Start 2 Finish is delighted to be supporting the Meningitis Trust. And to be working with them to raise funds and offer any strategic help that we can to increase their profile.
The decision to support the Meningitis Trust was made by Steve, one of our Directors who at the age of 4 had bacterial meningitis and was extremely lucky to survive, especially without any after-effects. It was the Pride of Britain Awards that really prompted Steve to forge links with the Trust. He was touched by a story about a family who the Trust had been working with and decided there and then that he wanted to help.
Steve has since met with Matt Croxall from the Trust to talk about raising funds. And we will also be looking at the many ways that we can apply our knowledge and resources to help them to market themselves in this competitive market.
Marketing for charities certainly raises a number of key challenges which need to be acknowledged and overcome. These include budget restraints, differentiation and an extremely wide audience
Budget restraints is a key influence on how charities are able to promote themselves and places a restriction on the different marketing avenues that are open to them. In order to raise their profile on a national level it would be hugely advantageous to execute a comprehensive campaign to include a range of television and radio commercials and really get into people’s homes and minds. This would of course cost a small fortune and for this reason there would certainly be objections from supporters and beneficiaries. It is a bit of a vicious circle as by raising the profile you will experience a direct impact on voluntary donations and an increase in income. However the initial outlay involved is also crucial to the work that the charity does to improve the lives of the people they are supporting. For example one area of the Meningitis Trusts work is the offer of financial grants to survivors of meningitis and their families. These are for crucial things such as wheelchairs, respite care, home adaptations, and so much more. And as the ongoing support of Meningitis survivors is central to the Charities work it is difficult to argue that this money would be better spent elsewhere. To successfully manage this balancing act it is crucial that all marketing is well thought through and that any proposed spend can demonstrate how it will positively impact upon the profile of the charity, and the care of those people it is set up to help.
Differentiating yourself from the competition is crucial with any successful marketing campaign. People need not only to know what you do, but more importantly why they should use you rather than other people claiming to offer the same product or service. And the question ‘how will you help me?’ is never more important than with a charity. After all it is ‘help’ that is central to the work of every charity.
This can become more problematic when there are a number of charities for the same cause. The Meningitis Trust must clearly communicate how they are different from two other Meningitis charities. This isn’t simply an issue of income, but more a desire to ensure that the people that need their help get it. Harriet Penning, Communications Manager for the Trust explains ‘…the general public and even some of our supporters are confused as to what each charity does. Some think that we are just one big charity, so it is crucial for us to differentiate ourselves. We really don’t want people who need our support to decide against asking for help because they are unsure as to what we do and can’t find out who can help them.’
The issue of marketing yourself to a wide audience is also a challenging one. The most successful marketing campaign talks directly to the intended audience, and taps into the things that they need, things that will motivate them to say yes please I want to work with you. Of course when you are marketing a charity such as the Meningitis Trust your audience is everyone as Meningitis can affect anyone, at any time of their life. To be effective your message will need to be tailored and your audiences separated. For instance what the Trust need to communicate to a health professional or other professional body will differ from your message to a meningitis survivor and their family; will be different for people who have not had meningitis, and again from those people who are also potential supporters like us. Alongside these there will also be consistent key messages that need to be communicated to everyone. So there is certainly a lot of work to be done here, and all on a restricted budget.
So how is the Meningitis Trust overcoming these significant challenges so that they can continue to help people rebuild their lives and take control again?
Holding charity status means that the Meningitis Trust can pitch for pro-bono opportunities. ‘Last year we were lucky enough to pitch for and win £50,000 worth of support from a London PR agency. This was a huge deal to us as we were able to launch a national campaign in Parliament, with long-term reach that we are continuing to build upon to date.’ Says Harriet
In addition the Trust has successfully incorporated as many free alternatives to advertising through PR, and digital and social media as possible. And with a huge amount of growth identified in these areas they have invested in expanding the Digital Team within the charity. Twitter and facebook are providing excellent mediums for interaction, raising profile, and brand awareness. With many of the charities supporters and beneficiaries very active on these platforms this is the perfect place for them to interact and spread the word.
Whilst it is certainly true that hurdles such as these do make life more challenging for charities, they can also be seen as a positive. What I mean by this is that by the nature of what they do a charity is forced to plan every piece of marketing. And each campaign must be well thought through in order for it to be as effective as possible and therefore justifiable. In order to do so there must be clear objectives and a structure to what is being carried out, which is something that many don’t do and as a result campaigns fail. When budgets are tight planning is key to marketing success, together with keeping up to date with the latest free opportunities out there and maximising these with clearly targeted messages that engage the audience.
The oldest Meningitis Charity in the world, the Meningitis Trust is responsible for not only raising awareness of the symptoms, treatment, and effects of Meningitis but plays a wonderful and invaluable role offering free help, support and advice to families and individuals who have survived the illness. The Trust is 100% reliant on voluntary donations to carry out its important work so you can see the importance of getting the messages out to as many people like you as possible.
We are really excited to be a part of the Trusts important work and look forward to making a significant contribution to their cause from now on.
Any inspiring ideas for fundraising please let me know!
Thanks Sarah










