Online weekly lottery enhances individual giving
The St Vincent de Paul Society (England & Wales) (SVP) is part of an international Christian voluntary network dedicated to tackling poverty in all its forms by providing practical assistance to people in need. Founded in Britain in 1844, it fosters diverse and inclusive connections in local communities and welcomes people of all faiths and none as volunteers and members, who joyfully extend their hand of service to individuals and families through one-to-one befriending and support.
Goal
The individual giving team work hard to raise funds, especially unrestricted income, to be allocated where it is needed most. Their successful raffle programme is mostly supported by volunteers who personally sell tickets. However, when the pandemic prevented it from going ahead, they realised there was a need for a similar type of giving which could be managed remotely. An online weekly lottery fitted perfectly – and Affinity Lottery meant they could easily test this new product without significant up-front investment or risk.
Success
- Brought in new supporters to the SVP
- Engaged members who hadn’t previously supported financially
- Staff participation and engagement
- Very low attrition
Our Approach
Audit
SVP had heard of Woods Valldata and their reputation as a prize-led specialist. Initially they approached them to discuss the option of setting up an online-only raffle product during the pandemic, but after a consultative discussion about their objectives, Woods Valldata suggested an online weekly lottery with Affinity Lottery would be a better fit for their organisation as it:
- provides unrestricted income potential, meaning funds can be allocated where they are needed most;
- signs supporters up to regular giving rather than a oneoff gift providing regular, sustainable income;
- attracts new supporters with a compelling ask to help grow the SVP supporter base;
- needs minimal administrative support which is essential for such a small individual giving fundraising team;
- means SVP can easily test the weekly lottery risk-free without a significant upfront investment in budget or time.
Implementation
SVP already had a non-remote lottery license with the Gambling Commission. To introduce an online element they simply applied for a remote lottery license from their local authority. It was a simple and quick process which enabled them to get up and running. The Affinity platform was simple to set up in a matter of weeks from start to finish. There’s just one form to complete that gives Woods Valldata everything needed to set up the weekly lottery.
SVP set about recruiting players to Affinity Lottery and were pleasantly surprised by the immediate positive response. They used social media, especially Twitter, for recruiting new players alongside a prominent position on their website, an email to members, and leaflets with QR codes at their national annual meeting to engage existing supporters.
Within 6 months, SVP had recruited 150 players and believe their target of 300 in the first year is extremely achievable
Continuous Improvement
Since SVP launched Affinity, a new and improved data dashboard has been released providing a quick and easy, user-friendly portal into online weekly lottery performance. And there are further releases scheduled for the future, keeping Affinity at the forefront of lottery platforms.
Whatever your requirements we are sure to be able to help
Services:
What our client had to say
“Affinity Lottery is really easy. You’re pretty much guided through the process. The low cost means you can test the waters if you’re wondering whether the lottery is the right fit and it’s another way to raise unrestricted income, but with help, so you don’t need to worry about running your own lottery.”
Steff de Simone, Supporter Relationship Manager, St Vincent de Paul Society
“We want to grow our lottery. The message is simple to understand: ‘play the lottery – it’s only £1’, and people are responding!”
Steff de Simone, Supporter Relationship Manager, St Vincent de Paul Society
“What’s great about Affinity Lottery is that you will definitely make your money back as it’s such low cost to set it up!”
Steff de Simone, Supporter Relationship Manager, St Vincent de Paul Society
“We’ve had a good experience working with the Woods Valldata team. It’s just been easy and simple to set-up.”
Steff de Simone, Supporter Relationship Manager, St Vincent de Paul Society
“People have seen the ads that have gone out so we’ve been able to recruit new people. Plus, it’s nice to have an email list so we can start to communicate with them about SVP.”
Steff de Simone, Supporter Relationship Manager, St Vincent de Paul Society
