Share The Love by Darlinghurst Theatre Company

The approach

Darlinghurst Theatre Company’ Share the Love campaign focused on encouraging donors to support the organisation through pledging a commitment that will give others around them the chance to participate in the arts. Donors contributed by buying a ticket for disadvantaged individuals who wouldn’t otherwise be able to see a show; homeless people, youth at risk, disadvantaged schools, women in shelters and disabled patrons. The Company then collaborates with their own partners – Milk Crate Theatre Company (a homeless theatre company created by DTC in 2000), the Salvation Army, Wayside Chapel, Community Services, St Vincent de Paul among others – to offer access for people to attend one of six ‘Share The Love’ matinee events throughout the year.

Why we love it

The Company created a campaign that was positive, affordable and tangible. In effect it functioned as a ‘pay it forward’-style system; it was very clear for donors to understand what they were supporting, which is hugely important in fundraising. This helped convert a number of long-time subscribers into new patrons; nearly 75% of the donations came from people who had never donated to the Company before.

They made sure it was done in a particularly hands-on way, too – among other elements of the campaign, including plenty of social media callouts and multimedia, a subscriber and supporter event was held in the theatre foyer with a ‘Share the Love’ Christmas tree so that patrons could make a donation and decorate the Christmas tree with a ‘Share the Love’ Christmas decorations. Who could say no to that?!

It’s also very scaleable – if the response is good, DTC can offer the option to their existing subscribers in future years without expending too much time and energy in developing a campaign again.

Unlike most fundraising campaigns, Share The Love didn’t seek to encourage donors to directly support the company itself. Instead, the campaign highlighted some key values of the Company – inclusiveness and access – and potential supporters are presented with the chance buy in. Ideally this will build a strong and lasting relationship between the Company and their supporters. By taking this route, they’ve not only raised valuable funds, but communicated great messages about what the Darlinghurst Theatre Company is as a brand.

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 To see more fundrasing campaigns in action; check out our bank of case studies and industry profiles.

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