Virgin Money Giving Performance Report for the Virgin Money London Marathon 2014

Transcription

1 1 Virgin Money Giving Performance Report for the Virgin Money London Marathon 2014

2 Contents Introduction 2 Virgin Money London Marathon 2014 the highlights 2 Overview 3 Donations 4 Good fundraiser habits 6 Early birds raise more 6 Aiming high 6 Getting social 7 Virgin Money Giving promotions 7 Facts about our fundraisers 8 Where are our fundraisers from? 8 The older you are, the more you ll raise 9 How our fundraisers raised more 9 Profile of a champion fundraiser 10 Charities 11 Charity support still counts 11 Fundraiser feedback 11 Top 3 reasons for choosing a charity 11 Virgin Money Giving Performance 12 How our site performed 12 Going mobile 13 Text Giving 14 s and incentives 15 New for Launching Charity APIs 16 Case Study Virgin Strive Challenge 17 Launching Campaigns a brand new tool for charities 18 Need some inspiration? 19 Options box for event hub 19 Join us next year! 20 1

3 Introduction This year saw Virgin Money continue its sponsorship of the newly named Virgin Money London Marathon and Virgin Money Giving continue as the official fundraising partner. Virgin Money Giving is instrumental in ensuring the event remains one of the biggest fundraising challenges in the world, with over 77 million raised since 2010 through Virgin Money Giving for the London Marathon alone. As a result, Marathon runners using our fundraising platform have raised an extra 2.48 million for charity, because we are notfor-profit unlike some fundraising sites*. We ve put together this report to summarise Virgin Money London Marathon fundraising activity in 2014, and specifically the fundraising through virginmoneygiving.com. It includes results from our Marathon Runner s Survey, and useful facts and stats to help you plan your fundraising for the next race day on 26 April Virgin Money London Marathon 2014 the highlights The 34th London Marathon was another record-breaking day which saw the biggest ever Marathon crowds lining the streets. Throughout the day they witnessed three new course records, a world record and, of course, Mo Farah s much anticipated Marathon debut. Wilson Kipsang set a magnificent course record, two men ran under 2:05 for the first time and Spain s Maria Paredes Rodriguez smashed her own world record set in the T11-13 women s race at the IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup. An estimated record 750,000 came from around the world to watch the spectacle numbers boosted no doubt by the Mo effect, and also a halo effect from the London 2012 Olympics was our fifth year supporting the event and we continue to be inspired by the amazing achievements of every single runner who raised money for good causes this year. As a result of the efforts of the 35,864 runners who finished the race, the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon looks set to break its own Guinness World Record set in 2013, of 53 million, the most raised by a single day event anywhere in the world. Best wishes Jo Barnett Executive Director Virgin Money Giving Marathon Hugh Brasher Race Director Virgin Money London Marathon *Figures based on a comparison of the cost of service and transaction with JustGiving, based on Virgin Money Giving s VMLM fundraising total from

4 Overview This year, we have changed the format of the Virgin Money London Marathon report following feedback from charities. We sent a survey to all Virgin Money Giving London Marathon fundraisers, out of which 1,897 fundraisers responded. We also surveyed all Marathon runners, and 3,246 replies were received. Stats were drawn from the Virgin Money Giving database 30 days after the Marathon and the data compared to previous years. While this fundraising data will not have reached full maturity at the time of writing this report, it does give a very clear indication of performance and trends. And we also sought feedback from our closest charity partners to validate our trends and findings. 3

5 Donations Over the last 5 years, 77 million has been raised on Virgin Money Giving by London Marathon fundraisers. In 2014, fundraisers worked harder than ever with average donations increasing to 44 per page. Gift Aid was reclaimed on 83.2% of London Marathon donations. So while there is still potential for fundraisers to raise even more for their charities next year by including Gift Aid in their donation, uptake is still very high. 84% of fundraisers activated their fundraising page, up from 80% last year % Percentage of pages activated 87% 84% 79% 78% 80% Over the past few years the value of fundraising pages has been steadily increasing, with the average amount raised per page rising by a massive 12.3% since This year alone, 30 days after the Marathon the average value of fundraising pages (including Gift Aid) rose by 3.1% to 1,587. And as of August 2014, the average amount for the overall event has risen to 1,634 per fundraising page % Year on year growth of average amount raised per active page 4.5% 2010 to % 2011 to % 2012 to % 2013 to

6 This year, we noticed a slight shift in donation patterns in the weeks leading up to race day, with donations being made earlier than in 2013 and less of a peak in the days immediately prior to the event, when we would usually expect a spike in donation activity. Some charities told us the earlier race date encouraged them to be proactive and set their fundraiser deadlines earlier a possible factor in the change in donation patterns. Another potential impact on donation timing was the Marathon taking place in the middle of the school Easter holidays this year, and on a Palm Sunday. We re pleased to see such a positive shift in donation patterns, which means more and more people are responding to our message to start fundraising earlier. And we ll continue to encourage this proactive fundraiser behaviour in the lead up to the big day next year. Timing of donations 6,000,000 5,000, ,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000, plus days to Marathon days days 30-7 days 6 days in Marathon day Next 7 days Next 8-29 days 5

