Set Up For Success: Deploying Digital Best Practices for Brand and Fundraising

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Case Study: United Nation Development Programme (UNDP)

About UNDP:

On the ground in about 170 countries and territories, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works to eradicate poverty while protecting the planet. They help countries develop strong policies, skills, partnerships, and institutions so they can sustain their progress.

UNDP’s Strategic Plan has been designed to be responsive to the wide diversity of the countries they serve. Broadly, their goals are to:

- - Eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions
  - Accelerate structural transformations
  - Build resilience to shocks and crises

UNDP also administers the United Nations Capital Development Fund, which helps developing countries grow their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance by means of grants and loans; and UN Volunteers, which fields over 6,500 volunteers from 160 countries, serving with 38 UN partners in support of peace, security, human rights, humanitarian delivery and development through volunteerism worldwide.

The Challenge

With inequality on the rise, the world’s greatest health crisis in a century is pressing countries to their limits, stressing the cracks in economic, social, and political structures.

UNDP points out that COVID-19 is far more than a health crisis, but a humanitarian and development crisis that threatens to deepen disparities and leave scars for years to come.

The United Nations Development Programme is mobilizing its assets to help the most vulnerable prepare for, respond to, and recover from the pandemic.

But the increased need to expand and mobilize resources placed a demand on securing more philanthropic support from individuals worldwide.

UNDP asked Media Cause to help in setting up their country offices for success in digital marketing and fundraising, with a comprehensive toolkit containing sample campaign copy, ready-for-market digital ads, Classy how to’s, digital fundraising best practices as well as reports. Additionally, because the country office staff people would not be well-versed in fundraising and marketing and new to using a fundraising platform like Classy, our toolkit needed to be comprehensive but also easy-to-follow and use.

This work allowed UNDP, and their country offices, to create brand cohesion across the globe, giving them a stronger platform to raise funds across all offices.

The Solution

The essential function of the toolkit is to standardize the 1) look and feel, 2) tracking, and 3) marketing approaches for all new individual giving campaigns for UNDP while providing easy-to-interpret specs so that toolkits can be readily adapted with minimal direct oversight. As new Classy campaign pages may be linked from undp.org, templates should feel visually connected, while providing sufficient variation of elements so country office-based campaign admins can customize according to their needs.

The standardized websites needed to be pre-populated with sample content, or a templated copy deck with suggested content in English was provided. To date, country offices have typically defaulted to one campaign type, utilizing the ‘crowdfunding’ model in Classy. However, the toolkit needed to provide skins for other Classy campaign types, in order to meet different campaign objectives. For example, centrally our objective is to incentivize recurring giving, while in UNDP’s regional offices peer-to-peer giving or ticketed events may be a more appropriate way to attract donors.

Additionally, as new standalone Classy campaign pages are being created, some country offices are building new microsites, or leveraging pages on undp.org. A templated ‘landing page’ look and feel was necessary to standardize UNDP’s multi-national microsites that are developed independently with UNDP Country Offices.

Last, marketing (across paid and owned channels) is currently tasked at the regional and country office level. At this early stage, in advance of new country office campaigns in Latin America, an opportunity existed to shape a holistic marketing and digital advertising strategy that provided a foundation for central fundraising while better serving programme countries to reach within, and beyond, their borders and engage donors and prospects in other parts of the world. Centrally UNDP maintains parallel owned content across three Facebook pages in English, French, and Spanish.

In terms of email, again we had an opportunity to improve on a central holistic strategy. While country offices had separate lists to reach prospects, they had no consistent template from which to make their appeal. And, while all new email addresses harvested from CO campaigns were added to UNDP’s master email list, and donors were sent UNDP’s monthly 360 newsletter to keep them informed, prior to our project, that list has not been utilized for lifecycle marketing or more sophisticated techniques to better steward them. A dedicated appeal template in Mailchimp was needed, and an opportunity existed to develop dedicated campaigns through list segmentation and / or harvested for custom audiences / lookalike campaigns.

By the Numbers

UNDP was able to rapidly launch individual giving campaigns centrally and in multiple regional offices with a unified strategic and creative approach.

