The Salvation Army: Growing digital fundraising by 298%

The slow and steady shift hit the fan

Ahead of the 2019 Red Shield Appeal, the Salvos’ largest annual fundraising appeal, ntegrity conducted a thorough review of the appeal covering operations, governance, project management, and digital capability. The review highlighted the need to have clear project processes and governance — with the core recommendation around the need to invest in digital or risk being left behind.

Then COVID hit.

Instead of a slow and steady shift to digital, the Salvos were forced overnight to pivot the entire campaign to digital. In a matter of weeks, we replicated the usual in-person volunteer approach online using smart ad creative and email tactics, and an army of micro-influencers all shaking their virtual bucket. This delivered a 300% increase YoY in donations from paid digital media, nine times the return on ad spend, and a 200% increase in online revenue.

Year-on-year digital fundraising growth

But here’s the thing. It wasn’t just a once-off “covid result”.

Digital fundraising has seen sustained growth with the right strategy and ongoing investment into testing & learning.

Through a five year partnership, our teams continue to push the boundaries. We’ve attracted new audiences through new product propositions made for a digital-first environment. Including a new Regular Giving product, Crisis Partners, that has increased revenue from $9M to $12M, a redeveloped online Gift Catalogue increased revenue from $2.5M to $5M, creating new micro-giving products like 100,000 Meals to acquire NextGen donors under age 55 years old, as well as implementing always-on digital so the Salvos are always present when donors are ready to give.

This has enabled the Salvos to support even more Australians doing it tough.