Cymba works magic on national value exchange campaign 

The background:

UK-based charity Sense supports thousands of deafblind and disabled people, helping them communicate with others, experience the world, and fulfil their potential.

For almost 70 years, the charity has supported people of all ages, offering residential care and virtual support from a network of centres nationwide. Additionally, Sense provides lifelong opportunities for disabled people to be creative and active through various programmes. 

Sense requires a steady stream of fundraising-generated income to support the work it does, and when it launched text-to-donate campaigns in December 2011, it turned to Cymba for help. 

Now, more than 12 years later – and as one of Cymba’s longest-standing customers – Sense is using Cymba to support its SMS-based value exchange programme.

“Our Christmas text-to-donate campaign, which Cymba implemented, was incredibly successful; in fact, with over 6,000 gifts at £5 each, Sense was one of the best-performing charities across the sector. The value exchange element has boosted engagement and we’re looking to continue rolling out this approach.”

Kristen Long, Supporter Acquisition Manager at Sense

The project:

The Sense Magic Key campaign, initially launched in 2021, saw the charity create a television advert in which the brother of Luca, who is deafblind, asked for help in finding Luca’s magic key—a sensory toy that a £5 donation would help fund.

Viewers were asked to donate £5 by texting a specified number, which Cymba managed. In 2023, as part of the charity’s decision to trial a value exchange programme, Sense added the offer of a free pin badge, which people would receive in return for donating.

On receipt of the donations, Cymba shared the donors’ details with Sense’s telephone fundraising partner, who was commissioned to request the donors’ address details for pin badge deliveries and, where possible, secure regular gifts from donors. 

The details of donors the telephone fundraising agency couldn’t reach were then sent back to Cymba, which issued secondary ‘mop up’ texts reminding those who had pledged a donation to provide a postal address and encouraging them to become regular donors. 

The result:

The campaign secured 6,183 gifts and raised £30,195. 

Furthermore, around 50 per cent of those who received the text from Cymba filled out the address form to receive the pin badge. 

Additionally, the Sense Magic Key initiative secured 200 regular givers, all of whom committed an average gift of £6.59 a month based on the presented options of £8 a month, £5 a month and a £1 lottery ticket.

Following the success of the Christmas value exchange programme, Sense will replicate this approach in May 2024.