Lib­er­ty in North Korea autumn campaign

Exhibited by
Derrick Feldmann, Achieve
Added
August 03, 2015
Medium of Communication
Peer-to-peer fundraising campaign
Target Audience
Type of Charity
Country of Origin
USA
Date of first appearance
Autumn 2014

SOFII’s view

A fantastic cause that, perhaps unsurprisingly, has caught the imagination of hundreds of young people. It is surprising though that this group of under-30s has donated over $500,000. Proof, if it were needed, that a highly personal campaign, brilliant creativity and storytelling will always inspire donors and will even create some new ones.

The challenge now will be to keep these young people motivated to keep giving as they grow older and their income grows. Maybe one day they will become legacy prospects.

Summary / objectives

In the autumn of 2014, Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) executed a highly successful peer-to-peer fundraising campaign that resonated extremely well with their young donorbase. They wanted to activate young enthusiasts for their cause to become more than just ‘slacktivists’. It was their most successful online fundraising campaign to date.

Background

LiNK is an international NGO with full-time staff in Los Angeles, New York, Seoul and South East Asia. They rescue North Korean refugees hiding in China, bringing them safely through South East Asia to South Korea or the United States. Tailored assistance is then provided to help resettled refugees fulfil their potential in their new lives. LiNK mobilises grassroots awareness campaigns throughout the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom and engages with international media in order to shift focus from the high politics to North Korea's changing society and the people's potential as agents of change. They also aim to build a long-term movement of support for the North Korean people. Surprisingly, LiNK actually raises most of their funding from donors under the age of 30. How is it possible to raise money from a generation often associated with limited income and lack of putting their money where their mouths are? They execute creative, well-coordinated peer fundraising campaigns that use technology, messaging, design and storytelling

Creator / originator

Liberty in North Korea

Special characteristics

Messaging focused on the individual, creative writing, storytelling.

Influence / impact

By the end of the campaign, LiNK had sent out over 300 individually designed emails over the course of the campaign. The campaign included 979 peer fundraisers, 3,199 unique donors, an average donation size of $79.90 and the total raised was $507,854.

Costs

$15,000

Results

The organisation garnered an incredible amount of young donors who raised money on behalf of LiNK.

Merits

The fundraising model used by LiNK proves extremely successful for engaging and activating younger donors. The style, messaging, strategy and timing LiNK used for this campaign differentiate them from other causes. Other organisations can learn from LiNK’s campaigning, fundraising tactics and execution.