A collection of 20 book covers showing the titles included in the 2018 World Book Night reading list

Helping

The logo of The Reading Agency

to develop an Individual Giving strategy

The Reading Agency know that reading for pleasure and information can help you to realise your ambitions and fulfil your potential. That’s why their work focuses on supporting children and adults to read. Perhaps best known for running the Summer Reading Challenge and World Book Night, The Reading Agency work with libraries, schools, reading groups, prisons, publishers and the media to get people reading.

What was the Challenge?

While The Reading Agency had previously received support from a number of individual donors, Individual Giving had not been a priority for the organisation for a number of years. As part of their efforts to grow and diversify their income they were keen to develop a new Individual Giving strategy. In particular, The Reading Agency was keen to maximise the opportunity presented by one of its most high-profile annual events – World Book Night.

Apollo Fundraising was commissioned to develop a campaign to coincide with World Book Night 2018.

How did Apollo Fundraising help?

Through interactive workshops, Apollo Fundraising worked with staff from across the organisation to:

  • Create a profile of the likely target audience for a World Book Night campaign
  • Develop powerful campaign messaging, reflecting the importance of The Reading Agency’s work and the interests and understanding of the target audience
  • Develop plans for communicating the message with the target audience, while being respectful of the requirements of the commercial and charitable partners involved in World Book Night
  • Consider how to thank and steward supporters following the campaign
  • Consider how to re-engage previous supporters with both the campaign and the organisation

What happened next?

The completion of the project coincided with significant turnover of staff in the fundraising team at The Reading Agency. As a result, the team at The Reading Agency decided to delay launching an Individual Giving campaign until later in the year.