7 Good fundraiser habits All of our research leads us to conclude that year on year, fundraisers who start their fundraising early, set a target and use social media to promote their fundraising activity, raise more. Virgin Money Giving works hard to encourage fundraisers to improve their fundraising activity through our regular incentive s and Marathon-themed competitions. This method has proven very effective over the years, particularly when our s and competitions are also promoted by charities to their runners. Early birds raise more Indexed against the overall fundraising page average, runners who set their page up in the last two months before the Marathon raised 36% less than those who set up their page early. 3 in 5 fundraisers who started their fundraising early raised more than 2,000 for charity. Average amount raised by page set up date vs overall page average % 14% 12% 0 % % Pre-October Oct - Dec Jan - Feb Mar - April Aiming high We know that setting a target is another way for fundraisers to reach their goals. This year 79% of runners set a target on their fundraising pages, raising 698 more on average than those who didn t set a target. Virgin Money Giving always works to encourage fundraisers to set a target early on, and this year was no exception. Our Set a Target promotion and competition to win a VIP Green Start Upgrade experience helped us achieve a further 2% increase from last year. 6

8 Getting social Social Media was a useful tool in helping fundraisers raise more money for their charity of choice this year, with 93.5% of people who used Social Media feeling it made a difference. Fundraisers listed Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn (in order of effectiveness) as the platforms which most positively impacted their fundraising. Our research shows that fundraisers who used Social Media this year raised on average 5% more than those who didn t. Virgin Money Giving promotions Fundraisers who are engaged and take part in our promotions and activities are not only more likely to use Virgin Money Giving again in the future, but they also raise more funds. This year, we ran our Win a training day and Win a Marathon hi-vis running bib promotions and despite the offer being available for a limited period, the bib proved to be the most popular with 45% of respondents receiving the giveaway. 2 out of 3 London Marathon fundraisers downloaded the Virgin Money Giving mobile app, while 2 out of 5 runners visited where they followed Virgin Money s four inspirational marathon runners, shared tips, and posted training pictures on Instagram. 7

9 Facts about our fundraisers Where are our fundraisers from? Over the past 5 years we ve seen some movement in where the marathon runners are coming from, with more prepared to travel further for the event. While London and the South East are down 1.5% and 1.6% respectively, those travelling from the South West, East Midlands, Yorkshire and The Humber and further afield are up % over the five year period. Percentage increase/decrease in fundraisers by region 2014 vs % % 0.4% 0.5% 0.5% 0.4% 0.5% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% % % -1.6% London East South-East South-West West Midlands North-West East Midlands Yorkshire and The Humber Wales Scotland North East Northern Ireland Channel Islands 8

10 The older you are, the more you ll raise As in previous years, our research shows older fundraisers, over 65s, raise considerably more than their younger counterparts in fact 77% more. But while older fundraisers raised more overall, younger fundraisers appear to receive more donations to their page. Average amount raised by age vs overall page average for all fundraisers % % 10.0% 4.0% -5.9% -1.5% -1.5% over 65 How our fundraisers raised more This year, we took a look at our top fundraisers by region to discover more about their fundraising habits and how they raised so much for their charity. Our survey revealed that those who raced ahead with their fundraising shared similarities in their approach. We noted that the top fundraisers: Had a close or personal connection to their charity of choice. Actively used social media to spread their Marathon running message. Used unique skills to make additional money (see example on next page). Encouraged family and friends to help with their fundraising efforts. 9

11 Profile of a champion fundraiser One of our top fundraisers, Keith Kemp, managed to raise a whopping 7, for the Royal British Legion. We asked him about his motivations and fundraising habits Here s what we found out: Keith chose to support the Royal British Legion as his brother is in the Army and has served 2 tours in Afghanistan. His sister is currently a combat medic, so the charity is close to his heart. As soon as Keith found out he had got a charity place, within 10 minutes of putting his page live, he had his first donation. Status updates and tweets on Facebook and Twitter helped Keith spread the word. He shared his Virgin Money Giving page, told his personal story and kept friends and family updated on his training. Friends and colleagues shared and re-tweeted his stories, resulting in a 300 donation from someone he didn t even know. Keith s wife, a jewellery maker, made a bespoke bracelet which was sold and the profits donated to Keith s fundraising page. Well done Keith, on a fantastic fundraising effort. 10

12 Charities Charity support still counts Our research shows that it pays for charities to regularly encourage their fundraisers especially first-time Marathon runners. In this year s Marathon Survey, we compared how well runners felt their charity supported them during their fundraising journey, against the amount they subsequently raised. Runners who scored their charities highly on providing fundraising tips and regular support, raised 52% more than those who felt unsupported. Fundraiser feedback We also asked this year s charity runners for feedback on how their charities supported them, or could give more support in the future. Here s what they said: Charity organised fundraising events would give runners an opportunity to meet each other and provide support, helping them raise more. Charities could provide maps to their dedicated cheering points where family members can watch and cheer charity runners on. Runners appreciate charities getting in touch with them early on and sending charity information as soon as the runner is signed up. Competitions and incentives to boost fundraising efforts are popular. Top 3 reasons for choosing a charity Our survey results showed that runners who felt supported by their charity chose to fundraise for their cause for one or more of the following reasons: 50% said they admired a charity s work. 36% told us their charity had helped someone close to them. 27% were offered a charity place. 11

