August 21, 2011 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation
Twitter handle: @childrensatl
What it raised: $28,268
The campaign: The charity, the fund-raising arm of a children’s hospital, used its longstanding ties to a celebrity supporter, the Atlanta-based professional golfer Stewart Cink, to raise money and attention during a Twitter campaign in 2010.
What it used: Twitter. Mr. Cink has more than 1.2 million followers on the microblogging site. The golfer agreed to communicate directly with his followers throughout the monthlong campaign. Officials from Children’s Healthcare briefed him regularly on what messages he should use and how the campaign was doing. The campaign used the hashtag: #tweeoff.
How it worked: Participants who donated money online to the charity were given chances to win prizes, such as trip to a PGA Tour championship in Atlanta or to have their photos taken with Mr. Cink. For example, if a donor gave $36, he or she would be entered into a drawing to win a set of golf clubs. The charity also set up a text-message campaign that allowed donors to use their smartphones to give.
What it accomplished: Besides seeking donations from Mr. Cink’s followers, the organization also reached out to people who follow the hospital on social networks and those who keep up with the PGA Tour on Twitter and Facebook. In addition, the charity sent e-mail messages about the prize contest.
How the campaign stacked up: The money raised was more than half of the nearly $40,000 Children’s raised online last year. Donors came from 35 states, Canada, and Great Britain. Because those donors provided their contact information when they donated and could opt in to the organization’s newsletter, Children’s now can follow up with them.
Why it worked: Celebrities who have built a large social-media following want to find new ways to interact with their followers and give them access to special perks. “Being transparent and genuine with a celebrity partner goes a long way,” says Laura Cobb, Children’s Healthcare’s manager of e-philanthropy. “People can sense that genuineness through social media.”
