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Description
The aim of the project is to take the engagement and preservation of the Centre’s permanent donors to a new level of development. The ultimate aim of the intervention is the diversification of funding and, above all, the increase in and predictability of non-targeted funding. The target group of the project are (potential) supporters, one-off donors and permanent donors of the Centre. The direct beneficiaries are vulnerable groups whose rights the Centre can protect better with these resources. The project will include the establishment of a unique permanent donor management system and conducting focus group interviews with the different target groups, as a result of which the messages that speak to them will be prepared. A permanent donor plan will be established and a campaign for increasing the number of permanent donors will be carried out. The project will contribute to the Centre’s strategic goal, which is to ensure that Estonia is an open society where human rights are important, protected and guaranteed.
Summary of project results
The project seeks to enhance the Estonian Human Rights Center''s (EHRC) ability to attract and engage both new and existing donors, with the ultimate goal of expanding its donor base. This initiative is particularly important given the increasing need to advocate for human rights as core values, including fundamental rights and freedoms, in an evolving social and political landscape.
The project addresses the challenge of a shifting funding environment where public resources, both domestically and internationally, are becoming more unstable and harder to predict. This has highlighted the importance of non-restricted funding, which currently constitutes only a small portion of the EHRC’s budget. Such funding is essential for covering co-financing requirements in various projects, pursuing strategic legal cases, and responding swiftly to urgent needs, yet its limited availability restricts the Center''s operational flexibility.
Since initiating proactive fundraising efforts in 2015, the EHRC has seen a systemic growth in its recurring donor base. However, the level of recurring contributions is not yet sufficient to cover a substantial portion of the organization’s indirect costs. To address this, the project aims to encourage more donors to commit to regular contributions while maintaining the support of existing donors.
By addressing these challenges, the project will enable the EHRC to secure more stable and predictable funding, empowering the organization to respond effectively to pressing human rights issues and advance its mission sustainably.
The project included several key activities aimed at enhancing the Estonian Human Rights Center''s donor engagement and fundraising capabilities.
A comprehensive survey was conducted among the Center''s donors to gain insights into their motivations and preferences. Based on the results, tailored messages were developed for different donor groups, ensuring more targeted and effective communication.
Additionally, a donor management system was created, enabling the Center to analyze donor behavior more systematically. This system supports better understanding of donation patterns and helps refine strategies for donor retention and engagement.
As part of the project, a video was also produced, which serves as an engaging element on the Center''s website. The video can be used for various fundraising campaigns in the future, further amplifying the Center’s outreach.
The project provided an opportunity to analyze the profile and expectations of the Estonian Human Rights Center''s donors. This analysis enabled the creation of targeted messages tailored to different donor groups. Overall, the project aimed to enhance the Center’s operational capacity.
Key Results:
a) The number of recurring donors to the Center increased by 10%. Although the targeted growth was not achieved within a year, this was due to the decision to run fewer fundraising campaigns than usual, as priority was given to supporting organizations aiding Ukraine in response to Russia’s war of aggression. This same factor also influenced the total donations collected in 2022.
b) As planned, the number of followers across the Center’s information channels—Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the weekly newsletter—grew by 10%. Additionally, the number of visits to the website increased.
The project has contributed sustainably to the Center’s operational capacity and visibility. Each new donation or recurring donor strengthens the organization’s capabilities, while increased engagement with the website and social media platforms enhances its public profile and outreach.