4 Languages

5 Regions

5 Channel Strategies

Search, Email, Web, Facebook/Instagram, Display

Design + UX

We knew from the beginning in order for UNDP to create a cohesive brand and strategy across various offices, we needed to design an “identity” for them. We started by updating their design look and feel as well as messaging, which lead to new campaign templates in classy.

Creative Approach: When we began working with UNDP, a unique challenge was that we needed to create a toolkit of creative elements that could be leveraged by UNDP’s regional partners in their own specific versions of the giving campaign.

We assessed UNDP’s current creative approach to fundraising for the COVID-19 crisis when we began working with them, and quickly collaborated with them to establish a new creative direction that could be consistently applied across campaign elements. The direction included a line art motif inspired by COVID-19 that could be applied to media and web design components in versatile ways.

Tonality: We also developed a consistent tone of voice that each regional country office (CO) could leverage. With these building blocks in place, we worked through the design and user experience for multiple elements including the primary campaign donation page template in the Classy tool (with alternate versions based on regional requirements) WordPress campaign landing page design, media ads (Facebook, Google Ads), email marketing templates and copy, and other content sample elements.

Donation Pages

The Donation Page is arguably the most important step in the donor journey. This is where the individual decides. In addition to an improved look and feel, we deployed a number of best practices.

Each of the Classy Campaign templates we set up are able be deployed for each specific country campaign need:

1. 1. Donation Page: A simple checkout form where supporters can submit donations.
  2. Crowdfunding: A more robust version of a Donation Page campaign that includes a landing page where you can add text and media to provide more detail about your campaign. This type includes the ability to set a public goal and show progress toward it.
  3. Peer-to-Peer: A campaign that allows supporters to fundraise on your behalf, either individually or in teams. Each fundraiser receives their own customizable fundraising page.
  4. Ticketed Event: Sell tickets at various prices to in-person or virtual events.
  5. Registration with Fundraising Event: A combination of Peer-to-Peer and Ticketed Event.

Strategy Approach

Because UNDP is a well-known organization with a significant amount of web traffic, we recommended a bottom-up approach to the marketing funnel, with the heaviest emphasis on Retargeting and Paid Search, with additional budgets allocated to upper-funnel acquisition. This strategy relies on leveraging owned channels such as website, email, and social media to integrate.

The overall strategy focuses on three primary goals:

1. 1. Prospect-to-Donor Acquisition: Bring new donors into UNDP’s mission.
  2. Prospect and Donor Stewardship: Engage prospects and donors in a meaningful way that emphasizes and celebrates their relationship to UNDP.
  3. Donor Retention: Effectively retain donors with strong stewardship and a goal to move one-time donors to monthly giving through subsequent appeals.

Paid Media Assets: We provided 10 paid media asset templates that extended a consistent campaign look-and-feel and allowed for easy localization.

Ready-to-deploy Email Campaign Copy: We wrote an email campaign meant to convert one-time donors and non-donors to monthly sustaining donors. This was a three-part series with an overarching theme of:

“Our focus on inequality and poverty makes UNDP uniquely positioned to help countries to prepare, respond, and fully recover from the pandemic.”

However, each email needed to stand on its own, in the sense that we couldn’t connect one email to another by way of a reference or knowing if someone opened or clicked previous messages.

Reporting

We improved UNDP’s reporting by implementing a new donor journey by leveraging automated emails in Classy, implemented new tracking codes and tracking conventions, and set up a universal Google Tag Manager account to centralize all their reporting and build consistent APIs across country offices.

Donor Journey: Once the donor completes the gift, the thank you page and subsequent emails represent the first step in growing donor lifetime-value.

Data Measurement: In order to track donation conversions in Classy.org and Google Analytics, we set up source codes to be added to Campaign Landing Page URLs and Donation Forms.

Donation Reports: Created six reports with Classy: Transaction Reconciliation Report, Refunded Gifts x Date, Marketing Performance Report, Successful One-Time Gifts by Date, Successful Monthly Gifts by Date, Successful (ALL) Gifts by Date.

