At Parachute, we believe fundraising should do more than ask for money – it should move people to act. In 2024, we teamed up with World Animal Protection Australia to launch their first major push to acquire regular givers through digital fundraising.
The challenge? With so many urgent causes competing for attention – from factory farming to elephant tourism – they needed a campaign that would cut through the noise, inspire support and prove that digital fundraising could be a long-term growth channel.
So, true Parachute style, instead of playing it safe, we went bold.
A creative-first strategy
We started with two big creative concepts:
- Stop the Suffering – humanising animals and holding a mirror to harmful human behaviours.
- Change the Way – challenging systems and inviting supporters to be part of long-term change.
These platforms gave us the freedom to tell powerful stories across multiple causes, while keeping the message clear: regular giving (lots of people making a monthly donation) is how lasting change happens.
Our testing philosophy was simple: don’t assume, prove. This bold digital fundraising campaign trialled everything – from copy angles and colour treatments to audience targeting and landing page design. We leaned into strong storytelling, always asking: What moves people and what makes them give?
Execution in action
Over three months, we launched 51 ads across Meta – testing video, GIFs, statics, carousels, headlines, colours and more. Each week, we optimised relentlessly, making 53 updates to sharpen creative and targeting.
Some of the surprising wins?
- Colour imagery without text overlays beat everything else
- Baby elephants stole hearts (and wallets) – with one case study driving 30 per cent of all donations
- Broad targeting outperformed more niche audiences
- Direct regular giving asks worked best
It wasn’t just a fundraising campaign; it was a live lab for digital acquisition.
The results
The numbers speak for themselves:
- 21 new regular givers acquired (beating the target of 18)
- 35 per cent of donations were regular givers (more than double expectations)
- Cost per acquisition was lower than planned
- Elephant stories alone drove 40 per cent of donations
But beyond the numbers, this campaign did something bigger: it gave them a working model for digital fundraising. We didn’t just find donors – we found out what makes them care, give and stay.
Doing it the right way
In the not-for-profit industry, it’s easy to default to the shock factor. But we’re proud to say this campaign was free all trauma baiting.
Every story was chosen carefully, balancing empathy with ethics, and transparency, supporter consent and donor trust guided every touchpoint.
Why this matters
For World Animal Protection Australia, this was more than a one-off success. It proved that digital fundraising isn’t just viable – it’s essential. Today, they’re running an evolved version of this campaign, scaling what worked and learning even more along the way.
For us at Parachute, it’s a reminder of why we love what we do: when data, creativity and purpose come together, fundraising doesn’t just work – it soars.