13 Virgin Money Giving Performance How our site performed The Friday before the Marathon remains the biggest donation day in the lead up to the big event. This year, the Saturday and Sunday had a similar donation rate to the rest of the week, which we believe is due to the way the Easter school holidays fell in April 11 was our biggest fundraising day with 22,867 donations received via the Virgin Money Giving website. Total page views between 7 and 13 April were 3,996,

14 Going mobile After the launch last year of our mobile fundraising site, we were proud to launch the Virgin Money Giving fundraising app for 2014 giving fundraisers the freedom to manage their pages on the go. On average Virgin Money Giving fundraising app users raised more than those who didn t. More people are turning to their mobiles to visit our website or donate through our mobile site launched in This year, traffic shifted from desktop to mobile, which is up 35% on last year. 13

15 Text Giving Research tells us only 7% of donors* donate by text and there is always low uptake on Gift Aid. Text donations are capped at 30 and studies show Gift Aid is reclaimed on less than 5% of all text donations.** We believe the most effective form of donations via mobile phones is through mobile apps which allows more money to go direct to charities. * Compete/Google Non-profits Study, July Number calculated based on information that 25% of people make a donation on a mobile device and 28% of those make a donation via text, meaning 7% of the donating population donate via text. **Digital Giving: Modernising Gift Aid; Taking Civil Society into the Digital Age, September 2010, p71. 14

16 s and incentives Helping our fundraisers with top tips, incentives, and competitions in the lead up to race day is something we strive to do every year. Out of those surveyed, 67% said they found our s helpful, 46% used our fundraising tips, and 20% downloaded our Help Guides. 15

17 New for 2015 Launching Charity APIs We are proud to announce the launch of Charity APIs (Application Programming Interface). An API is sophisticated software-to-software technology which runs behind-the-scenes and allows your charity website and Virgin Money Giving to communicate and share information. This means your charity can make even more from your official Virgin Money Giving page. With our APIs you can: Integrate your Virgin Money Giving page into your fundraising events journey. Create leaderboards and totalisers for your event fundraisers. Extract fundraising data from your charity page with your own unique ID. Create mobile apps and much, much more. Register for your charity API today Visit virginmoneygiving.com or call the Virgin Money Giving Helpdesk 16

18 Case Study Virgin Strive Challenge Strive used our APIs on their website, to allow supporters and fundraisers to not only see total Team Strive donations, but also an individual s fundraising totals in real time. It s a fun way to create a bit of competition between those taking part in the challenge for a great cause. 17

19 Launching Campaigns a brand new tool for charities We re also excited to let you know about our new charity tool. Virgin Money Giving Campaigns is a new, flexible tool which lets you set up your fundraising campaign pages in a way which brings your fundraisers and donors together for a specific reason. Whether that s an event, charity of the year fundraising, or a specific appeal, it gives you much more control over the campaign pages you create. With Campaigns you can create specific campaigns for your charity including: Corporate Charity of the Year Support corporate partners whose employees want to fundraise together. Appeals Focus on a specific fundraising target for a particular project. Event hubs View fundraisers raising money for your campaign. And to improve your fundraising online even further, you can tailor your campaigns to suit you, with functionality to: Upload logos, photos, videos and a Twitter feed to bring your campaign pages to life. Collect up to two pieces of additional information during the donation journey. Allow fundraisers to take part in events to raise money specifically for your campaign pages. Create a unique URL for your page and allow donors to give directly to your cause. Add or remove the Gift Aid option on donations. Generate reports to see how effective your campaign pages have been. All campaign pages will be fully optimised for mobile, so your fundraisers can access your appeal from wherever they are. To start your campaign today, simply log in to your charity portal and follow the Campaigns option on the left hand menu. 18

20 Need some inspiration? Example event hub: The Reigate and Cheam British Military Fitness team You can use an event hub to showcase a specific fundraising event and bring together your fundraisers so they can see each other, and how much has been raised. If you have specific teams, you can also create groups just for them. The example here is for the Reigate and Cheam British Military Fitness team. The Reigate and Cheam British Military Fitness (BMF) team are raising money for the Children s Trust, a charity local to the group in Surrey. The team of ten fundraisers, of all ages and abilities, plan to raise 32,000 by running the Virgin Money London Marathon, in Options box for event hub: Options Campaign logo Campaign description Fundraising target Amount raised total Widgets Gift Aid collection Donor list Custom donation amounts Donor information Linked fundraiser pages Fundraiser list Event hub Optional* Optional* Optional* Optional* Optional* *You may wish to include this feature on your event, depending on what you want your page to do. We hope you are as excited as us about the new tools we ve developed to help your charity make the most of your fundraising efforts for the Virgin Money London Marathon, and that the insights found in this report are valuable as you plan ahead for

21 Join us next year! We ll be in touch soon to let you know more about the Virgin Money London Marathon in 2015 the biggest one day annual fundraising event on the planet. 20

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