Last weekend, Facebook and GiveIndia (India’s largest giving platform) came together along with the Bollywood industry for a Fundraiser concert – a four-hour long live concert to raise funds for the India Covid Response Fund. I must say, the entire concert was a treat to watch! It had the perfect line-up of the ‘who’s who’ in Bollywood, great cameo from Hollywood stars, gratitude speeches from the organizers and donors and to top it all, recognition for some of the most engaged frontliners in the fight against COVID19 in the nation. This would probably be the first time that the Indian entertainment industry has come together through home-to-home performance, at this scale, to entertain and more importantly, to raise donations for the response fund.
The strategy for raising these funds was simple and straightforward. No glamour, no drama. The way I see it, the concert used some key fundraising strategies –
Engage – Every performer engaged with the audience with some form or the other. Everyone opted to perform a bit of their piece in a positive manner that uplifted the current spirit of the viewers instead of making us feel worse off.
Identity – Frontliners were recognized for their dedication and commitment – nurses, doctors, government entities.
Storyline – They were determined and had a common message. And they aimed to win the hearts of people.
Contribution – It was easy – and through click of a ‘Donate’ button right on the facebook screens of the viewers. Total of Rs. 52 crore (about US $7 million) funds were raised for several burdened causes due to COVID19, mainly the daily wage works and those directly affected by the crisis.
What next? An advantage with the video medium of storytelling is the ability to be showcased over and over again. Some of the performances are still echoing in my mind; so many floating around on social media feeds. Repeating footages of several of the performances certainly maintains the continuity of the message until relevant (in this case hopefully not for too long).
Overall, I would say the concert was an excellent approach to collective giving.
People watched; they were moved; they donated.
What are some other strategies you have seen as success stories?
Links to the information –
More about I for India Campaign – Click here
Highlights of the concert – Click here