New Google Ads account; new central Google Tag Manager: We enhanced UNDP Central’s digital fundraising efforts by setting up a new paid Google Ads account for paid search and display advertising. Before spending a single dollar, we leveraged Media Cause’s expertise with Classy’s Google Tag Manager integration to set up advanced donation tracking capabilities, including revenue

Country Office Training + Support

We worked alongside UNDP to develop training for marketing and campaign work for each office.

We developed (3) different deliverables:

Training and Support for UNDP central + regional bureau (RBLAC): In order to set up UNDP’s Country Offices for success, we help an hour-long virtual training session with representative around the world where we screen-shared essential information on how to set up each advertising channel in our strategy and took questions. The proceedings were recorded and shared with those who couldn’t make it, along with the comprehensive toolkit and media plan documents.

Digital Advertising Resources and Certifications Glossary: In order to aid professional development for UNDP staff members, we developed a supplemental glossary of resources to browse and recommended certifications. This included Google Skillshop, for Search, Display, and YouTube as well as Facebook Blueprint plus a few additional resources like helpful Media Cause blog posts.

Campaign Toolkit: We drafted a toolkit; inclusive of brand overview and structure and best practice documentation and instruction for managing UNDP’s instance on Classy.org. This included how-to’s and recommendations for ready-to-use templates, ready-to-run reports, and marketing automation content and deployment instructions. The toolkit also includes strategy elements such as Country Office goals, digital channel approach, and our core strategic pillars to drive success in digital fundraising:

- - Mission-Focus
  - Donor-Centricity
  - Vertically-Integrated Channels
  - Data-Driven Decision-Making
  - Operational Fundamentals
  - Commitment to Testing

Taken comprehensively, UNDP now has a strong foundation to build upon in the years ahead.

Creative Approach

When we began working with UNDP, a unique challenge was that we needed to create a toolkit of creative elements that could be leveraged by UNDP’s regional partners in their own specific versions of the giving campaign.

Donation Pages

The Donation Page is arguably the most important step in the donor journey. This is where the individual decides. In addition to an improved look and feel, we deployed a number of best practices.

Each of the Classy Campaign templates we set up are able be deployed for each specific country campaign need:

Donation Page: A simple checkout form where supporters can submit donations.
Crowdfunding: A more robust version of a Donation Page campaign that includes a landing page where you can add text and media to provide more detail about your campaign. This type includes the ability to set a public goal and show progress toward it.
Peer-to-Peer: A campaign that allows supporters to fundraise on your behalf, either individually or in teams. Each fundraiser receives their own customizable fundraising page.
Ticketed Event: Sell tickets at various prices to in-person or virtual events.
Registration with Fundraising Event: A combination of Peer-to-Peer and Ticketed Event.

Approach

Overall strategy focuses on three primary goals:

Prospect-to-Donor Acquisition: Bring new donors into UNDP’s mission.
Prospect and Donor Stewardship: Engage prospects and donors in a meaningful way that emphasizes and celebrates their relationship to UNDP.
Donor Retention: Effectively retain donors with strong stewardship and a goal to move one-time donors to monthly giving through subsequent appeals.

Deliverables:

Paid Media Assets: We provided 10 paid media asset templates that extended a consistent campaign look-and-feel and allowed for easy localization.

Ready-to-deploy Email Campaign Copy: We wrote an email campaign meant to convert one-time donors and non-donors to monthly sustaining donors. This was a three part series with an overarching theme of:

“Our focus on inequality and poverty makes UNDP uniquely positioned to help countries to prepare, respond, and fully recover from the pandemic.”

Reporting

Donor Journey: Once the donor completes the gift, the thank you page and subsequent emails represent the first step in growing donor lifetime-value.

Data Measurement: In order to track donation conversions in Classy.org and Google Analytics, we set up source codes to be added to Campaign Landing Page URLs and Donation Forms.

Donation Reports: Created six report with Classy: Transaction Reconciliation Report, Refunded Gifts x Date, Marketing Performance Report, Successful One-Time Gifts by Date, Successful Monthly Gifts by Date, Successful (ALL) Gifts by Date.

Country Office Training + Support

We worked alongside UNDP to develop training for marketing and campaign work for each office.

We developed (3) different deliverables:

Campaign Toolkit: We drafted a toolkit, inclusive of brand overview and structure, standard structure, best practice documentation and instruction for Classy.org