Digital Acquisition
Focus Ireland
Bringing in new donors and higher gifts using paid media.
The challenge
Homelessness charity Focus Ireland needed to expand beyond direct mail for fundraising.
The solution
We helped them find creative routes that were irresistibly appealing to online audiences, bringing in 63% new donors.
Luckily, that’s one of our specialities. Here’s how we did it…
From direct mail to digital
Focus Ireland’s Christmas direct mail appeal followed a formula they knew worked well with a warm audience of offline supporters.
But we knew fundraising with online ads to a colder audience would be different.
To deliver the strongest possible results, we tested new messaging and ran ads across the funnel – moving from awareness and engagement to high-intent conversion tactics.
The creatives we tested
By testing five very different creative framings, we were able to target several demographics at the same time.
Impact
Case study
Coffee shop
Cause
Solution
For each one, we ran a range of ads, then focused our spend on the highest converting creatives to get the biggest impact for the budget.
Interestingly, traditional case study ads appealed to younger donors, while community-focused asks, like supporting the coffee shop, did better among older people.
The results
Crucially, 63% of donors were new (vs 42% the year before). This meant we were delivering serious value, since existing donors already received fundraising emails and direct mail.
We also analysed whether these channels had created a halo effect, boosting the ads’ performance among existing supporters. Our conclusion? Digital activity performed best as a separate, optimised channel.
“It’s rare to find an agency in the fundraising space that’s actually run by people who’ve done the real work — but that’s exactly what Hynt are.
"Josh and Sarah spent years on the charity side, so they genuinely understand the wins, the pressure and the challenges that come with being a fundraiser. That lived experience makes their advice and creativity far more valuable.
"They’re a joy to work with, I’ve learned a lot from them, and importantly, they stay curious and keep learning too. Proper students of the art and science of fundraising.”
James Sullivan – Head of Individual Giving, Focus Ireland