAT
Before the pandemic, being a charity that is heavily integrated within their community allowed Devon Young Carers to fundraise effectively through their own network. However as the pandemic changed the way we all live, work, and move, they had to look for different ways to fundraise. In response they tried something that they had previously been unfamiliar with and hosted an online auction with a prize draw included.
HOW
They used Givergy’s online platform to host both the auction and prize draw. With the help of our support staff, technology that was previously new proved to be simple to use and save a huge amount of time. With simple but effective sharing options via both mail and social media, it was possible to maximise the reach of their auction by sharing it across multiple channels.
RESULT
A £5,000 target was set and through the online auction and prize draw, Devon Young Carers reached that £5,000 target. The proceeds of the auction will go toward items and experiences that the carers themselves feel will ease some of the pressures of the role.
TOP TIP
“Be open to the advice and guidance that is out there! We face a lot of shared challenges as a sector and adapting to the new solutions for those challenges can be difficult. But accepting the help of others and constantly seeking new information is a great way to start overcoming those challenges. Also, charities have to utilise the support networks of their donors as much as possible when running online fundraising campaigns. Often you may find you have a donor whose online presence is much greater than your own organisation. Collaborating with them can lead to much higher amounts of engagement!”
“Emily was fantastic and always on hand to help when we needed her. The speed at which we received answers to our questions was amazing and made the whole process so much more comfortable. The auction went really well and although we were new to this type of fundraising, we’re already keen to try it again!”
