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Mike Morris
May 12, 2021

How To Effectively Use Facebook Fundraiser Data

In-Memory fundraising is crucial for non-profits. However, the sensitive nature of the ask often causes organizations to overlook leveraging it for proactive fundraising. But with the right model, In-Memory can unlock a largely untapped source of income. More importantly, it helps nurture lifelong supporters.

Pancreatic Cancer UK (PCUK), a leading non-profit, decided to test In-Memory fundraising on Facebook. They integrated this into their social strategy. Their commitment to positive content and strong community engagement led to success. Ultimately, the test created a supportive network of individuals willing to fundraise for the cause. We caught up with Gemma Walder (Senior Innovation and Insights Manager) and Caitlin Graham (Innovation and Insights Manager) to discuss their findings.

Who is Pancreatic Cancer UK?

PCUK is a non-profit. Their vision is that everyone with pancreatic cancer survives to live long and well. To achieve this, they offer a Support Line run by specialist nurses. They also provide online support and information sessions.

In addition, they fund groundbreaking research into early detection and new treatments. They campaign for better care, treatment, and recognition. PCUK’s work is vital due to the low survival rates. More than half of people die within the first three months of diagnosis. Gemma mentions: they are “leading the fight and want to transform the future.” They are there for people during one of their toughest life challenges.

🎯 Testing the Hypothesis: In-Memory on Facebook

Why In-Memory Matters to PCUK

In-Memory threads through a large portion of PCUK’s activity. This is due to the low survival rate of pancreatic cancer. Supporters often engage to honor a loved one. While In-Memory is an important fundraising aspect, the team had not prioritized it. They undertook only small tests around days like Father’s Day.

So, what did they hope to achieve? After finding success with Facebook Challenges, PCUK sought to test an In-Memory ask using the same format. They developed a hypothesis:

‘If we provide people with the option to set up an In-Memory fundraising page on Facebook, we could raise more money.’

Crucially, they started planning with supporter interviews. This ensured the campaign was well-received.

Supporter Discovery Shapes the Campaign

PCUK puts supporters at the center of their work. They spoke to individuals who had previously supported them. These included event attendees and regular givers. The team took their thoughts and suggestions onboard.

This process resulted in key themes:

By engaging in this discovery beforehand, PCUK ensured they addressed these concerns. They included fundraising guidance throughout the campaign. They monitored the impact of case study ads. Most importantly, they included a Facebook Group to encourage community.

PCUK conducted 16 supporter interviews. They also engaged key internal stakeholders, including the individual giving and communications teams. They recognized the importance of bringing everyone onto the In-Memory journey. The team was ready to launch their first In-Memory Facebook Fundraising test after developing the initial idea in March 2022.

🕯️ The Campaign: Light a Candle in Memory

In November 2022, PCUK launched their new initiative: Light a Candle in Memory on the 1st December. They chose this time because it coincided with their awareness month in November. This guaranteed good engagement with minimal added workload.

The campaign followed the same supporter journey as a Facebook Challenge:

PCUK included additional communication touchpoints. They used a supporter email journey via GivePanel’s email tool and on-page messaging. This ensured Fundraisers felt supported.

Although the journey was the same as a Challenge, the audience differed. Challenges usually attract new supporters. Conversely, their In-Memory test attracted a mostly warm audience of women who had supported the charity in the past. This created a significant opportunity to foster these connections outside of Facebook.

Building a Safe and Positive Community

The Facebook Group was part of the In-Memory campaign. PCUK provided a safe and positive space for supporters to honor their loved ones. The non-profit was mindful of the concerns surrounding the sensitive nature of the community. They focused intensely on maintaining complete positivity. Given the current world situation post-COVID-19 and the recession, they recognized the community’s importance. They took steps to ensure the group was a positive space for sharing memories.

PCUK engaged with the community daily. They asked supporters to share stories and participate in various activities. The content carefully focused on positivity and honored the loved ones. Caitlin mentioned: “Asking questions and getting people to share their happiest moments was really key.”

The engagement style differed from normal Challenges. The non-profit faced the potential stumbling block of keeping the Group engaged pre-event. Despite the concerns, the community thrived. Gemma commented: “The group just became an incredible place… There were lovely connections between everybody helping each other.”

Fundraising was a crucial component. PCUK used case studies as part of their content to communicate impact. They connected with a woman participating in the campaign. They shared her story with the group. This helped show supporters the difference they could make, which showed up in the results.

📈 The Results and Future Strategy

Blowing Predictions Out of the Water

For their first In-Memory Facebook test, Pancreatic Cancer UK exceeded all predictions. They acquired over 1,500 leads to the Facebook Group.

They also achieved:

The team impressed beyond just the numbers. Their focus on quality engagement created a strong community. Posts in the Group increased from 35 a day to over 200 on December 1st. In addition, they had over 5,000 reactions and 663 comments. This proved members were actively engaging. Providing a safe space for supporters to connect was invaluable.

Beyond Facebook: Next Steps

PCUK plans to continue testing on the platform. Their goal is providing supporters with the best experience and raising money in-memory.

Secondly, PCUK plans to build on the Group’s success and move supporters “beyond Facebook”. They engaged an already warm audience. Therefore, the team is excited about the potential of promoting regular giving and legacy.

In conclusion, combining In-Memory and Facebook fundraising resulted in threefold success:

Book a Demo

If you’re looking to build an engaged community of Fundraisers and grow your Facebook fundraising like Pancreatic Cancer UK, book a demo with a member of our team to see how we can support.

Book a Demo: https://givepanel.com/demo/

🔗 Related Resources

In-Memory Fundraising: How to raise more on Facebook during Awareness Months: https://givepanel.com/blog/in-memory-fundraising-how-to-raise-more-on-facebook-during-awareness-months/
How to run an In-Memory Facebook Fundraising campaign for Father’s Day: https://givepanel.com/blog/in-memory-facebook-fundraising-campaigns-fathers-day/
New GivePanel Feature: In-Memory Facebook Fundraisers: https://givepanel.com/blog/in-memory-facebook-fundraisers/
The complete guide to Facebook Charitable Giving Tools for nonprofits: https://givepanel.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-facebook-charitable-giving-tools-for-nonprofits/
The importance of storytelling in peer-to-peer social fundraising: https://givepanel.com/blog/the-importance-of-storytelling-in-peer-to-peer-fundraising/