The Challenge

Raise €80,000 in Co. Donegal in 5 months as part of their Special Olympics Ireland's fundraising campaign.

The Media Box Strategy

Host and manage flagship fundraising events to help reach the fundraising target. Develop a comprehensive marketing and PR campaign to encourage individuals and businesses host their own fundraising events for Special Olympics Ireland.

Examples of our Flagship Events:

Celebrity Restaurant: We took over a town centre restaurant and got four local celebrities to cook for a packed restaurant of 100 people. We also had celebrity food critics who along with the public judged the cooking skills and menus of the celebrity chefs. The event raised over €3,000 and generated significant publicity for the fundraising efforts and allowed us secure individuals and organisations interested in joining our fundraising campaign.

Granny of the Year: We managed the Donegal heat of Granny of the Year with a hugely successful response to our call out for nominations. The county final saw 102 year old Biddy McGee take the crown in front of her proud family. The event raised over €3,000 and generated six weeks of free PR and publicity around the fundraising campaign.

Give Up Yer Oul Sins: We encouraged schools and businesses to “Give Up Yer Oul Sins” and donate €2 to Special Olympics instead of buying their morning coffee, newspaper, lunchtime treat or a few mobile phone calls. This campaign raised over €4,000.

Swishing Party: We hosted a Swishing Party where members of the public got to exchange their old bags, shoes and clothes for somebody’s else’s bit and pieces. The event raised €500 and generated further PR and interest in our fundraising campaign.

County Bucket Collection: We managed the annual Special Olympics Ireland bucket collection in Co. Donegal. We recruited 100 volunteers who collected money in 13 separate locations around the county. Over an eight hour period we collected a massive €33,000.

National Women’s Day Coffee Morning: We organised a coffee morning to coincide with National’s Women’s Day and raised €300.

The Results

We exceeded our fundraising target and raised €85,000 in a five month period with extensive PR and brand profiling for Special Olympics in Co. Donegal.

Client Feedback:

“Joanne Sweeny-Burke and her team at Media Box worked with Special Olympics Ireland on our 2009 Fundraising Campaign and our Ulster Regional Games which were held in Letterkenny in June ‘09. Their professionalism, organisational skills, reliability and attention to detail is evident in all that they do. They always ensured, at every step of the way, that all aspects of the Games and the fundraising campaign were taken care of, ensuring that everything ran smoothly.
We would have no hesitation in recommending Joanne and the team at Media Box as a preferred supplier. It was important to all at Special OIympics that the Ulster Regional Games were given a high profile in the media and that they were successfully financed. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Joanne and her team who worked tirelessly to guarantee success.”

- Matt English, CEO Special Olympics Ireland

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