Restarting door-to-door fundraising helped Royal Voluntary Service achieve much more than donations

Royal Voluntary Service recently restarted door-to-door (D2D) fundraising after a seven-year break. Ahead of their activity, the charity partnered with a psychologist who studied the face-to-face interaction from both sides. Regular Giving Manager Charlotte Laurie explains:

“People sometimes forget that in face-to-face fundraising, there are two people in the conversation. A fundraiser can't always be expected to diagnose vulnerability. We wanted to develop training, so fundraisers felt secure in their roles and were better equipped to identify indicators to know how to progress a conversation or whether it’s best to cease it.” 

Working with Gather Campaigns, who incorporated Royal Voluntary Service's training, the campaign significantly exceeding the target of signing up 1,225 new regular givers. Royal Voluntary Service also found the activity brought a key added benefit: people are nostalgic about what Royal Voluntary Service used to do, but don’t always know how the charity is relevant today. face-to-face gave them the opportunity to tell people first-hand.  

When asked what makes a great face-to-face fundraiser, Charlotte believes it’s about having the skill to inspire someone in a very short time. And that’s a skill born out of basic human fundamentals: being open and honest and understanding that a conversation is two-way.

“A face-to-face conversation conveys empathy and emotion in a way nothing else — even a TV advertisement — can. It’s about coming at it from the other person’s perspective.” 

But it’s not only the public’s perception of Royal Voluntary Service that changed as a result of the charity’s recent campaign. Transition happened within the organisation too. Charlotte says,

“There’s an understanding now that door-to-door isn’t just about donations — it also raises vital awareness. We were able to reach people we wouldn’t have done otherwise. We’re a people-powered charity. It makes sense that our fundraising approach is people-orientated too.” 

Would you like to more about our D2D fundraising or other services? Get in touch! We look forward to speaking with you.