Fundraisers share favourite campaigns at annual SOFII event

A campaign that raised $2.25 million in nine hours in a bid to thwart Donald Trump’s border wall proposal was one of the ideas fundraisers wished they had thought of at this year’s SOFII IWITOT event.

Cards Against Humanity got the mention for the campaign’s unique fundraising style, which saw the card game encourage supporters to donate $15 to buy a piece of land in Mexico to try and stop the wall’s development. From Twitter alone, the campaign raised over two million dollars in nine hours from 150,000 followers.

SOFII’s annual fundraising event I Wish I’d Thought of That (IWITOT) took place on 21 February, with an audience of around 250 fundraisers attending to hear 18 speakers share the best fundraising ideas they wished they had thought of. Each speaker had seven minutes to present their favourite idea, ranging from innovative events, to ground-breaking uses of new and online technologies and examples of outstanding fundraising communications.

The audience was also invited to vote on the winning presentation and idea, choosing Camille St Omer Donaldson of the British Red Cross who spoke on Bloody Good Period’s Festive Period, a digital campaign targeting millennials and asking them to buy a light, medium or heavy flow stocking that the charity would fill up with menstrual products and give to someone in need. Almost £18,000 was raised in one month, and with one member of staff. The campaign also recruited 200 regular givers, and a good number of men.

Irreverent card game and non-traditional fundraising campaign Cards Against Humanity also got a mention for its unique fundraising style, which saw the card game encourage supporters to donate $15 to buy a piece of land in Mexico in a bid to thwart Donald Trump’s border wall proposal. Working from Twitter and with a simple proposal, they raised over two million dollars in nine hours. 150,000 followers of Cards Against Humanity gave $15 each – $2.25 million in nine hours.

Over the coming weeks, SOFII will be uploading case studies and articles of each presentation and the whole event is viewable on Youtube.