Why we broke with our own tradition to offer a new type of challenge

Growing any successful fundraising program takes strategy and dedication. One of the biggest mistakes a charity can make when growing their fundraising program is taking on too much, too soon or trying to do everything at once.

Last year a number of charities were looking to dip a toe into adventure fundraising and wanted something with low risk to test the waters. So, in response, we created Signature Challenges, an inclusive take on our standard model for small charities, or those that didn’t yet have buy-in to run a full adventure.

Based on our experience running over 500 adventures, we have seen how effective charity challenges are at building community and inspiring lifelong advocacy which results in extraordinary fundraising outcomes. The Signature Challenges would provide that opportunity for all organisations, regardless of size and resources, to see equivalent results. 

On a fundraising adventure, each participant commits to a physical challenge to raise funds for a particular charity. What sets fundraising adventures apart from local events, like a fun run, is the transformative power of travel. We know that travelling overseas, especially for the first time as many of our participants do, creates a real shift in people. Perspectives are opened, new experiences are shared, and a lasting impact is stamped deeply on their life. That impact is forever linked to the charity.

Historically we’ve avoided ‘open challenges’, a sort of mass participation fundraising adventure that anyone supporting any charity can join because we know part of the magic that happens on an Inspired Adventure is the bonding over a shared passion for a particular cause. With that in mind, we created the Signature campaigns around individual causes, the Hike for Health or Trek for Young Australians for example, and then invited mission-aligned charities to join. Each would send 5-10 supporters as part of a team of 20-25 who would have the shared experience of supporting their favourite charity for a cause the whole team is passionate about.

In a way, we were dipping our toes in too, when we launched our first Signature Challenge, the Hike for Health, last April. The key for success was the same: a strong campaign, well-marketed, but there is always an element of risk in trying something new. The first charity to join was the Harry Perkins Institute with five places. Five supporters quickly became ten and the team is now projected to reach over $56,000, surpassing their initial goal of $35,000. The Signature Challenge was a hit!

We project raising at least $550,000 across our 2019 Signature Challenges for the fifteen new charity partners that have come on board. We have even bigger plans with seven Signature Challenges planned for 2020 and a goal of $1 million raised. 

A full team of supporters, trekking or cycling together under a charity banner will always be the most powerful. But if that’s not possible, Signature Challenges have proved to be an effective gateway into the wonderful world of adventure fundraising.