Weekly Lottery Launch To Grow And Build Supporter Engagement
BRACE Dementia Research is a small regional charity, supporting researchers in South West England and South Wales. Its area of benefit is global, and it increasingly attracts donations and help from supporters around the UK and abroad. BRACE stands out as an important charity with a unique role. Founded in 1987 by people whose families were affected by the disease, today it funds world-class clinical and laboratory research into Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia to find better treatments,
Goal
A fresh outlook has led to recent growth in income for the charity. Looking to move away from their existing paper and administratively heavy fundraising approach, BRACE is looking to invest in more digital first products that will support database development and help them build stronger supporter relationships. Introducing Affinity Lottery meant they could do away with paper-based sign-ups and multi-stage admin processes and offer a product that is as easy to set-up.
Success
- Up and running within 3 weeks of the contract being signed
- 60 sign-ups in first 4 weeks just with organic social media and warm cross-sell
- Three quarters of players are new to the charity
- 100% retention in first 4 weeks of play
Our Approach
Audit
The existing BRACE lottery had around 200 players. The sign-up procedure for joining this pre-existing lottery was complex, time-consuming and arduous. BRACE realised it was time to revamp the lottery with a digital solution that was quick and easy to enter and manage – Affinity was the perfect fit. It was chosen by BRACE because:
- It was flexible. Minimal initial outlay and only paying by chance – no hidden costs at all – meant there was no risk
- It was simple to set up by a small and predominately part-time team.
- Don’t need to worry about paying out the prizes – it’s all included
- The back end enables quick and easy reporting and reconciliation
- Lottery is good fit for BRACE supporters who are transactional and like to get something back
Implementation
From making the decision to go with Affinity, the platform was up and ready to use within three weeks.
At time of writing, the lottery has been launched for 4 weeks and has already attracted 60 new players with little to no marketing – certainly no paid advertising. And 100% retention in the programme.
Continuous Improvement
It’s still early days for BRACE Dementia Research Affinity Lottery but the prospects look good. Ambitions are to reach 400 players by the end of the first 12 months and 1,000 in 4 years. This will help future proof income for the charity – providing a stable regular giving income and helping diversify their donor base to reach a younger audience not directly connected with the charity.
The platform works for the charity. They have found it intuitive to work with and are loving the dashboard to see who the players are, when they last played, when they last sent payment through etc. It has saved a lot of admin time for the fundraising team of three – including being able to report back to the board simply by using a screen shot of the dashboard report.
Whatever your requirements we are sure to be able to help
Services:
What our client had to say
“The weekly lottery gives us a consistent monthly income. Especially with the cost-of-living crisis and not knowing what’s around the corner, having a stable income is crucial for our charity.”
Chris Williams,
Director of Fundraising &Communications, BRACE Dementia Research
“We’ve found working with Woods Valldata really great. We’ve been impressed with the detail and explanation of everything. The team is very responsive. We’ve found the whole process straightforward and quick.”
Chris Williams,
Director of Fundraising &Communications, BRACE Dementia Research
“We’re still a relatively small charity and to try something with a third party was a big move for us. Affinity seemed like a good fit at the time. Now, having launched, I would recommend it in a heartbeat.”
Chris Williams,
Director of Fundraising &Communications, BRACE Dementia Research
