Whether you think it’s a gaudy, crass commercialisation of love or a genuine way of celebrating your feelings for someone very dear to you, there’s one thing that can’t be denied: Valentine’s Day is a huge opportunity for spreading awareness to the general public. If you work with a charity or non-profit or just like to give back to charity in everyday life you will already know that it is days like this that can pull the donations in and really allow you to do some good in the world. But how so, you might be questioning? Well, simply by using the loving, warm-hearted atmosphere of mid-February to push a charity campaign or a message home to the world at large.
Today, we discuss 4 heartfelt and inspiring Valentine’s campaigns and give you a few tips for making your own big splash this Valentine’s Day:
Campaign 1: 25% Donated To Cancer Research UK
Charity giving can go a long way, it can help fund research and save lives. This Valentine’s Day, when you spend money on buying your Valentine’s flowers you can help to beat cancer sooner. Simply choose your flowers from Cancer Research UK’s online flower shop: flowershop.cancerresearchuk.org and 25 per cent of every order will go towards pioneering cancer research. Check out the latest video from CRUK on how your donation can help:
Campaign 2: Give Your Heart Out, 2014
Set up by Israeli charity Save a Child’s Heart (SACH), Give Your Heart Out is a campaign designed to play on the true meaning of Valentine’s Day to achieve something very special. As part of the organisation’s Young Leadership program, students and young professionals across the world are encouraged to set up events like bachelor/bachelorette auctions and other Valentine’s-themed fundraisers to help save $100,000. This money will then be used to save the lives of children from developing countries suffering from heart disease or otherwise in need of cardiac care.
The marketing strategy behind this worthwhile campaign has intelligently been focusing on word-of-mouth and social media interactions between college campuses in Israel, the US, Australia and the UK. Intended to build up leadership and networking skills in the young fundraisers of today, it’s building on 4 years of previous successes in what will no doubt be a life-affirming campaign.
Campaign 3: Love Your Heart Twitter Campaign
But not all Valentine’s Day campaigns have to focus on raising money. Some, like the Love Your Heart Twitter campaign, simply focus on getting a very important message out to as many people as possible. The brainchild of the Members of European Parliament Heart Group (in conjunction with numerous continent-wide heart charities), this simple campaign asks you to use Twitter hashtags to raise awareness of European heart issues; and hopefully get the EU to do something about it! By inverting the idea of romantic love for another person to a healthy love for your own wellbeing, this campaign is a playful twist on the spirit of Valentine’s Day, and one that’s been making waves across the continent.
Campaign 4 Sir Richard’s Haiti Condom Tracker
A bold, brave and (ultimately) lifesaving campaign; Haiti Condom Tracker from Sir Richard’s Condom Company committed the business to sending one million condoms to poverty-stricken Haiti in 2013. The idea was to match one for one, with a condom being sent for every brought.
Although this played less on the courtly love aspect of Valentine’s Day and more on the physical aspect of it, it was a noble attempt to stop the devastating spread of AIDs in Haiti through the use of a product most of us simply take for granted. At the centre of this was the “Condom Tracker” which aggregated data from all campaign websites, stores and social media to keep a running tally of the number donated. It was an intelligent gimmick which hooked people in and allowed them to go on to do some good in the world.
Tips for Charity Giving
You’ve now seen some of the ways that Valentines can be made special this year. Now is the time to take flight and rise above these and soar through the sky spreading awareness. CRUK looks to fundraising events to raise awareness for charity giving to Cancer Research and encourages others to do this too. Maybe you are looking to remember someone this Valentines or donate in memory – if you are then here are four ways you can romance with fundraising this Valentine’s Day to raise funds or awareness:
Charity Ball – Romantic, traditional and sure to raise a large sum, a Valentine’s charity ball is a sure-fire way to spread the word and get donations in.
Bachelor Auction – It’s clean, wholesome fun that feels a little cheeky and garners easy attention. Yes, a bachelor auction is a classic way of getting noticed around this time of year; and a handful of eligible local men up for a laugh can net you some serious donations.
Speed-Dating – This is seen as the traditional form of fundraising for the singles out there this Valentines but another way to get people together to raise money and have some romantic fun in the process. Speed dating is a tried-and-tested Valentine’s fundraiser but well worth the fun.
YouTube Loving – If you have an active social media channel then promote heartfelt messaging and share campaigns this Valentines. You can give to someone on Valentines through various methods and it does not have to always be of a monetary value. Sharing emotional and informative video content may help save a heart and life this Valentines.
So now why not let us know what your favourite romantic campaign of this year is and any tips you may have for inspiration, and this Valentine’s Day why not get involved in charity giving to cancer research and make your donation to finding a cure.
